Speaker Mike Johnson Blames Democrats as Trump Targets Agencies for Cuts Amid Ongoing Shutdown

The standoff in Washington deepened Thursday as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson placed full responsibility for the government shutdown on Senate Democrats — even as President Donald Trump and his budget chief, Russ Vought, moved ahead with identifying which federal programs would face cuts.

“This is the way the system works,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters at the Capitol. “This is [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer’s decision — to hand the keys to the kingdom to the president. He has put himself in that situation, and it’s completely unnecessary. The president takes no pleasure in this.”

The government has now been partially shuttered for more than two weeks after Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked a short-term funding bill passed by the Republican-led House. Without the stopgap measure, agencies have begun contingency operations, delaying payments, furloughing workers, and preparing for deeper disruptions in the coming days.

Trump Moves to Identify Programs for Elimination

Hours before Johnson’s comments, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he would meet with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought — whom he referred to as “he of Project 2025 Fame” — to determine which agencies and programs should face cuts.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought to determine which of the many Democrat-run agencies — most of which are a political scam — he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” he added. “They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Under Vought’s direction, the administration has already suspended billions in federal funding earmarked for major infrastructure projects, including upgrades to New York City’s subway system. Federal departments have begun implementing shutdown procedures, which include delaying employee paychecks, halting new contracts, and reviewing existing obligations in light of Trump’s fiscal priorities.

Johnson Defends Trump’s Strategy

Johnson defended Vought’s work and framed it as a necessary, though unpleasant, aspect of the shutdown.

“As you know, whomever is seated in the chair at OMB during a shutdown has to do the same thing,” Johnson said. “We had a 45-minute conference call with Russ yesterday. He takes no pleasure in this … because he has to sit down and decide which policies, personnel, and programs are essential, and which are not. That is not a fun task.”

Johnson added that every OMB director ultimately reflects the administration’s priorities. “When he sits down as the director of OMB, he will obviously have to make subjective decisions on the priorities,” he said. “And what would any OMB director do under any president? They’re going to make sure the administration’s priorities are funded first.”

Johnson reiterated that the shutdown could end immediately if Senate Democrats would “come to their senses.”

“It could end today if the Senate Democrats would do the right thing for the American people,” he said. “But if they don’t, and if they keep the government closed, it’s going to get more painful because the resources run out, and more and more programs have to be reduced or eliminated.”

Stalemate in the Senate

Senate Democrats have now blocked the House’s short-term funding bill for the tenth time since the shutdown began, ensuring that the impasse will continue into next week. Lawmakers are set to leave Washington for another extended weekend after just three days of session — leaving little progress toward reopening the government.

Neither party appears ready to compromise. Informal talks between the two sides have reportedly stalled as both entrench behind their political positions. Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., remains committed to forcing repeated votes on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), which would reopen the government through November 21.

Some Republican senators are now discussing a modified version of the bill that would extend the deadline into December or January, but that move would require the House — which has been in recess for nearly a month — to return and approve a new measure.

The Policy Divide

The central disagreement continues to revolve around healthcare funding and the future of Obamacare subsidies. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have demanded that any temporary funding package include provisions to extend those subsidies, while Republicans insist on a “clean” bill with no additional spending.

Republicans, led by Trump and Johnson, argue that Democrats are deliberately prolonging the shutdown to create political pressure, while Democrats accuse the White House of using the crisis to consolidate power over the budget process.

The standoff shows no sign of easing. With agencies nearing the limits of their contingency funds, the next two weeks are expected to bring more significant disruptions across federal services — and escalating political blame between both parties.

If neither side relents soon, analysts warn that the economic impact could grow sharply, particularly for federal workers and contractors who depend on consistent paychecks.

Still, Johnson remained firm. “This is not the president’s doing,” he said. “This is a choice made by Senate Democrats. They wanted this fight — and now they’re seeing what that means.”