House members' absence during the government shutdown is creating a political dilemma for Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and is testing his leadership. The Louisiana congressman sent members home three weeks ago, and they haven’t been back in working session since. In the intervening weeks, the government has shut down.
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Will it still amp up the Atlantic hurricane season?California company recalls nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta tied to listeria outbreakWestern Montana city losing labor and delivery services at one of its two hospitalsOne Tech Tip: Annoyed by junk calls to your iPhone? Try the new iOS 26 call screen featureThe Dubai chocolate craze is now about much more than barsPope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truthsEl escritor húngaro László Krasznahorkai gana el Premio Nobel de LiteraturaGabinete israelí aprueba un"esquema" del acuerdo para liberar a rehenes retenidos por Hamás Will it still amp up the Atlantic hurricane season?California company recalls nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta tied to listeria outbreakWestern Montana city losing labor and delivery services at one of its two hospitalsOne Tech Tip: Annoyed by junk calls to your iPhone? Try the new iOS 26 call screen featureThe Dubai chocolate craze is now about much more than barsPope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truthsEl escritor húngaro László Krasznahorkai gana el Premio Nobel de LiteraturaGabinete israelí aprueba un"esquema" del acuerdo para liberar a rehenes retenidos por HamásSpeaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at a press conference on 8th day of the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference to mark the seventh day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at a press conference on 8th day of the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Washington. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at a press conference on 8th day of the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference to mark the seventh day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference to mark the seventh day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. after the House approved a bill to fund the federal government. And they haven’t been back in working session since. “People are upset. I’m upset. I’m a very patient man, but I am angry right now,” Johnson said during one of his almost daily press conferences on the empty side of the Capitol. “The House did its job,” said Johnson, of Louisiana. There’s nothing left to negotiate, he says, arguing it’s up to the Senate, which is also controlled by Republicans, to act. “That ball has been sent to the other court.”as speaker of a House that is essentially writing itself off the page at a crucial moment in the national debate. There are few easy choices on the schedule ahead. If the speaker calls lawmakers back to Washington, he opens the doors to a potentiallyJohnson’s initial strategy to avoid the government shutdown was a well-worn one — have the House pass its bill, leave town right before the deadline and force the Senate to accept it. Jamming the other chamber, as it’s often called. And it often works.blocked by most of the DemocratsBut after having called a vote more than a half-dozen times to pass the House’s bill out of the Senate, not enough Democrats have signed on as they hold out for a deal on Stalemated, quiet talks are underway, as small groups of lawmakers are privately trying to negotiate off-ramps. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has proposed keeping the health care subsidies in place for the next two years while instituting changes to the program. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has a similar proposal, and GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has shared with leadership her own six-point plan. “We’re making progress,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who is close to the Republican president. “I think we’re kind of starting to get to a place.”in 2020 has the House been without its lawmakers for such an extended period of time outside of an August recess — but even then, leaders quickly stood up a new system of In the Capitol’s empty halls, a few lawmakers linger. They have been filming social media posts as they narrate the inaction. They have created viral moments, including GOP Rep. Mike Lawler’sGOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been among the most outspoken critic of her party’s stance, saying Congress needs to address the subsidies.Her arrival would shrink Johnson’s already slim majority to paper thin, and she has said she would sign onto the legislation demanding the release of the files pertaining to the sex trafficking investigation into, looking to force Republicans to either join their push for disclosure or publicly oppose a cause many in the Republican base support. Johnson, whose majority is among the most narrow in modern times, has refused to swear Grijalva into office.The speaker has given shifting reasons for why he won’t allow Grijalva to take her seat, saying he’d do it whenever she wanted but also saying the shutdown needs to end first.As questions mounted over the House’s next steps, so did the speaker’s exasperation.“The reason the House isn’t here in regular session is because they turned the lights off,” he said. “I’m trying to muster every ounce of Christian charity that I can, but this is outrageous.”AP photos show Rubio’s urgent note to Trump before announcement of Mideast peace dealIsraeli Cabinet approves Trump’s plan for Gaza ceasefire and release of Hamas hostages
Jeffrey Epstein Mike Johnson Raul Grijalva Hakeem Jeffries Adelita Grijalva Mike Rounds John Thune Lisa Murkowski Nancy Pelosi U.S. Government Shutdown Legislation U.S. Democratic Party U.S. Republican Party Arizona Elections General News LA State Wire AZ State Wire Government Shutdown Louisiana Markwayne Mullin Government And Politics Health Care Industry District Of Columbia Mike Lawler Subsidies Business Washington News Washington News Politics
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