GOP House members getting antsy over House being closed for business

I am not saying that the GOP is breaking just yet, but there are clearly some real concerns about not only the shutdown as the calendar rolls over to November, but also what happens afterward.

Once SNAP benefits expire, we are going to find out for sure who the American people blame, as there will be plenty of pictures on TV of kids who don’t have any food.

Aside from that, the little birds are whispering that the caucus is growing concerned over what will happen once business resumes in the House if Speaker Johnson (R-LA) continues to keep the House closed if this shutdown goes any longer.

Closed for Business

Johnson has been using House business as leverage against the Democrats.

He actually canceled the remaining few sessions before the shutdown, setting this play up, having stated, “We will come back, and get back to legislative session, as soon as the Senate Democrats turn the lights back on.”

He added, “That’s the fact. That’s where we are.”

The outrage on the left was only made worse by the fact that a Democrat who won her special election was not being sworn in since the House was closed for business.

Swear Her In

The biggest narrative over the shutdown was that Johnson was keeping the government closed because he did not want a forced vote on the release of the Epstein files.

Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) discharge petition only needs one more signature to force the vote, and that signature will be the incoming Democrat, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ).

Dems were so upset over this, two Democrat senators, Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), held a presser outside of Johnson’s office to confront him on the subject.

Gallego stated, "Let's be clear, the reason [Rep.-elect] Adelita Grijalva is not here is because Mike Johnson wants to do two things. Number one, cover up for pedophiles on the Epstein list.”

He continued, "And number two, put his members in a really rough position when it comes to voting and extending these [Affordable Care Act] tax credits."

People Are Talking

There is now concern that if this shutdown continues, and it looks like it will unless something were to break late Friday night, the House is really going to fall behind in business. The House has not been open since September 19, so that means a lot of late-night and weekend sessions once they start.

Some of the Republicans who have expressed concerns on this front are Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), as well as Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Tim Cole (R-OK).

There were also a few Republicans who did not want to speak on the record, but likened what is likely to happen to two-a-day workouts at football camp. But hey, they have had a month off, so suck it up! That is the price to be paid if you want to win this fight.

The real test for everyone will be midnight Friday night, as SNAP expires and the healthcare marketplace opens up for 2026 coverage. That is when the pressure will really get amped up on both sides. It should make for a very interesting weekend.