Tensions erupted on Capitol Hill Wednesday as two members of the House of Representatives got into a screaming match on the eighth day of the 2025 government shutdown.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., outside the latter’s news conference over a bipartisan compromise on enhanced ObamaCare subsidies, a key flashpoint in the fight over federal funding.
He also taunted Jeffries about whether he would endorse democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City — which Jeffries did not answer.
‘First of all, I don’t answer to you. You don’t even answer to yourself,’ Jeffries responded.
The heated exchange began with Lawler challenging Jeffries to sign onto bipartisan legislation extending COVID-19 pandemic-era enhancements to ObamaCare subsidies for one year.
Those subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action, and Democrats have been demanding that the issue be addressed before they would agree on a federal funding bill to end the shutdown.
‘We’ve got a one-year extension, why don’t you sign on right now?’ Lawler asked.
Jeffries responded angrily, ‘Did you get permission from your boss? Did your boss Donald Trump give you permission?’
‘He’s not my boss,’ Lawler replied.
The two men spoke over each other for nearly five minutes, both accusing the other’s party of derailing the government.
‘You’re an embarrassment,’ Jeffries said, before confronting him for voting for President Donald Trump’s massive policy bill, the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act.
‘I voted for a tax cut bill that gave the largest tax cut to Americans in history — including, by the way, the average New Yorker getting a $4,000 tax cut. Are you against that?’ Lawler asked.
Jeffries responded, ‘You’re embarrassing yourself. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history — you voted for that.’
The House Democratic leader pointed his finger into Lawler’s chest, telling him, ‘You’re not going to talk to me, and talk over me, because you don’t want to hear what I have to say. So why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?’
‘Oh, is that the way to talk?’ Lawler retorted.
They continued debating the merits of the Republicans’ policy bill, though Lawler repeatedly tried to ask Jeffries if he would sign onto the temporary ObamaCare extension.
Jeffries then shifted the conversation to accusing House Republicans of remaining in their districts during the government shutdown — something Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged them to do in order to keep the focus on D.C. on Senate Democrats refusing the GOP’s funding bill.
‘You wanted Republicans to be here, I’m here,’ Lawler said. ‘And by the way, you can pass an [Affordable Care Act] extension right now. Sign onto this bill.’
Jeffries asked, ‘Mike, is your boss Donald Trump behind it?’
He argued it would take more Republicans than those signed onto the legislation to get it passed in the House as the fight further devolved into insults.
‘Are you mathematically challenged, bro?’ Jeffries asked.
Lawler said, ‘No, I think you are. You have 215 Democrats.’
The fight came hours after Johnson confronted a pair of Senate Democrats outside his office who were demanding the Republican leader swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz.
Senate Democrats rejected the GOP-led funding bill for the sixth time on Wednesday, all but guaranteeing the shutdown will extend into a ninth day.
The House passed a bill to extend fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Nov. 21 to give lawmakers more time to create a longer-term deal for FY 2026 spending.
But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding talks, have largely said they’ll reject any deal that does not include an extension of the expiring ObamaCare subsidies.