House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is spotlighting past statements from top Democrats as negotiations over a federal funding measure remain at a standstill.
With the government set to partially shut down at midnight Tuesday if no agreement is reached, Johnson has accused Democratic leaders of hypocrisy for refusing to compromise while previously condemning shutdowns under Republican leadership.
Johnson placed a television outside his Capitol office looping a video of prominent Democrats criticizing shutdowns in prior years.
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Among those featured are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.
In one clip from 2019, Ocasio-Cortez said on the House floor, “It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want.”
The speaker’s office noted that Democrats are now opposing GOP-backed funding measures and risking a shutdown they once condemned.
Schumer is also shown warning in September 2024 that a government shutdown would cause widespread harm.
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“If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most. A government shutdown means seniors who rely on Social Security could be thrown into chaos,” Schumer said during a floor speech in which he accused Republicans of being led by “MAGA radicals.”
Other Democrats highlighted in Johnson’s video include Jeffries, who argued in December 2024 that a shutdown would harm working-class families.
“Families will be hurt. Farmers will be hurt,” Jeffries said.
Clark, speaking in September 2023, added, “It’s the service members who will work without a paycheck. It’s the firefighters who will be furloughed.”
Pressley, in a video posted on social media in 2024, said, “This shutdown — you know who’s going to feel the pain? You know who it hurts? You. Every day people, and the most vulnerable. Seniors, veterans, working families, hungry kids, y’all.”
Under President Biden, Democrats insisted we must keep the government open.
Now under President Trump they’re saying the opposite.
Last week every single House Democrat but one voted to SHUT DOWN the government.
WATCH Democrats in their own words explain how damaging that is. pic.twitter.com/RNPNpCqheX
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 22, 2025
Despite those earlier warnings, Republicans argue that Democrats are unwilling to support a continuing resolution to keep the government open beyond October 1.
Breitbart News reported that Democrats have refused to advance the GOP-led measure.
President Donald Trump addressed the issue Tuesday during a press conference from the Oval Office, insisting that Republicans are not seeking a shutdown.
“They are shutting it down. We’re not shutting it down. We don’t want it to shut down because we have the greatest period of time ever. I tell you we have $17 trillion being invested, so the last person that wants it shut down is us,” Trump said.
Republican lawmakers have said they expect Democrats to bear the responsibility if the deadline passes without a deal.
Several have pointed specifically to Schumer’s role, warning that he will be blamed for the shutdown should it move forward.
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The video outside Johnson’s office will continue playing as both chambers weigh options in the hours before the deadline.
With neither side showing signs of concession, the impasse leaves federal employees, service members, and contractors awaiting word on whether they will face furloughs or delayed paychecks starting Wednesday.
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