Government shutdown updates: Leavitt says Trump exploring cutting aid to Portland

The House will not hold votes next week, even as the government shutdown continues. The chair just announced Friday that the designation of Tuesday, Oct. 7 through Monday, Oct. 13 will be a "district work period."

The decision by GOP leaders to cancel House votes also delays any floor vote to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files.

Johnson has yet to swear in Adelita Grijalva, who won in a special election in Arizona on Sept. 23.

Grijalva, who said she will sign the Epstein files discharge petition once sworn in, would be the 218th signature -- the magic number needed to trigger a floor vote.

Johnson has been opposed to the Epstein files effort being led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ken., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, offered a rare Republican rebuke of the Trump administration's targeted cuts to federal programs in blue states, saying "let's not further divide people politically," amid the ongoing government shutdown.

"Whether you're in a blue state or whether you are in a red state, we're all Americans. We shouldn't be targeting different areas in ways that would be viewed as communicative. That's just not what we do," Murkowski told reporters on Friday outside the Capitol.

"If there is a rationale that the administration has for foreclosures or terminations of grants, you know, present it out there. But let's not paint it blue and red. Let's not further divide people politically. This is already stressful enough, and we just don't need to do that," she added.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray

ABC News' Mary Bruce asked Leavitt about Trump's online trolling with deep fake videos to threaten mass firings, despite claims from the White House that it is trying to avoid cuts.

"The president has described this as an unprecedented opportunity to lay off additional workers. He's posted a video likening it to the grim reaper. Which is it? Is this an opportunity to fire more workers or an unfortunate consequence?" Bruce asked.

Leavitt claimed that "both can be true at the same time."

"We don't like laying people off. Nobody takes joy and if you think that, that's very sad you view the White House and our staff as wanting to put people out of work. Nobody wants to do that, but sometimes in government, you have to make the tough decisions," she added.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has not abandoned his campaign promise to mandate insurance companies to cover IVF services.

However, when asked for an update, the press secretary could not give one, even though the deadline set by an executive order to come up with a plan had passed.

"As far as IVF goes, I'll check with our policy team and get you some updates," she said before taking another question.