House Stays Out of Session as Senate Shutdown Votes Fail

New Mexico Democrat Representative Melanie Stansbury says that her party is ready to work despite the House staying out of session amid the government shutdown. Stansbury, also a former staffer at the Office of Management and Budget, also discussed the legality of President Trump's threat to layoff thousands of federal workers if the shutdown is not resolved.

Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed Democrats’ pleas to call the House back into session and ensure troops get paid Oct. 15 if the government is still shut down.

House Democrats “are clamoring to get back here and have another vote, because some of them want to get on record and say that we’re paying troops,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “We already had that vote. It’s called the CR,” he added, referring to the stopgap spending bill the House passed with Republicans and just one Democrat.

Democratic Reps. Gabe Vasquez (N.M.) and Derek Tran (Calif.) will send a letter to Johnson this afternoon, asking for the House to return and vote on legislation to pay troops during a shutdown “immediately.” Johnson canceled this week’s House session and has signaled the chamber would stay away until Senate Democrats fold to accept the GOP-led continuing resolution.

Johnson’s comments come as the government shutdown enters its eighth day. Both parties have projected confidence that their opponents will be blamed for the lapse in government funding, but the pain for lawmakers’ constituents will become more protracted as federal workers’ payday approaches.

--------

Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube

Weekdays 7am-6pm ET

Follow us on X

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak

Bloomberg Surveillance

Bloomberg Intelligence

Balance of Power

Bloomberg Businessweek

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

Visit our YouTube channels:

Bloomberg Podcasts

Bloomberg Television

Bloomberg Originals