Speaker Johnson’s Comments on Senate Control Spark Debate Amid Government Shutdown

As the federal government shutdown stretched into its fourth week in late October 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson found himself at the center of a political controversy over his remarks about which party controls the government.

During a news conference on October 27, as the shutdown entered its 27th day, Johnson stated: “The Democrats are required to open the government. They keep saying Republicans are in charge of the government. We aren’t. Not in the Senate. Sixty votes control the Senate, not a bare majority.”

Johnson’s comments quickly circulated across social media platforms, with many highlighting what appeared to be a contradiction with his earlier statements. Just five days prior, on October 22, Johnson had explicitly acknowledged Republican control, saying: “On one side, you have the Republican party, the party that controls the White House, the Senate and the House. We call that unified government.”

The apparent discrepancy prompted the Democratic Party to share the contrasting statements on social media, questioning Johnson’s consistency on the matter.

At the heart of Johnson’s October 27 statement is the Senate’s procedural reality. While Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate—a simple majority—most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome potential filibusters. This procedural threshold means that despite having numerical control of both congressional chambers and the White House, Republicans cannot pass certain legislation without Democratic support.

During the news conference, Johnson displayed a visual aid to emphasize what he called “four simple facts,” with the primary point being that “Democrat votes are required to open the government.” He elaborated that the 60-vote threshold in the Senate effectively prevents Republicans from unilaterally ending the shutdown.

The current impasse centers on funding legislation that must pass both the House and Senate to reopen government operations. As the shutdown continues, federal workers remain furloughed or working without pay, and numerous government services have been disrupted across the country.

Johnson also made several claims about Democratic demands for reopening the government, including an assertion that Democrats want “$200 billion in health benefits to illegal aliens and noncitizens paid for by U.S. taxpayers.” This claim has been previously debunked by fact-checking organizations, which noted that Democrats are seeking to extend tax credits for health insurance premiums, but immigrants without legal status remain ineligible for these programs.

The political maneuvering comes as both parties attempt to frame the shutdown narrative to their advantage. Republicans, led by Johnson, argue that Democrats are obstructing reasonable funding proposals, while Democrats counter that Republicans, with their unified government control, bear responsibility for the closure.

Political analysts note that government shutdowns often become exercises in assigning blame, with each party trying to convince the public that their opponents are responsible for the impasse. The current shutdown, now among the longest in U.S. history, has amplified these messaging efforts.

As negotiations continue behind closed doors, the practical consequences of the shutdown grow more severe for government employees, contractors, and citizens who rely on federal services. Economic analysts have estimated that each week of the shutdown costs the economy billions in lost productivity and reduced economic activity.

For now, Johnson’s comments highlight the complex reality of legislative power in Washington—where numerical control doesn’t always translate to the ability to govern without bipartisan cooperation, especially under Senate rules that often require supermajority support for significant legislation.