Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and House Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) to discuss Democrats voting against food assistance for millions of Americans, federal employees receiving a paycheck, and benefits for women, infants, and children in need. Leader Scalise emphasized the need for Senate Democrats to vote for House Republicans' clean CR and reopen the government.
 
Excerpts from Leader Scalise’s remarks:

On Democrats catering to their far-left, radical party:

“Let's remember when the Senate votes today, they're not voting on some big, massive omnibus bill, a bill that resolves all of our differences. If you're one of these Democrats, and it only takes five to get this government back open, and you're struggling with the decision: do you offend your far-left radical base, it's about to elect the new leader of their Democrat Party in Mamdani in New York, or do you stand up for the tens of millions of people around the country who are actually suffering? And if you vote yes today, are you giving anything up?

“What's in that bill? A clean continuing resolution that violates any of your principles? There's nothing. Again, that bill does not solve our differences. That bill just keeps the lights on. That bill just allows federal workers to get paid for the work that they're doing – those that have to show up and work and keep our airports open. The air traffic controllers who are working under high incredible stress in a normal time so that planes can land and take off safely with 150 plus people on each one of those planes without worrying about the stress that as soon as they get off the job, they've got to go do a second shift as an Uber driver because they can't put food on the table because Democrats shut down the government. Hopefully, they weigh that when they cast their vote today.”

On Democrats voting against funding SNAP and WIC programs and paying servicemembers:

“We see every day, of course, unfortunately, more and more consequences to the suffering Democrats are causing. We know on the SNAP program, 42 million people. And yes, the courts are trying to work with the White House to find ways to move some other money around. But as we know, even if they're able to move money around, it doesn't make that program whole. The only way to make the SNAP program whole is by Democrats opening up the government. It's real straightforward. You vote yes or no. You vote yes because you want to put food on the table for 42 million low-income families. But if you vote no, maybe because you're afraid of some radicals in Portland or San Francisco or New York City, when you vote no, you are taking food off the table for 42 million low-income people, the least among us who need that help.

“6.7 million going without the Women, Infant, and Children program funding. WIC program is really, really important, again, to very low-income people who need that help. Democrats have no problem shutting off that funding, causing that suffering, and to use their term, because they think they're getting some leverage. We still don't know what the leverage is for. They're trying to leverage the American people, and they can't even articulate what it is they want. Yeah, a $1.5 trillion wishlist of crazy items like free health care for illegals, gutting a rural health care fund. Is that really the leverage they want to use the American people for and deny the WIC funding?

“Two million people in the military, two million servicemembers [at risk of] going without pay. What do they say to them? Oh, gee whiz. They were so afraid of Mamdani in New York that they couldn't vote to pay our men and women in uniform who are keeping our country safe, risking their lives while their families are wondering if they're going to be able to put food on the table. What a profile in courage. It's gutless. 700,000 federal employees without pay, 670,000 federal workers furloughed, 5.9 million households at risk of losing their home heating services under the LIHEAP program.”

On labor unions and airlines supporting House Republicans’ clean CR:

“We all know all the different groups that have come out over and over. They've not said, let's pass some big sweeping omnibus bill. They've just said, pass the clean CR that the House passed over a month ago. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, American Federation of Government Employees, Teamsters, Coalition of Airlines Pilots Association, Association, Airlines' Association, NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, Southwest Airline Pilots. Additionally, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines have all called for the same thing – is for the Democrats in the Senate to pass the clean CR. The message couldn't be clear. Their mission can't be more direct. You just show up today and do your job and vote, yes. It doesn't solve all of our differences. It just gives us a few more weeks to start negotiating our differences on so many things, but while not holding the American people hostage. End this madness, Democrats. Open up the government.”

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