GOP staffer says Johnson worried about Republicans 'tearing each other from limb to limb'
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) walk after speaking to the media on the day U.S. President Donald Trump meets with top congressional leaders from both parties, just ahead of a September 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
An unnamed senior GOP aide warned on Thursday that if the House of Representatives returns to session before resolving the shutdown, “We’d have people tearing each other from limb to limb."
That's according to a recent report published in Politico that highlighted internal fears as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) presses ahead with a recess strategy to force Senate action.
Johnson is refusing to bring the House back until Senate Democrats move on a stopgap funding measure the House passed weeks ago — a stance that’s increasingly straining Republican unity.
Some Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), are insisting the chamber should at least reconvene to pass a standalone bill safeguarding military pay, which risks being missed on Oct. 15.
Senate Republicans echoed the urgency: “You’ve got to be here,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R‑N.C.) said.
Johnson, though sympathetic to mounting frustration, defended his course.
“Emotions are high. People are upset — I’m upset,” he said, per the report. “Is it better for them, probably, to be physically separated right now? Yeah, it probably is, frankly.”
The report noted that in private, he’s urging Republicans to frame the stalemate as Senate Democrats’ fault. GOP lawmakers say Johnson told them the message should be: “we’ve done our job.”
To avoid recalling all members, one proposal would be to pass the troop pay measure by unanimous consent during a pro forma session. “If we have a way to make sure our troops get their paychecks, we should pursue that,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R‑Calif.) said.
Still, fractures in the GOP are widening.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) publicly bashed Johnson’s strategy and blamed him — along with Senate GOP leader John Thune (R-S.D.) — for the shutdown. “This should not be happening,” she said.
Complicating matters, President Donald Trump has vowed troops won’t go unpaid, and the White House is reportedly exploring ways to shift funds to cover paychecks.
Some Senate Republicans expect the administration will act. House GOP leadership privately expressed frustration with the White House’s posture, though some, such as Rep. Mike Bost (R‑Ill.), said if executive action is possible, “more power to them.”
