Sen. Joe Manchin called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Mike Johnson, to meet and negotiate immediately to prevent a government shutdown, warning "God help us if there's another," in comments reported by Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich on X at 6:16 PM UTC on December 21, 2025. Manchin stated the legislative branch must do its job of legislating, separate from the executive branch, according to Heinrich's X post quoting his appearance on Sunday Briefing on FNC. The remarks come amid shutdown threats highlighted earlier by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who urged Johnson to keep members in Washington and unite Republicans on healthcare against a surge in discharge petitions, per Fox News in the prior reporting period. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that if Republicans lose the House majority, "the radical left will impeach President Trump," according to a video clip shared by @Acyn on X during the reporting window. Separately, Rep. Jim Jordan declared, "This isn’t the Republican Party anymore. It’s the MAGA Party and we are not going back," in another clip posted by @Acyn. In healthcare developments, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz credited President Donald Trump's challenge to "go look at these pharma executives in the face" with securing better prices and saving Americans tens of billions of dollars, according to a Breitbart exclusive shared by @PressSec on X. The Trump administration launched a multi-agency "strike force" to crack down on animal abuse, as reported by Fox News in an article shared by @PressSec. President Trump also recorded special remarks for Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, praising slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a "warrior for God and country who gave everything he had," per Fox News.
