NEW: Mike Johnson Announces Plan To Circumvent Chuck Schumer To Re-Open Government

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced Tuesday that he is taking matters into his own hands to end the historic government shutdown, declaring that he will “go above the heads” of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democratic leadership to appeal directly to senators willing to “do the right thing” for the American people.

Speaking from the Capitol, Johnson accused Senate Democrats of prolonging the crisis for political gain, blasting what he described as a “sickening” display of partisanship as millions of Americans continue to feel the effects of the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

“Evidence speaks for itself,” Johnson said. “So we’re going above the heads of the so-called leadership, and we are appealing to the consciences of a handful of people in the Senate who want to do the right thing and just stop the pain—stop the pain for the American people.”

The Speaker’s comments mark a significant escalation in his standoff with Schumer, who has repeatedly refused to bring Johnson’s House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to the Senate floor. Johnson said his goal now is to rally moderate Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to force Schumer’s hand.

“It may be that the longest shutdown in history is something they can claim as some sort of success,” he continued. “But it’s sickening. It’s sickening to see a political game being played. We’re not playing a game here. We never were.” Johnson reminded reporters that the House passed a “clean, nonpartisan CR” back on September 19—weeks before the shutdown began.

“It’s 24 pages in length and had not a single Republican priority on it,” Johnson said. “Why? Because we did it in good faith, because we didn’t want this eventuality to occur. We knew it would be too painful for the people.”

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The Speaker’s remarks come as the government shutdown enters its 35th day, tying the record for the longest in U.S. history. Federal workers remain furloughed, small businesses have lost access to key federal loans, and food-assistance programs face growing strain.

Johnson’s new strategy appears to be a direct appeal to individual senators rather than through Schumer’s office, effectively sidelining the Senate Majority Leader. The Louisiana Republican has signaled that he no longer believes negotiations with Schumer can lead to progress, describing the Senate’s posture as deliberate obstruction. Republicans say the House has done its part by passing a funding measure that includes no partisan riders—only to watch Schumer stall it for leverage.

Privately, GOP aides say Johnson has been working behind the scenes with several Senate Republicans and a few centrist Democrats to chart a way forward that bypasses Schumer. While the details are still developing, the plan could involve introducing a companion resolution in the Senate identical to the House’s clean CR, allowing individual senators to file discharge petitions or procedural motions to force a vote.

Still, Johnson’s decision to directly challenge Schumer reflects growing frustration across Washington, where the political impasse has reached a boiling point. The Speaker framed his approach as an act of conscience, not confrontation. With pressure mounting from federal employees, state governments, and the White House, Johnson’s gamble could either break the logjam—or deepen partisan divisions.

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