Larson Introduces “Reopening the People’s House Resolution” to End Republican Shutdown Recess
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) introduced a resolution to change House rules that have allowed Speaker Johnson and Republican leadership to indefinitely recess the House during the government shutdown. The Reopening the People’s House Resolution would allow a majority of Members of Congress to end a district work period. Currently, the Speaker of the House has unilateral authority to keep the House in recess.
“It’s time for Republicans to end their vacation and reopen the People’s House. While more than one million workers go without pay during this shutdown, the House hasn’t even voted since September 19th,” said Larson. “It is beyond parody to watch Members of Congress get paid to take a vacation while they demand Capitol Police, Air Traffic Controllers, and doctors and nurses to show up to work and not receive a paycheck. Democrats have been in Washington, ready to reopen government and end Donald Trump’s health care crisis. Even Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene want to act, but Speaker Johnson is wielding his gavel to prevent us from doing our jobs. The People’s House is supposed to be governed of, by, and for the people, not one man acting at the behest of a president. That is why, today, I am leading my colleagues with a new plan – to change the rules so we can end this shutdown vacation and address the people’s business.”
Rep. Larson’s “Reopening the People’s House Resolution” is cosponsored by Reps. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Al Green (TX-09), Summer Lee (PA-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Ed Case (HI-01), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), and Dina Titus (NV-01).
Full text of the resolution is available HERE.
Larson has also announced he would defer his salary during the shutdown and introduced the Make America Govern Again Act (MAGA) to guarantee pay for all federal workers, military and civilian, and withhold pay for Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, Cabinet Members and White House appointees during a government shutdown.