Politics are heating up. And no one is immune from the consequences.
Now House Speaker Mike Johnson got into a confrontation with Senate Democrats.
Johnson Faces Democratic Pressure Over Grijalva Swearing-In
On Day 8 of the government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., engaged in a heated exchange outside his office with Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, both D-Ariz., who rallied reporters to urge the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz. Grijalva won a special election on Sept. 23 to succeed her late father in the House.
Johnson unexpectedly joined the media gaggle, catching the senators off guard. In response to Gallego’s question about Grijalva’s swearing-in, Johnson said, “Reopen the government so we can get back to work.” Gallego replied, “This excuse just keeps on moving.”
Johnson emphasized procedural norms, stating, “We’re happy that she got elected. She’s filling her father’s seat. That’s fantastic. We have a long tradition here and a process of how we administer the oath to a member.”
He added, despite interruptions, “We’re going to do that as soon as we get back to work, but we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government.”
Accusations Fly Over Epstein Files and Shutdown Tactics
The confrontation escalated when Gallego accused Johnson of delaying House sessions to avoid a vote on a discharge petition for Jeffrey Epstein files from the Department of Justice. “You just don’t want to vote on the Epstein discharge petition,” Gallego said.
Johnson dismissed the claim as “totally absurd,” responding, “You guys are experts at red herrings and distraction. It has nothing to do with Epstein. The House Oversight Committee is working on the Epstein files right now.” Gallego countered with “excuse,” leading to further exchanges.
Johnson clarified, “OK, you see, this is a publicity stunt. Let me tell you what’s happening. The House Oversight Committee is working on the release of the Epstein files. They are some of the biggest bulldogs in Congress, and the Republican and Democrat sides are working on that aggressively.”
When Gallego pressed, “So why are you blocking her then?” Johnson replied, “I’m not blocking her. I just told you.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., intervened, telling the senators, “With all due respect, you voted multiple times to keep the government shut down, OK? The Republican members from Arizona voted to keep government open. So don’t sit here and try to lecture us about whether or not we did our job. We did our jobs. You did not.” Gallego shot back, “Get your people in and stop covering up for the p*dophiles.” Lawler responded, “There’s nobody covering up for p*dophiles, so knock it the h*ll off.”
Broader Shutdown Stalemate Involves Obamacare Subsidies
Sen. Kelly interjected repeatedly, highlighting Democratic efforts to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies expiring at year’s end without action. The incident coincided with Senate Democrats blocking the GOP’s federal funding bill for the sixth time, prolonging the shutdown.
The House approved a measure on Sept. 19 to maintain fiscal year 2025 funding levels through Nov. 21, aiming for more time on a full fiscal year 2026 package. Democrats, feeling excluded from negotiations, have conditioned support on including subsidy extensions.
The House has remained out of session since Sept. 19, with Johnson indicating no return until Senate Democrats align with the GOP funding proposal.
