Speaker of the House Mike Johnson blamed Democrats Thursday for the ongoing government shutdown, as President Donald Trump and his budget chief pushed ahead with plans to cut federal programs. Johnson said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer\u2019s refusal to advance a seven-week stopgap funding bill forced the shutdown, calling it \u201ccompletely unnecessary\u201d and emphasizing that the president \u201ctakes no pleasure in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government entered its second day of a partial shutdown after Democrats blocked the funding measure, causing federal agencies to delay payments and reduce operations. Johnson\u2019s comments came shortly after Trump announced on Truth Social a meeting with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russ Vought to identify which federal agencies and programs should face cuts.<\/p>\n
Trump referred to Vought as \u201che of PROJECT 2025 Fame\u201d and criticized \u201cmany Democrat Agencies\u201d as political scams. He suggested that Democrats might have unintentionally given him an opportunity to \u201cMAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!\u201d<\/p>\n
Under Vought\u2019s leadership, billions in funding for projects like New York City subway infrastructure have already been frozen. Agencies are implementing shutdown protocols, reviewing spending priorities, and delaying employee payments.<\/p>\n
Johnson defended Vought\u2019s role, explaining that the OMB director must decide which programs are essential during a shutdown, a task he said Vought does not enjoy. Johnson also urged Democrats to end the shutdown by supporting the stopgap funding bill, warning that without their cooperation, the shutdown\u2019s effects will worsen as resources run out and more services are cut.<\/p>\n