Letters to the Editor: Keeping the government open isn’t a ‘gift,’ Mr. Speaker. It’s the bare minimum

To the editor: The comments by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after passing a temporary reprieve from a government shutdown displays the GOP’s perverse understanding of its role in government. Johnson’s comments were, “That is a gift to the American people.” (“The GOP shutdown drama in Washington costs us plenty, even when Congress averts a stoppage,” Opinion, Nov. 16)

The American people elect members of Congress to represent their interests. First and foremost, that requires keeping the government open, allowing it to serve the needs of citizens.

It’s the responsibility of those elected officials to keep the government open, not to use the threat of shutdowns as a cudgel to serve some kind of special interest agenda.

We know government is broken. The House speaker has demonstrated the root cause of that broken system.

Greg Ryan, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: Jackie Calmes’ column was insightful, cogent and spot on.

Today’s Republican Party is 180 degrees different from the responsible, fiscally conservative party of the second half of the 20th century.

Today, the party is controlled by individuals who instead opt for phony theatrics and are more focused on perceived petty grievances than working to ensure that our economy remains sound.

Noel Johnson, Glendale