In House Speaker Mike Johnson’s backyard, many residents rely on anti-poverty programs to help make ends meet — and are pleading with the Louisiana Republican to protect those benefits as Congress weighs steep federal spending cuts.

NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Melanie Zanona reports from Vinton, Louisiana, on how Speaker Mike Johnson’s constituents are reacting to potential cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. NBC News Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent Ryan Nobles reports that Senate Democrats won’t provide their votes to pass the GOP funding bill as a potential government shutdown looms.

Even residents of House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) deep-red congressional district are voicing their displeasure with House Republicans' efforts to gut funding for Medicaid. NBC News reported Wednesday that rural Louisiana voters in the southwestern portion of the state that Johnson represents are now calling on the speaker to prioritize the