John McDonnell / AP
At his now-daily press convention on the Capitol, Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned he helps furloughed federal staff getting again pay as soon as the shutdown is over.
“It is my understanding that the legislation is that they’d be paid. There may be another authorized evaluation that’s floating round. I’ve but had time to dig into and skim that, nevertheless it has all the time been the case, that’s custom and I believe it’s statutory legislation, that federal workers be paid, and that is my place. And I believe they need to be,” the speaker mentioned. “They shouldn’t be subjected to hurt and monetary dire straits as a result of Chuck Schumer desires to play political video games.”
He additionally threw chilly water on the concept of bringing the Home again to vote on separate laws to pay members of the navy, saying Home Democrats had their likelihood to assist the persevering with decision that may have averted the shutdown.
“Hakeem Jeffries and the Home Democrats … are clamoring to get again right here and have one other vote, as a result of a few of them wish to get on file and say they’re for paying the troops. We already had that vote. It is known as the CR,” Johnson mentioned. “Each Republican and no less than one Democrat had the frequent sense to say, ‘In fact we wish the federal government to remain in operation, in fact we wish to pay our troops and our air site visitors controllers and our Border Patrol brokers, TSA and all people else.’ We did have that vote.”
He continued: “They dwell with that vote. They made that call. The Home is completed. The ball is now within the Senate’s court docket. It does us no good to be right here dithering on present votes.”
The speaker mentioned Republicans are “not asking the Democrats to do something heroic.”
“We’re asking them to do their primary responsibility and accountability,” Johnson mentioned. “I am sorry, I am aggravated. The primary accountability of the federal government is to guard the folks. And the people who find themselves speculated to be protected are being fully cheated by Democrats within the Senate as a result of they wish to play politics.”
