Johnson's Shutdown Strategy Faces Backlash as GOP Fails to Fund Government

House Speaker Mike Johnson is working to reassure his party about his strategy of keeping the House out of session until Senate Democrats agree to end the government shutdown, amid concerns from some Republicans about the political optics and the ongoing shutdown affecting military pay, federal workers, and investigations like the Epstein case. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are pushing to pass legislation to fund military and federal employees, and discussions continue on broader government funding and policy issues, with bipartisan efforts hampered by the shutdown.