US House Speaker Mike Johnson holds a news conference - October 28, 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson holds a news conference as the U.S. government shutdown enters its 28th day. As Republican and Democratic lawmakers trade blame for the U.S. government shutdown, some have begun to worry that the impasse is ceding their authority over federal spending to an increasingly assertive President Donald Trump. During the shutdown, the White House has frozen billions of dollars in funds meant for Democratic-led jurisdictions, sought to lay off thousands of federal workers and shifted money around to guarantee that military personnel and gun-carrying law enforcement officers will not see their pay disrupted.