Johnson Looks Scared Keeping House Away, GOP Senator Tillis Says

Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to keep his chamber away from Washington during the government shutdown is “illogical,” North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said as his House colleagues go 38 days and counting without voting.

Tillis questioned Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) decision to keep the House out of session since before the shutdown began, noting he wouldn’t have made the same calculation as speaker of North Carolina’s state house. He made the comments in an exclusive round table with Bloomberg Government reporters and editors.

“Whether it’s factually true or not, the perception is they’re not coming back because they’re afraid of what they do once they assemble,” Tillis said of the House. “Well, sooner or later, they’re going to have to come back. And if you’ve got to manage some of the concerns people have, whether it’s the vote on the Epstein files or whatever, you just need to deal with it.”

Democrats have accused Johnson of keeping the House out of session to avoid swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who, once seated, will become the deciding signature to force a vote releasing files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. President Donald Trump and House GOP leadership oppose the vote, but Johnson has denied it played a role in his decision to keep the House away.

Tillis noted the House could still be in session to do committee work. Johnson defended the lack of committee markups and hearings this morning, arguing that appropriators are still negotiating on funding. Johnson said House members need to be close to their constituents to help them navigate the pain of the shutdown.

“House Republicans are doing some of the most meaningful work of their career,” Johnson told reporters. “I don’t want to pull them away from that work right now,” the speaker added.

Tillis announced earlier this year he will not run for a third term in 2026.