Steny Hoyer Criticizes Mike Johnson's Government Shutdown Vote Record

Government Shutdown Concerns

• 😔 It is a sad and stupid day as the government shutdown is harmful to federal workers and taxpayers, costing significant money and causing economic pain.
• 🚫 The speaker highlights that the narrative of Democrats wanting to shut down the government is false, pointing to zero shutdowns during the four years of the Biden administration when Democrats controlled the House and Senate.

Republican Shutdown History

• 🗣️ Quotes from Donald Trump in 2013, 2017, and 2018 are presented, showing his willingness to embrace and even take credit for government shutdowns.
• 🏛️ Newt Gingrich's shutdown in 1995 and another Republican-led shutdown in 2013 are cited as historical precedents for using shutdowns as a political tactic.
• 📈 The Republican party is characterized as having a long-standing policy of using shutdowns for leverage and force.

Healthcare and Affordability

• 🏥 A key concern is ensuring Americans do not lose their healthcare or face unaffordable premiums and co-pays.
• 💸 The potential for uncompensated care costs to fall on taxpayers if individuals cannot afford medical bills is emphasized.

Criticism of Speaker Johnson

• ❌ Speaker Mike Johnson is directly called out for voting no on a previous government shutdown vote that passed in a bipartisan way when Democrats were in charge.
• 🎤 Hoyer criticizes Johnson, Mr. Scalise, and Mr. Cole for demagoguing about federal employees and government spending, accusing them of wanting to shut down the government for political gain.
• 🗣️ The call is to open the government tomorrow without compromising essential support for Americans' healthcare.