House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., publicly clashed with two Democratic senators from Arizona on Wednesday. Their argument revolved around the government shutdown and included sharp accusations involving the Epstein files.
The exchange took place outside Johnson’s office, in front of reporters, as Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly pressed the speaker on why he hasn’t sworn in Democrat Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election last month.
The senators said Johnson’s delay is a political move. They said he’s trying to stop her from becoming the 218th signature needed to force a House vote to release more Jeffrey Epstein-related files.
Their conversation is transcribed below:
Rep. Mike Johnson: This has nothing to do with Epstein.
Sen. Ruben Gallego: It has everything to do with Epstein.
Johnson: The House Oversight Committee is working on the Epstein files right now, releasing 34,000 pages and more on the way… Let me finish.
Gallego: You know she is key to the discharge petition. You just keep coming up with excuses. This is an excuse so she doesn’t sign on to that.
Johnson: This is absurd…Do you want me to answer the question?
Gallego: This is the longest time the House has been out of session… Because you did not actually answer the question. This entirely has to do with the Epstein list.
Johnson: 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. There are some of the biggest bulldogs in Congress on the Republican and Democrat side who are working on that aggressively. I met with the victims.
Gallego: Then why are you blocking her then?
Johnson: I’m not blocking her, I just told you.
Gallego: This is the longest time that the U.S. House of Representatives has been out of session that is not a regular August session. This is the longest time it’s taken for somebody to be sworn in, and it all happens to coincide with the fact that she’s going to be the deciding vote on the discharge petition.
Johnson: I know why you’re upset. I know why you’re upset.
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Johnson insisted Grijalva has not been sworn in simply because the House is out of session. The House has been out of session since Sept. 19. Grijalva was elected on Sept. 23.
Johnson said he will swear in Grijalva as soon as the government is reopened. He said, “We need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government.”
The Democratic senators pointed out that Johnson has sworn in lawmakers during past recesses, however, including Florida GOP Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis.
Johnson said they were sworn in due to an “exception” because “they were here, on a day — they had their families here, they had a scheduled day for the oath of office and the House was called out of session that day.”
The exchange turned heated enough that another Republican, New York Congressman Mike Lawler, stepped in, telling Gallego to “back the hell off.”
Government shutdown continues
The clash comes as the government shutdown continues. On Wednesday, the Senate voted for a sixth time on two temporary funding measures. One was crafted by the House GOP and one by Senate Democrats.
The House bill would temporarily fund the government through Nov. 21. The Senate Democrats’ bill would fund it through Oct. 31. The Democratic bill would also restore Medicaid cuts enacted in July and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
Neither bill has reached the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage.
