House Republican leaders are considering staying out of town and canceling previously scheduled votes next week if the government shutdown continues, sources tell The Hill.
The move, which is not yet finalized, is intended to keep pressure on Senate Democrats to vote for the “clean,” GOP-crafted stopgap to keep the government open for another seven weeks. Democrats have rejected that bill as they make demands on extending health care subsidies and other issues.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) alluded to the plan in a press conference Friday morning, ahead of a Senate re-vote on the House continuing resolution (CR).
“The House will come back into session and do its work as soon as Chuck Schumer allows us to reopen the government,” Johnson said.
It would be the second time that Johnson canceled votes in a bid to jam Senate Democrats with their CR, after he canceled votes on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the shutdown.
But keeping the House out is a change of plans from earlier this week. Asked by The Hill on Wednesday if he could commit to bringing the House back even if the government is still shut down, Johnson said: “Yes, the House will be returning next week, and they would be here this week, except that we did our work.”
“But there is nothing truly that we can do, much on the floor, while the lights are almost literally out here. We have to open the government,” Johnson also said Wednesday.
House Republicans are scheduled to hold a member call on Saturday morning.
There are other signs that the House has no plans to return next week. No bills have been announced to be considered on the House floor next week, and there are no committee hearings scheduled.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who brought House Democrats to meet in Washington this week despite the chamber being out of session, said he would bring his caucus back next week, too.
NOTUS reported earlier on Friday that GOP leaders were considering canceling votes next week.
Keeping the House out has the added benefit to GOP leaders of delaying a procedural gambit to force a vote on a bill to release files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
As soon as the House swears in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), she will be the 218th signature on a discharge petition to circumvent GOP leadership and force consideration on the Epstein files bill in the House, since four other Republican have signed on to the petition. Johnson has declined to swear in Grijalva at “pro forma” sessions in the House this week, with his office saying she will be sworn in when the House is back in session voting.
Republican leaders and President Trump are opposed to the move, with Republicans pointing to other Epstein investigations in the House Oversight and Government Reform committee.
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Friday announced a press conference with women who have accused Epstein of abuse for next Wednesday.
