Speaker Johnson: DEI Is Part of Dem Shutdown Agenda

As Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted for the 13th time to reject a clean continuing resolution (CR) that would reopen the federal government, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies are fueling the Democrats' strategy.

Johnson said in a release that DEI demands are solidly implanted in what Democrats say they need to be approved to reopen the government.

Johnson said among the Democratic demands is "$4 million for global LGBTQI+ awareness campaigns around the world."

"They're demanding this as a ransom to reopen the government," said Johnson.

"Republicans," he said, "are not demanding anything, literally nothing. All we want is to reopen the government."

The list of Democrats' demands includes more DEI items, he said. How about, "$4 million for the LGBTQI+ democracy grants in the Balkans," he offered.

He said Republicans won't be a pushover for that sort of waste. "We're not doing that."

Johnson said there is even more DEI spending that Democrats are demanding. "They want $2 million for feminist democratic principles projects in Africa," he noted.

Johnson said what's driving the Democrats' approach is fear. "You saw the Democratic Leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, endorse Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York City on Friday," he said.

He said, "It was an illustration of what we're facing here, that the Democrats right now fear the Far-Left activists more than they fear air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents, American service members, and so many others missing their paychecks."

"They fear," Johnson said, "the Marxist insurgents like Mamdani more than they fear families and children going hungry from lapsed benefits that keep food on their tables."

Until Democrats lose their fear and do the right thing, said Johnson, Americans will suffer. "They simply fear losing their own political positions next November if they don't appease the angry Far-Left base right now," Johnson explained. "And they will appease that base at any cost, no matter how much pain's inflicted."

American Federation of Government Employees, the federal government's largest employee union with 800,000 members, called on Democrats to join Republicans and approve the CR to get the government reopened.

Tuesday marked the 28th day of the forced government shutdown over failed budget negotiations in Congress. Many government workers are either off work or working without pay. Key government food subsidy programs are set to stop authorizing disbursements without the government reopening.

• Sen. Moody to Newsmax: Union Right to Call Out Dem 'Theatrics'
• Rep. Donalds to Newsmax: Dems Will Cave on Shutdown in 10 Days