Mike Johnson Holds Press Conference As Shutdown Enters Third Week - October 15, 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) held his daily press conference on Wednesday as the government shutdown enters its third week.
Johnson has maintained a hard line against Democratic demands to negotiate health care spending in exchange for reopening the government.
The Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution for the eighth time on Tuesday, and the GOP appears to be bracing for a lengthy shutdown.
Johnson has been skeptical of extending ObamaCare tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, causing health insurance costs to spike for millions of Americans.
On Tuesday, he dared Democrats to oppose President Trump's move to pay members of the military during the shutdown using funds allocated for research and development — a maneuver that some Democrats think is illegal.
“If the Democrats want to go to court and challenge troops being paid, bring it. OK,” Johnson said during a press conference.