NBC's Welker Pushes Back On House Republican Blaming Dems for DHS Shutdown: 'Republicans Are In Charge Of All Three

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Apr 5th, 2026, 2:33 pm


NBC News’s Kristen Welker pressed Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) on which party is to blame for the partial government shutdown that’s left some government workers without paychecks for more than 40 days. Despite the Senate passing a funding bill last week, the House did not vote on it before recessing for Easter break.

On Sunday’s Meet The Press, Welker said, “The Senate did pass a bill. Now it appears as though House Speaker Mike Johnson is on board with trying to get that passed. But Congress is not back until April 14th, Congressman. Is that acceptable to wait that long to fully fund the government? Or should House Speaker Mike Johnson call everyone back this week and get the government reopened?”

Instead of answering the question, Lawler said, “Kristen, what’s not acceptable is that for this fiscal year, Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security for over 90 days, not paying FEMA, not paying the Coast Guard, not paying the Secret Service, and not paying critical operations within the Department of Homeland Security. The fact is, Democrats made a very calculated decision to shut down the department because they do not want to enforce our immigration laws.”

Lawler went on to tell the tragic story of 18-year-old college student Sheridan Gorman who was allegedly killed by an undocumented migrant in Chicago last month, and to accuse Democrats of allowing criminals like the suspect into the country. “Let me just get back to the question though,” Welker said. “Republicans are in charge of all three branches of government. House Speaker Mike Johnson has the capacity to call everyone back. Does he have a responsibility to do so, to bring everyone back to get the government reopened? Does this not fall to Republicans to do this?”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/nbcs-welker-pushes-back-on-house-republican-blaming-dems-for-dhs-shutdown-republicans-are-in-charge-of-all-three-branches/

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Full headline: NBC’s Welker Pushes Back On House Republican Blaming Dems for DHS Shutdown: ‘Republicans Are In Charge Of All Three Branches’

[pnwmom]

1. And also, they have the capacity to pass any bill, simply by discarding their policy

of never passing any legislation unless they can get a majority from their party alone.

In this case, they've been refusing to budge on every detail, and then blaming the D's because the R's refuse to negotiate.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "discarding their policy of never passing any legislation unless they can get a majority from their party alone"

The "Hastert Rule" (only the " (GOP) majority of the (GOP) majority" to move bills forward)

[pnwmom]

8. Yes, thank you! I couldn't remember who was the author of that evil rule. nt

[BaronChocula]

10. And the author of that evil republican rule turned out to be...

a GOPedo.

[Exp]

3. THAT is a "push back"? I don't think so. nt

[paleotn]

5. Exactly.

Push back would be what she said .....plus, one is vastly more likely to be robbed or killed by other Americans. Statistically undocumented folks are far less likely to commit criminal acts than our own home grown populace. The numbers are irrefutable.

[paleotn]

4. Careful, Mike. You're in a toss up district and may very well lose your seat. D +1 according to Cook.

Or do you think a Puke getting reelected in NY-17 is an impossible task in this atmosphere and you're angling for something after Congress?

[everyonematters]

6. According to Tuesday's YouGov poll

Who is to blame for the shutdown?

Democrats 33%
Republicans 41%
Both 20%

53% either blame the Democrats or both.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. "53% either blame the Democrats or both."

That math framing doesn't math.

You could also frame it as "61% either blame the Republicans or both".

[everyonematters]

11. My point is, this is not making us heroes. It is not helping the party.

What are the goals of the Democratic Party? How is this helping us accomplish them?

[BumRushDaShow]

12. "What are the goals of the Democratic Party? How is this helping us accomplish them?"

Have you not been paying attention to all the elections that have occurred (primaries and special elections)?

We are flipping +10 or more % 45-voting legislative districts (and other state positions up and down the ballot) notably in red states.

Democrats are working to CLAW BACK OUR STATES from GOP MALFEASANCE and the messaging that is happening in states that have had such elections, IS WORKING.

[everyonematters]

13. According to a recent CNN poll, 25% of the electorate don't like either party.

Numerous polls show that Trump's low ratings are not translating into a rise in approval of the Democrats. They are voting with us as a check on Trump, not because they have confidence in us. Many people are struggling economically. It has been that way for decades. Many have lost faith in either party to make a difference. If we don't change that, they will swing back to the Republicans. The podcasters and MS-Now aren't going to tell us that. They are going to let us think everything we do makes us heroes.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. "Numerous polls show"

"Numerous polls" MISSED the extent of the 2018 and 2022 blue waves and because of what has happened in the past year, are probably underestimating the anger against the 45 administration's actions by BOTH parties in STATES/COUNTIES/MUNICIPALITIES.

FACT: Right here in PA, Democrats flipped the state House in 2022 after being out of power for 12 years (and have held it through numerous special elections due to members leaving or passing away in office).

FACT: Last March (2025), Democrats flipped a +15% 45-voting State Senate district and now only need to flip 3 more seats to retake the State Senate. If we do manage to do that, then that will allow us to have the FIRST TRIFECTA IN 33 YEARS (since the dawn of the Clinton administration in 1993).

IOW, those "national polls" do not reflect what the great former Speaker of the House was known to proclaim -

ETA - let me add that the state of VA, which has been "redder" than PA, NOW HAVE A SUPER-MAJORITY IN ITS HOUSE OF DELEGATES this past November (2025) and with the win by Democrat Abigail Spanberger as governor, now have a TRIFECTA, increasing (D) trifectas by 1.

[everyonematters]

15. We have had three presidents in a row now that did not serve consecutive terms.

That is the effect of the voters swinging back and forth.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Misleading

The last Democrat to run for office and lose a consecutive term, was Jimmy Carter. Remember that Biden dropped out and didn't run (which is what happened with Lyndon Johnson).

Yes voters have switched back and forth but again, using PA as an example, when GOP governor Tom Corbett (who came in during the 2010 teabagger wave) lost his election for a 2nd term to Democrat Tom Wolf (who went on to also win a 2nd term), that was the first time in half a century, that PA didn't automatically reelect their governor for 2 terms (since the option was made available). Since that time, another first was electing TWO of the same party consecutively for governor here (in this case, Democrats), where (D) Josh Shapiro succeeded Tom Wolf, and has a good chance of being reelected for a 2nd term this year.

So I think there shouldn't be misjudging of the extreme and draconian changes that have happened this past year - quite a lot actually impacting the "average" person, even down to the sudden roundups and deportations of their favorite restaurant and food cart owners... or the sudden demands to build "datacenters" and "detention facilities" on land adjacent to many red suburban/rural areas...

Meaning the "hyperbole and rhetoric of politics" have actually touched them for the first time (outside of the usual "the prices are too high" mantra that punctuates every Presidential term).

[everyonematters]

17. They went back to Trump, even with his character issues. That is how frustrated they are.

Biden would have lost. The polls are not going to be off that much. All the polls saying both parties have low approval ratings are not going to be wrong. I don't know of one poll that shows the Democrats with a good approval rating.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Look at the NOW and NOT 2024

A lot has happened since Nov. 5, 2024.

It doesn't matter what people tell pollsters, it's what they actually DO in the voting booth, and the past year, they have been rejecting Republicans in Republican and Republican-leaning areas.

There is an election tomorrow in GA for MTG's seat - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143644970

If the Republican wins, it behooves to see by how much. And if the Democrat wins, that will be a resounding answer to where things are going.

[everyonematters]

19. We can still lose in 28 if we don't convince voters that we are going to make a difference

in their lives.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. That's what the local races and local elected official actions will elucidate

I.e., testing grounds for messaging and solutions that resonate.

Instead of "top down", it's "bottom up".

[NoMoreRepugs]

7. Pushback? Puhleeezz.