‘Pathetic!’ Mike Johnson ripped by colleague for ‘running scared again’

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) blasted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Friday for adjourning the chamber for another week, and thereby, sending lawmakers home amid the ongoing government shutdown despite Congress’s authority to continue legislative work.

“Running scared again,” wrote McGovern in a social media post on X Friday, sharing alongside his remarks a video of the House adjourning until Oct. 14, and establishing what’s known as a “district work period” through Oct. 19, allowing lawmakers to return to their home districts.

“Speaker Johnson knows America is not buying his BS – people want Republicans to end their shutdown, reopen the government & prevent health insurance premiums from doubling. Instead of trying to work on a deal, he’s canceling another week of work. Pathetic!”

Johnson issued the order on Friday, read on the House floor by Reading Clerk Tylease Alli, designating Oct. 14 through Oct. 19 as the district work period. He’s faced scrutiny for having adjourned the chamber in the past, such as in July when he sent members home early for a month-long break in what critics argued was an attempt to avoid a vote on a bill that would compel the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

Johnson has also faced allegations of obstructing the swearing in of newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), which critics again labeled as a play to stave off the final vote on the discharge petition that would compel the release of files on Epstein, who died in 2019 awaiting sex-trafficking charges and was known for his close ties to powerful figures, including President Donald Trump.

The House rule Johnson invoked to adjourn the chamber for another week was established as part of a recent batch of rules changes, and permits the House speaker to designate a district work period on any day or days they’ve deemed appropriate.