Speaker Johnson Assures Senate Democrats on Budget Talks/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ House Speaker Mike Johnson has assured Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray that he’ll advance bipartisan funding bills once the government shutdown ends. But Johnson insists Democrats must first vote to reopen the government. The Louisiana Republican is seeking to pressure Senate Democrats amid a standoff over spending and health care policy.
Government Funding Talks Quick Looks
- Speaker Mike Johnson spoke with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) about restarting funding negotiations.
- Johnson pledged to put bipartisan spending bills up for a vote once the shutdown ends.
- The government has been shut down for six days, halting legislative talks.
- The House has already passed a seven-week temporary funding bill, but Senate Democrats have blocked it.
- Democrats are demanding assurances and guardrails to protect Congress’ power of the purse.
- They also seek an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, set to expire this year.
- Murray says the “only path forward” is bipartisan talks involving Schumer and Jeffries.
- Johnson canceled House votes to pressure Senate Democrats into ending the standoff.
- Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries challenged Johnson to a floor debate on the shutdown — an offer Johnson rejected.
- Senate Republicans plan another vote Monday evening on the House-passed funding patch.
Deep Look
Speaker Mike Johnson Offers Senate Democrats “Assurance” on Budget Talks, but Demands End to Shutdown First
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson has privately assured Sen. Patty Murray, the Senate’s top Democratic appropriator, that he will bring bipartisan government funding bills to the House floor once the federal government shutdown is over.
However, Johnson made clear during a Monday morning press conference that Democrats must first vote to reopen the government before any new spending measures can advance.
“It is my full intention that if we break this impasse and we put these bills together — we have three of them in conference committee right now — whatever the conference committee comes up with, I will put on the floor,” Johnson said. “I’m ready to go.”
The Louisiana Republican said he had a “fruitful discussion” with Murray “a day or two ago” about how to proceed with fiscal 2026 appropriations once the current shutdown ends. Murray chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and has been a key player in bicameral funding talks.
Shutdown Halts Negotiations
Negotiations over a Senate-passed three-bill appropriations package — covering the Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs as well as congressional operations — have largely stalled since the government shut down six days ago.
According to Johnson, Murray “wanted assurance” that he would allow a floor vote on whatever compromise appropriators reached. Johnson said he made that promise, telling her that he speaks “the same way privately as I do publicly.”
“We are consistent,” Johnson added. “Our goal is to govern responsibly once Democrats agree to reopen the government.”
The House has already passed a “clean,” seven-week continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through November 21, but Senate Democrats have so far blocked the measure, refusing to provide the votes needed to advance it procedurally.
Democrats Seek Policy Commitments
Democrats argue that Johnson’s assurances are insufficient without policy protections to prevent what they describe as overreach by President Donald Trump’s administration in federal spending decisions.
They also want the temporary spending bill to include an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at year’s end. Without congressional action, millions of Americans could see sharp premium increases or lose coverage altogether.
Murray reiterated her stance in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
“The only path forward begins with Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune talking with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Premium hikes are going out THIS MONTH. We need a deal that reopens the government & stops premiums from doubling.”
Political Standoff Intensifies
Asked whether he was lobbying Senate Democrats directly, Johnson said, “No, they haven’t exactly been ringing my phone.”
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans plan to force a fifth vote Monday evening on the House-passed seven-week CR.
In a tactical move, Johnson has canceled House votes this week, effectively keeping lawmakers in recess to increase pressure on Senate Democrats to act first.
“I want to bring the House back into session, to get back to work,” Johnson said. “But we can’t do it until they turn the lights back on.”
Jeffries Challenges Johnson to Debate
The budget impasse also deepened Monday when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) challenged Johnson to a floor debate on the shutdown, calling it an opportunity to bring “transparency” to the American people.
Jeffries wrote that Johnson’s “my way or the highway” approach was prolonging the crisis and preventing a bipartisan deal.
Johnson quickly rejected the invitation, dismissing it as political theater.
“I respect him, but we all know what he’s trying to do there,” Johnson said at his news conference. “The time to debate was when we passed the continuing resolution last month.”
This is not the first time Jeffries has proposed a public debate with Johnson — he made a similar offer in April during GOP efforts to pass a party-line domestic policy package.
A Stalemate With No Clear End
With the shutdown entering its second workweek, Johnson has left the House on standby, telling Republican members they would receive 48 hours’ notice if summoned back to Washington.
Jeffries, meanwhile, plans to hold a virtual meeting with House Democrats Monday evening to coordinate messaging and discuss next steps.
For now, both chambers appear locked in a high-stakes standoff — with the fate of government funding, health care subsidies, and key federal operations hanging in the balance.
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