"@SenSchumer is incapable of telling the truth," House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) tweets. "After 44 years in Congress, he pretends not to understand the Senate's rules. As every 8th grade Civics student knows, it takes 60 votes to end the Schumer Shutdown. Since we only have 53 Republicans, we must have a handful of Senate Democrats do the right thing this week and vote to reopen the government. It's time to stop the political games!"

Speaker Johnson does not hold back in his comments directed toward the Senate Democratic Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York). Sen. Schumer should understand well the rules of U.S. Senate proceedings.

Aspersions shall not be cast upon conscience-led decision-making. There have been times when Republicans have slowed progress on initiatives due to conscientious objections. More does seem to be going on here. When Democrats held a majority in the Senate, little seemed to be accomplished then. Now, with the current composition of members, Democrats seem to be continuing the pattern of slowing productive business.

A republican form of government affords that representation be reflected by those representing, so each member can vote based on his or her own guidelines, whatever those may be. It oftentimes breaks along party lines. Since that is how it is done, sometimes there are obstacles to passage, but the continuing pattern of grinding political gears to a halt is the troubling part.