House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, calling their actions a “terribly selfish decision” during an interview.

He said Republicans proposed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open, but Senate Democrats repeatedly voted it down in favor of a “dirty CR” that Johnson claimed would repeal Trump-era health care reforms and add trillions in spending.

Johnson argued that Democrats’ proposal would extend benefits to ineligible Medicaid recipients and undermine reforms saving $185 billion for taxpayers.

He emphasized that the GOP measure was largely nonpartisan and offered in good faith to facilitate negotiation, Fox News has reported.

Johnson expressed hope the shutdown would be brief, noting the impact on everyday Americans, while experts described the Republican CR as among the cleanest possible.