Article – House Speaker Mike Johnson defended his decision Thursday not to call lawmakers back early from recess despite looming budget deadlines and growing criticism from within his own party. During a press conference in Eagle Pass, Texas, Johnson acknowledged the pressure but remained firm in his timeline for addressing government funding.
“We’re very mindful of the September 30th deadline,” Johnson said, referring to the date when current government funding expires. “We’re going to meet that deadline, and I think all the hyperbole about it is just that.”
The Speaker’s comments came during a border visit alongside other Republican lawmakers, where he emphasized border security as a key priority in upcoming funding negotiations. This trip follows his earlier tour of Harlingen, Texas, where he observed immigration processing facilities with a delegation of 60 House Republicans.
Johnson faces mounting criticism from both Republican hardliners and Democrats about the extended congressional recess. The House isn’t scheduled to return until September 9, leaving just three weeks to negotiate spending bills before a potential government shutdown.
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been particularly vocal, calling for Johnson’s removal as Speaker if he fails to bring members back early. “Mike Johnson is deliberately bringing us to another September 30 shutdown,” Greene posted on social media platform X earlier this week.
The funding challenge is complicated by disagreements within the Republican conference about spending levels. A group led by Representative Chip Roy of Texas has pushed for deeper cuts than those agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act negotiated between President Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Congress has completed its appropriations process on time only four times since 1977. The last occasion was in 1997, highlighting the persistent difficulty in meeting budget deadlines.
During his Texas press conference, Johnson pushed back against suggestions that he was avoiding difficult negotiations. “We’re going to get the work done,” he insisted. “The appropriators are working diligently right now during the district work period.”
The Speaker indicated he expects to move forward with a short-term continuing resolution to keep government operations running while longer-term funding details are worked out. This approach has become a familiar pattern in Washington’s budget process, though it often draws criticism from fiscal conservatives.
Johnson’s border visit underscores Republicans’ intention to make immigration enforcement a central issue in funding negotiations. “What we’ve seen here today is unconscionable,” Johnson said, standing near the Rio Grande. “We’re going to make sure that border security is addressed in our appropriations process.”
Democratic leaders have criticized Johnson’s border focus as political theater rather than substantive governance. “Instead of working on funding the government, Speaker Johnson is staging photo ops at the border,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a statement Wednesday.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a government shutdown could cost the economy billions of dollars per week and disrupt services for millions of Americans. During the last extended shutdown in 2018-2019, which lasted 35 days, approximately 800,000 federal employees were either furloughed or worked without pay.
Johnson, who became Speaker in October 2023 following McCarthy’s removal, faces perhaps his most significant leadership test yet with these funding negotiations. His predecessor’s downfall came partly from hardliners’ dissatisfaction with budget compromises.
“I understand the concern about the timeline,” Johnson acknowledged. “But we’re going to get this done, and we’re going to do it in a way that respects the American taxpayer and addresses our most critical national priorities.”
As the deadline approaches, pressure will intensify on Johnson to demonstrate he can navigate the divided Republican conference while avoiding a potentially damaging government shutdown just weeks before November’s election.
