Read, Watch or Listen

House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the chamber out of session for three weeks after passing a funding bill, even as a shutdown takes hold. He says the Republican-led Senate must act, but Democrats there are blocking the House bill over expiring health care subsidies, prompting quiet negotiations. The empty Capitol has produced viral frustration and political risk for Johnson. He has also refused to swear in Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva, whose arrival would narrow his already slim majority, while the shutdown leaves the military without pay and services shut down. Johnson won’t say when the House will return.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.