All of this means that Democratic spending priorities might be in jeopardy regardless of whether they want to keep the government open or partially closed. “These are all things that the Trump administration has been doing since January 20th,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, referring to the president’s first day in office. “The cruelty is the point.”House Speaker Mike Johnson underscored Thursday that the shutdown gives Trump and Vought vast power over the federal government. “Stalled federal spending on goods and services led to a loss of private-sector income that further reduced demand for other goods and services in the economy,” it said. How Trump and Vought can reshape the federal governmentWith Congress as a standstill, the Trump administration has taken advantage of new levers to determine how to shape the federal government.