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Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune stood firm in their decision to stick with a clean continuing resolution, rather than negotiate with Democrats over health care while the government is shut down. Johnson said the seven-week funding extension that passed the House would provide breathing room to negotiate with Democrats on long-term funding and their health care priorities.
“At some point, reason, good sense, common sense, has to take effect here,” Thune said.
Johnson said the president “takes no pleasure” in the government shutdown, but acknowledged he’s “trolling the Democrats” and “having fun with” them in the meantime.
“Now, are they taking great pleasure in that? No,” Johnson said of the federal government’s funding freezes and potential cuts. “Is he trolling the Democrats? Yes. I mean, yes. Because that’s what President Trump does, and people are having fun with this. But at the end of the day, the decisions are tough ones.”
Johnson said he spoke “at length” with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought on Thursday, and Vought “takes no pleasure” in federal workers losing jobs.
“The president takes no pleasure in this,” Johnson said of impending federal layoffs and funding cuts. “But if Chuck Schumer’s going to give Donald Trump the opportunity to determine what the opportunities are, he’s going to exercise that opportunity, and that’s where we are.”
Johnson was asked how the president could be both taking no pleasure in federal cuts and “having fun” with the shutdown situation.
“So the effects are very serious on real people, real Americans,” Johnson said. “We support federal employees who do a great job in all these different areas. But what they’re trying to have fun with, trying to make light of, is to point out the absurdity of the Democrats’ position. And they’re using memes and all the tools of social media to do that. Some people find that entertaining, but at the end of the day, the decisions are hard ones, and I’m telling you they’re not taking any pleasure in that.”
