SCOOP: Johnson arms House Republicans with shutdown messaging strategy ahead of funding fight

FIRST ON FOX: The partisan messaging war over a looming government shutdown is heating up with a new memo sent to House Republicans by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

In a memo titled, “Debunking the Democrats’ Shutdown Delusion,” sent to House GOP offices on Monday, obtained by Fox News Digital, Johnson is urging fellow House Republicans to keep the heat on Democrats in the government funding fight by arguing against their most often-used points in the ongoing battle.

“Republicans have acted responsibly by advancing a clean, nonpartisan 24-page continuing resolution that keeps funding at current levels through November 21 with no partisan policy riders. It averts a government shutdown and ensures essential services and benefits continue uninterrupted for the American people,” the memo said.

“Meanwhile, Democrats are doubling down on false narratives as the threat of a Democrat-led government shutdown looms. Democrats — who once claimed that shutdowns would be ‘dangerous,’ ‘disastrous,’ and ‘self-inflicted harm’ to seniors, veterans, servicemembers, families, and the economy — are now actively trying to force one over policies completely unrelated to government funding.”

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The memo first quoted Democrats’ attack that Republicans are working to end healthcare for millions of Americans, urging GOP lawmakers to fight back with “the current funding bill is a simple short-term funding extension with no policy changes and healthcare programs are fully funded at the current levels.”

“Democrats want to hold September government funding hostage over an unrelated December policy fight of their own making. Policy debates can happen separately, and Democrats don’t need to shut down the government to do it,” the memo said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other Democrats are pushing for any government funding bill to include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Democrats also released their own alternative funding bill that would have repealed Medicaid reforms in President Donald Trump’s big, beautiful bill – all points which Republicans have panned as nonstarters.

Republican leaders have signaled openness to discussing Obamacare extensions but have argued against including them in a seven-week short-term funding bill.

The memo also urges GOP lawmakers to criticize Democrats’ proposal, saying it gives “free healthcare for illegal aliens,” “$500 million in taxpayer funding to prop up liberal news outlets,” “a $50 billion cut in investments for improving rural health care,” and “billions in funding for DEI and climate projects in foreign countries.”

On Democratic accusations that Republicans are using federal workers as “pawns” in a government shutdown battle, the memo said, “If Democrats choose to force a shutdown, the Trump administration must be ready to responsibly manage the situation, including making tough personnel decisions to prioritize operations.”

“But this disruption is entirely avoidable should Democrats support the responsible solution is on the table. If Democrats reject it, they alone will bear the blame for using federal workers as pawns in their political games,” it said.

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The memo also encouraged Republicans to point out that their short-term funding bill passed the House earlier this month with nearly entirely GOP votes, and that Democrats in the Senate were responsible for scuttling it earlier this month.

It comes after Johnson urged House Republicans on a conference call earlier to stay united on federal funding, arguing Democrats had “no credible argument” in the fight.

Senate Republicans are expected to put the bill on the floor again sometime this week. If it fails to pass by midnight on Oct. 1, however, a partial government shutdown is all but certain.