C-span Viewer Confronts Johnson About Getting Her Children Medication During The Shutdown

WASHINGTON — A C-SPAN caller made an affectional plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., connected Thursday to extremity nan authorities shutdown, saying that “my kids could die” if she can’t spend their medication.

The woman, identified arsenic Samantha from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, expressed concerns complete what would hap to her family if subject work members do not get paid adjacent week. The caller, who was besides identified arsenic a Republican, said that she has “two medically vulnerable children” and that her hubby “actively serves his country” and had spent 2 subject tours successful Afghanistan.

She brought up comments Johnson made Wednesday erstwhile asked if he would let a ballot connected a measure to supply subject members pinch emergency salary if nan shutdown continues. Johnson told reporters that Democrats were “clamoring to get backmost present and person different vote, because immoderate of them want to get connected grounds and opportunity they’re for paying nan troops. We already had that vote. It’s called nan CR,” referring to nan short-term backing measure that nan House passed but Democrats do not support.

“If we spot a lapse successful salary travel nan 15th, my children do not get to get nan medicine that’s needed for them to unrecorded their life, because we unrecorded paycheck to paycheck,” Samantha told Johnson.

The speech occurred arsenic Johnson was taking questions unrecorded from C-SPAN viewers who called successful to nan web Thursday morning. According to C-SPAN communications head Howard Mortman, Johnson is nan 4th sitting speaker to subordinate nan web successful workplace and return questions from callers, and nan first since 2001.

Active-duty subject members had been scheduled to beryllium paid on Oct. 15, but if nan shutdown continues, they will not person payments for October work.

Samantha said that she was “very disappointed successful my party, and I’m very disappointed successful you.” She pointed retired that Johnson had nan powerfulness to telephone nan House backmost into session. The House is group to return connected Oct. 14.

“I americium begging you to walk this legislation,” she said. “My kids could die.”

NBC News reached retired to Johnson’s agency for comment.

Johnson told Samantha he was “angry because of situations conscionable for illustration yours.” He noted that his legislature territory is location to galore subject families, including families who “have children successful wellness situations for illustration yours.”

“This is what keeps maine up astatine night,” he said. “I want you to perceive thing very clearly: The Republicans are nan ones delivering for you.”

Johnson continued, casting blasted connected Democrats for not voting for nan GOP-backed continuing resolution, which would reopen nan authorities and supply short-term backing astatine nan aforesaid levels arsenic earlier nan shutdown began. Democrats person been pushing Republicans to reside wellness attraction issues first, noting that Affordable Care Act subsidies are group to expire astatine nan extremity of nan year, which would increase nan costs of wellness care.

“The Democrats are nan ones that are preventing you from getting a check. If we did another, a ballot connected nan floor, salary troops, it’s not a lawmaking exercise, because [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer is going to clasp that up successful nan Senate,” Johnson said.

The Senate has grounded six times, mostly connected statement lines, to walk 2 backing bills, nan House-passed GOP measure and 1 from Senate Democrats.

Reached for comment, Schumer’s agency referred NBC News to remarks nan New York Democrat made connected nan Senate level connected Thursday.

He said: “Every time that Republicans garbage to discuss to extremity this shutdown, nan worse it gets for Americans and nan clearer it becomes who is fighting for them each day, our lawsuit to hole wellness attraction and extremity nan shutdown gets amended and better, stronger and stronger, because families are opening their letters showing really precocious their premiums will climb if Republicans get their way, they’re seeing why this conflict matters. It’s astir protecting their wellness care, their slope accounts, their futures.”

Johnson elaborate nan C-SPAN speech later Thursday greeting during a property briefing, pointing to nan shutdown’s effect connected subject families.

“Many are deployed correct now, defending your state astir nan world,” he said. “And they near their young families astatine home. They unrecorded paycheck to paycheck. Many of these, these work members, and this is not a game.”