Arizona’s Democratic senators got into a hallway confrontation with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday as the government shutdown’s eighth day dragged on.
The clash between Johnson and Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego centered on the speaker’s decision not to swear in Democrats’ newest congresswoman-elect until they break the Senate logjam and reopen the government. Full of traded insults and forceful cross talk, the six-minute exchange underscored just how far apart the two parties remain on how to approach reopening the federal government as each side digs in.
The Democratic senators had been speaking with reporters outside the speaker’s office in the US Capitol to argue he was refusing to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva because she’d be the deciding signature to force a House vote related to the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
The speaker exchanged handshakes with the pair as he approached to push back on their claims.
“Your excuse just keeps on moving,” said Gallego, as the Democrats pointed to Johnson’s swearing-in of Florida GO
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