US House speaker blames Democrats as government shutdown enters day 14

WASHINGTON

US House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed congressional Democrats on Tuesday for prolonging the government shutdown, accusing them of prioritizing politics over the well-being of the American people.

"Welcome to Day 14 of the Democrat government shutdown," Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill.

"It's two weeks, two weeks of Democrats in Congress inflicting untold pain on the American people for nothing other than pure politics, as we've explained at this podium every day of the shutdown," he added.

The shutdown has halted non-essential government services, furloughed thousands of federal workers and delayed key programs across agencies.

Later Tuesday, the Senate is slated to vote for an eighth time on a Republican-led stopgap funding bill to fund the government. Since the measure requires 60 votes to advance, Senate Republicans need additional support from Democrats to ensure its passage.

With no deal in sight, Johnson urged Senate Democrats to take action.

"Today, Senate Democrats will have their eighth chance to end this mess by passing our clean, non-partisan continuing resolution, the government funding bill that would end all of this immediately," he said.

Republicans and Democrats continue to accuse each other of obstructing progress on reopening the government.

White House budget director Russell Vought announced Friday that layoffs of federal workers "have begun".

During previous government shutdowns, standard procedure has been to keep essential workers on the job, but unpaid, and furlough nonessential workers, also unpaid, but then give them all back pay once the shutdown is over.

President Donald Trump, however, has threatened to fire, not just furlough, thousands of workers and not give others back pay.

Democrats and labor unions call the moves illegal and pledged a challenge in court.