For House Speaker Mike Johnson, the decision to keep the House in recess during the ongoing government shutdown is a strategic move aimed at pressuring Senate Democrats. Now eight days into the shutdown, Johnson remains steadfast, despite increasing calls from within his own party to resume session and address the critical issue of troop pay ahead of the October 15 deadline.

The standoff began when the House passed a stopgap funding bill three weeks ago, which has since been stalled in the Senate. Johnson believes that keeping the House out of session will force Senate Democrats to act, yet this approach has sparked significant controversy among House Republicans. Representative Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) voiced strong opposition, stating, "The government is shut down, Americans are losing access to critical services, workers are being furloughed and the House isn’t even in Washington. It’s embarrassing."

The tension is particularly palpable regarding the payment of active-duty servicemembers, with many GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, urging Johnson to reconvene the House to pass a standalone bill ensuring troops receive their paychecks on time. The issue reached a critical point during a C-SPAN exchange where a Republican military mom implored Johnson to advance the troop pay bill, highlighting the personal stakes involved.

Despite the internal pressure, Johnson advised Republicans to pin the blame on Senate Democrats, maintaining that "we’ve done our job" and the burden now lies with the Senate to reopen the government. This has done little to quell the unrest within his party, with some suggesting that Senate Republicans should bypass normal procedures to pass the funding bill.

The risks of reconvening are not lost on GOP leaders, who fear that bringing members back without a solution could lead to chaos and further discord. This concern is compounded by additional legislative challenges such as the potential floor vote on issues related to the late Jeffrey Epstein, further complicating the political landscape.

Amid these challenges, former President Donald Trump's assurances that troops will not go unpaid add another layer of complexity, with the White House reportedly exploring ways to shift funds to cover military paychecks in the interim.

As Republicans navigate these turbulent waters, the strategy of keeping the House in recess continues to be a contentious issue, highlighting deep divisions within the party and the broader political implications of the ongoing government shutdown.