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Republicans Say Democrats Holding Country Hostage
Johnson stressed that Republicans have already voted over a dozen times to reopen the government — but they can’t do it alone. “We have voted many times, over a dozen times, collectively 13 times to reopen the government,” he said. “But here’s the very simple and important fact that no one should forget. We have no ability. Republicans do not have the ability to do this on our own. It’s a simple math problem. We need Democrats to help.”
The Speaker said Senate Democrats are the ones blocking progress: “The Democrats are the ones voting repeatedly to shut down the government. But they’re not they’re not opening it back up.”
Johnson: Democrats’ Demands Are “Insanity”
Johnson didn’t hold back when describing what Democrats are asking for in exchange for reopening the government. “They put this on paper. They made this their demand in writing in the record of the Senate. And it has not changed,” he said.
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“These are just four sub points there under — under a fact number three. But there’s many more. But among the things they’re demanding — this is what the Democrats in the Senate are demanding to reopen the government. They want to give $200 billion in health benefits to illegal aliens and noncitizens paid for by U.S. taxpayers. That is in their proposal. They want billions in wasteful programs to be returned to foreign countries,” Johnson stated.
He added that Democrats also want “to give a half a billion to left-leaning news organizations” while “cutting $50 billion from rural hospitals.” Johnson said Republicans will not cave to those terms: “We cannot, we will not do those things. And they know that very well.”
The Big Picture
Johnson accused Democrats of trying to confuse the public about what’s really at stake. “They’ve tried to say this is a fight about health care or this or that or any other thing. And it’s — it’s very simple,” he explained. “The Democrats are required to open the government. They keep saying Republicans are in charge of government. We aren’t, not in the Senate. Sixty votes control the Senate, not a bare majority.”
He summarized the situation bluntly: Democrats are refusing to fund essential government services unless Republicans agree to a massive left-wing spending spree.
“They want to turn it all back on. They’re demanding that we do all that to get the government open for hardworking Americans again,” Johnson said. “We cannot, we will not do those things.”
In short, Johnson framed the fight as one of principle — not politics. Republicans, he said, are standing firm against a list of “radical” Democratic demands that include billions for illegals, global giveaways, and cuts to America’s heartland.
“This is about protecting the American taxpayer,” Johnson declared. “And we’re not going to surrender that fight.”
