Democrats just got hit with a reality check.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a powerful warning Monday as the federal government shutdown 2025 entered its 13th day, calling out Democrats’ obstruction and reminding them of Barack Obama’s own words from a decade ago.
“We’re heading toward one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history unless Democrats end their political standoff and agree to a clean funding bill that reopens the government and ensures federal employees get paid,” Johnson said during a forceful press conference.
The standoff began on October 1, after Senate Democrats rejected the Republican funding plan to keep the government open. Since then, Democrats have blocked the same proposal six more times, keeping federal employees unpaid and agencies frozen.
Obama’s 2013 Words Come Back to Bite
In a striking move, Speaker Johnson quoted former President Barack Obama — exposing the sharp Democrat double standard on shutdown politics.
“There is one way out of this reckless and damaging Republican shutdown,” Obama said in 2013. “Congress has to pass a budget that funds our government with no partisan strings attached.”
Johnson paused and added, “Those aren’t my words — they’re President Obama’s. He said that when he was dealing with a 16-day shutdown under his own administration.”
Now, in 2025, Democrats are doing exactly what Obama once condemned — refusing to pass a clean budget bill and keeping the government shut down for partisan gain.
Shutdown History: Democrats Keep Breaking Records
This latest impasse is shaping up to be one of the longest government shutdowns in American history.
- Longest: 35 days under President Donald Trump, when Democrats refused to fund border security — a crisis many voters now regret.
- Second longest: 21 days under Bill Clinton (1995-96).
- Third longest: 16 days under Obama in 2013.
- Fifth longest: The current 2025 shutdown, already surpassing Jimmy Carter’s 1978 standoff.
Once again, Democrats are holding America hostage over political talking points — just as inflation rises, retirees struggle, and families wait for relief.
Republicans Offer a Clean Solution — Democrats Say No
House Republicans passed a continuing resolution (CR) on September 19, a seven-week extension to fund the government through November 21. The goal: to give both parties time to negotiate a full Fiscal Year 2026 budget without chaos.
The bill is clean, practical, and bipartisan — with no major policy riders, only $88 million for enhanced security funding for lawmakers, the White House, and the judicial branch.
Yet, Democrats refuse to cooperate unless the spending plan includes extensions of pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies, set to expire at the end of this year — a demand Republicans say is a nonstarter.
History Repeats Itself — But This Time, the Hypocrisy Is Clear
As Johnson pointed out, Obama’s 2013 speech perfectly describes today’s Democrat behavior. Back then, Obama accused Republicans of “recklessness.” Now, Democrats are using the same tactics — and the American people are paying the price.
“If Democrats keep up their obstruction,” Johnson warned, “this will become one of the longest shutdowns in history.”
The message is clear: Democrats once demanded a clean budget, but today they refuse to accept one — even when it protects workers and seniors.
The Bottom Line: Taxpayers Are Tired of the Games
For millions of hardworking Americans — especially retirees on fixed incomes — this shutdown isn’t just politics. It’s about missed paychecks, delayed services, and misplaced priorities in Washington.
Republicans are offering a path forward. Democrats are blocking it.
And as Speaker Johnson reminded the nation, Barack Obama’s own words have come back to haunt his party.
