If this was anything other than political gamemanship, the senate has long had the ability to end the government shutdown at any time they desired. All that needs happen is for the Republicans to use the nuclear option to end it. It would remove the 60 vote requirement down to 50 votes.

This tells you it is nothing more than another way to extend the cruelty that has marked this administration while it seeks to establish a reason to give Trump his excuse to use the insurrection act at best or martial law at worst.

When viewed with this in mind, it reveals all the lying the Republicans are doing to keep things right where they are.

Johnson will not call the house back until they can manage some way to get around having to face the Epstein vote.