House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) held a press briefing Thursday, doubling down on his party’s position in the government funding standoff.

The government shutdown, which surpassed the previous 35-day record, entered into its protracted stage after Democrats repeatedly blocked a House-passed funding bill, demanding an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.

During the briefing, Speaker Johnson dismissed the significance of Tuesday’s election results, which saw Democrats secure key victories in state and local races, including the mayoral race in New York. Johnson claimed the results were evidence that Democratic members in Congress are “beholden to the left wing of the party” and accused them of attempts to “rig the system” because they know they “cannot win on their p

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