Home Speaker Mike Johnson advised “CBS Mornings” on Thursday that Republicans and Democrats aren’t at present engaged in negotiations to finish the federal government shutdown.
“There isn’t any negotiation proper now as a result of the Democrats have dug in,” he advised “CBS Mornings.”
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, stated that his GOP colleagues are urging their Democratic counterparts to approve a clear extension of presidency spending ranges, which might enable negotiators extra time to work on appropriations measures.
“All we’re asking is that Senate Democrats do what they’ve all the time finished previously, each single time and permit the extra clock,” he stated.
Johnson stated he was not conscious of any particulars about impending mass layoffs of federal workers, together with which companies would see their workforces shrink and by how a lot. Russ Vought, the lead of the Workplace of Administration and Funds, advised GOP lawmakers Wednesday that reductions in pressure, or layoffs, may start within the coming days.
“What was communicated to us is that they are making an attempt to mitigate the harm,” he stated. “The president and Republicans in Congress don’t need a authorities shutdown. We’re bending over backward to stop it as a result of actual folks get harm.”
Johnson criticized Democrats for specializing in extending enhanced premium tax credit for People enrolled in medical health insurance underneath the Reasonably priced Care Act since they do not expire till the top of December.
“That is an absolute 100% crimson herring,” he stated, including that there are nonetheless three months left for Congress to achieve an answer to handle the expiring enhanced subsidies.
