By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been filled with protesters decrying the Trump administration’s slashing of federal government, echoing the president’s claims that the demonstration’s are fueled by professional protesters.
The speaker’s advice Tuesday comes as GOP lawmakers often find themselves at a loss to explain the cuts, led by billionaire Elon Musk’sDepartment of Government Efficiency, that are leaving federal workers suddenly out of jobs in communities from coast to coast. Democrats are jumping in to shine a bright light on what is happening.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Johnson said at a news conference.
“They’re professional protesters,” Johnson added. “So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”
Johnson was repeating President Donald Trump’s claim posted on social media on Monday that “Paid ‘troublemakers’” are filling the GOP town halls to which the House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded: “We don’t need paid protestors. The American people are with us.”
The Republicans are finding themselves in an unusual spot — defending the deep budget cuts they have campaigned on for years, but have rarely been able to accomplish because the reductions cut into federal programs and services Americans in their districts rely on.
Trump and Musk’s DOGE have fired tens of thousands of federal workers as they tear through the federal government in search of what they call waste, fraud and abuse. It’s spiraling at a pace the Republicans in Congress could only imagine when the party swept control of the White House, House and Senate.
Republicans are feeling the heat back home.
Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas was confronted over the week by spirited residents questioning him about the firings of veterans from the federal workforce.
Marshall, too, echoed claims of paid protesters. “Can confirm,” Marshall posted alongside Trump’s comment.
The scenes at the town halls are reminiscent of past moments — from the Obama-era health care battles, when tea party Republicans fought against the Affordable Care Act, and also the George W. Bush era, when Democrats and others protested his proposed changes to Social Security.
But more immediately the town hall outbursts resemble the Trump-era protests of 2017 and 2018 when Republicans tried and failed to repeal Obamacare, and then approved sweeping GOP tax cuts — and Democrats campaign against them, sweeping the midterm elections and reclaiming control of the U.S. House.
The speaker protecting his thin-as-ever majority advised his lawmakers to choose other forums — smaller community gatherings or telephone town halls — to discuss the issues with voters.
“They’re running away from the people because they know how badly people have been hurt by what they’re doing,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said, “I think many House Republicans have to make a choice about whether they want to fulfill their job title as representative, where they can have a town hall and actually speak honestly to their constituents, or whether they want to change their job title to Elon Musk employee.”
As Trump and Musk bulldoze through the federal government, Republican leaders are looking to cut even further, enshrining the reductions and other changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other programs into law as part of the budget process. They are hoping to reach some $2 trillion in cuts to help finance some $4.5 trillion tax breaks.
Outside groups, including Indivisible, which led powerful demonstrations during the first Trump turn, are organizing in communities nationwide as voters opposed to the president’s agenda seeks ways to show their discontent.
It has all left rank-and-file Republicans struggling to keep pace with the onslaught.
Asked in recent days what they have to say to fired federal workers, the GOP lawmakers have not always had a ready response.
“No pain, no gain,” Marshall told the Associated Press last week.
Marshall the senator from Kansas said voters understand that the U.S. government is running a nearly $2 trillion deficit, piling onto the debt load and that changes need to be made.
“I think a lot of people understand that there’s going to be some short term pain for the opportunity for long term gain,” he said. “I think people overall very happy to see the cut, in the federal spending.”
Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said she’s supportive of Musk and his team, “but I still feel sorry for people who are losing their jobs.”
Her message to those fired federal workers was to think about the other Americans who are also struggling to get by. “You’ve got to think about the people who are paying for all this government,” she said. “We have too much government.”
Republican Sen. Rick Scott said, “That’s what President Trump got elected to do.”
Asked about his message to those who’ve been fired and are out of work, Scott said that “I’ll do everything I can to be helpful to them.”
Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said he supports DOGE, “as a concept.” But he said, “I think you got to be careful as to how you do it.”
His advice to fired federal workers? “Just be patient.”
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said while government funding remains important in particular areas, for cancer research and the National Institutes of Health, “I think Elon Musk’s leadership and Doge has been terrific.”
“It has been refreshing. It has been desperately needed, and I am cheering him on each and every day.”