Democrats will determine whether Congress avoids a partial government shutdown as the clock ticks down on the federal spending deadline, Sen. Ron Johnson told Newsmax on Wednesday.
The Wisconsin Republican said on "Wake Up America" that GOP lawmakers in both chambers are working to pass appropriations measures and have little appetite for a shutdown, placing responsibility instead on Democrats' willingness to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and defense programs.
"Republican appropriators, both in the Senate and the House, are doing everything they can to get these bills passed," he said. "Quite honestly, no Republican wants a shutdown," Johnson said, adding that "it's pretty much up to the Democrats whether they are willing to fund DHS and defense."
Congress faces mounting pressure to complete spending legislation in the coming days, with several appropriations bills still unresolved and temporary funding measures at risk of expiring. Lawmakers have increasingly relied on short-term extensions in recent years, a practice critics say fuels uncertainty across federal agencies.
Johnson said Republicans are attempting to move the process forward, but warned that partisan dynamics could again stall progress.
The Wisconsin senator also suggested Democrats may be less inclined to force a shutdown than in previous standoffs, arguing earlier confrontations failed to deliver the political payoff some had expected.
"They may have sobered up since the last one," Johnson said. "I don't think they won that as resoundingly as they thought they would have."
Still, Johnson said predicting the outcome remains difficult as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
"It's hard to predict," he said.
Congress must finalize funding agreements or pass a stopgap measure to avoid a shutdown that could disrupt federal operations, furlough workers, and delay services.
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