(NewsNation) — Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday called the ongoing government shutdown the “Seinfeld shutdown,” saying it is “really about nothing” and driven by politics rather than policy disputes.
“This is really the longest full shutdown we ever had,” McCarthy said Tuesday on NewNation’s “CUOMO,” noting this marks the first time the government has shut down over a continuing resolution rather than appropriations bills.
The shutdown, now in its fourth week, has left military families uncertain about their finances. McCarthy said service members deployed worldwide should not have to worry about whether “their family is going to be able to pay their rent or not.”
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McCarthy, who lost his speakership after keeping the government open — a move some members used against him — said he takes “great pride in being the only modern speaker never to have a shutdown.”
The California Republican said shutdowns are never successful and “no one ever wins.” He attributed the current impasse to political calculations by the minority party during a president’s second term, when “your base gets upset with you” and demands more aggressive action.
“You give the power to the executive branch,” McCarthy said, explaining why shutdowns backfire strategically.
“Keeping the House closed is victory” to Democrats, McCarthy said, adding that Republicans control “the House, the Senate and the presidency” but cannot advance their agenda.
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Republican leaders are considering a new continuing resolution extending into late January, according to multiple GOP leadership sources. The current “clean” continuing resolution funding the government through Nov. 21 passed the House in September but has been rejected 11 times in the Senate as Democrats demand health care provisions.
A full-year CR through Sept. 30, 2026, has also been discussed. Hard-line Republicans and House Freedom Caucus members favor the longer option to avoid giving Democrats “new leverage points,” while Appropriations Committee members oppose it because Congress hasn’t set new spending levels since March 2024.
NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.
