Shutdown Recess Strategy Keeps GOP on Message But Open to Attack

Speaker Mike Johnson is doubling down on his decision to keep House Republicans away from Washington during the government shutdown, even as criticism of his posture mounts.

The government funding lapse is on its sixth day with no resolution in sight. And while the House was slated to be in session Tuesday through Friday this week, Johnson (R-La.) canceled votes for the second week in a row to pressure Senate Democrats to pass the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government.

The House hasn’t voted since Sept. 19 — more than two weeks ago. Johnson said he’ll call the chamber back when the Senate passes the GOP-led stopgap, which senators will vote again on today. Multiple Democrats would have to flip for the measure to pass.

Keeping House lawmakers at home is a risky gambit that provides Democrats an easy attack line but protects GOP leadership from off-message comments from any rogue rank-and-file members. Most House Republicans have kept a relatively low profile throughout the six-day shutdown, and criticism of leadership has been scant. Some lawmakers suggested the House should return to DC on a private GOP call last week, but since then Johnson has gotten little intraparty flak within Congress for keeping the chamber out.

Johnson insisted at a press conference Monday that he’d call the House back when the Senate passes its stopgap.

“We did the job to keep the government open and now it’s on the Senate Democrats,” Johnson said. He publicly declined Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-N.Y.) request to debate about the shutdown, further emphasizing House Republicans’ eyes-on-the-Senate messaging strategy.

Exit Ramp

The speaker has said there’s not much the House could do, even if it returned to session, while the government is shut down. While some House staffers have been furloughed and Capitol operations are limited, members could still return to the floor and vote on legislation. In past shutdowns, members of both chambers have used their time in DC to try to hammer out an exit ramp.

“I can’t imagine being in Congress today and being home in Michigan, with Congress out of session in a government shutdown,” said former Rep. Fred Upton (R), who served in the House for decades and led the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I went to the Michigan-Wisconsin football game on Saturday — I wouldn’t have done that if I was a member of Congress” during a shutdown, Upton added. “The last thing I’d want people to think is that I’m not trying to connect the dots and get things open again, versus taking a moment of free time to do something else.”

In their districts, many House Republicans have continued to attend events like factory tours and appearing on news shows to blame Democrats for the shutdown. Johnson urged lawmakers to avoid political fundraisers that could be used to paint members as out-of-touch while the country suffers from a lapsed budget. Not all members have heeded his advice and even Johnson initially scheduled a fundraiser for Oct. 8 before canceling it.

Johnson stressed the importance of advancing the House’s nine remaining appropriations bill by regular order — a long-stated priority of House Republican leaders — but the chamber can’t do that while lawmakers are away from Washington.

Beyond preventing the House from doing any legislative work, Johnson’s stay-away strategy opens House Republicans up to political attacks.

Delayed Epstein Vote

House Democrats have seized on Republicans’ absence by repeatedly saying the House GOP is on vacation. Jeffries, who’s been vocal with daily news conferences and interviews, said last week that he’d again call Democrats back to DC to show their unity against the House-passed stopgap bill.

Democrats and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), also say the absentee maneuver is a move to avoid a vote on releasing files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The speaker said he’d swear in the newest-elected House member, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), when the chamber returns.

Once that happens, Grijalva said she’ll be the deciding signature on Massie’s discharge petition to force an Epstein vote opposed by President Donald Trump and House GOP leadership. Massie posted on X this weekend that Johnson “doesn’t want that to be the news.” Supporters of the discharge petition will hold a press conference with some of Epstein’s victims Wednesday to highlight the topic while the House is out.

“What is really in those files if there are so many people trying to stop it from happening?” Grijalva asked in a phone interview Friday.