October 9, 2025
Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Rep. Mike Lawler had it out.
In true New York fashion, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (NY) to keep his mouth shut after an intense confrontation about extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for a year, a key reason behind the federal government shutdown, which is now in its ninth day.
Following an Oct. 8 press conference, Lawler approached Jeffries about the standstill as cameras rolled. “We got a one-year extension. Why don’t we sign on right now?” Lawler asked Jeffries about the bipartisan legislation introduced to extend ACA subsidies for a year.
Jeffries matched the energy by responding, “Did you get permission from your boss? Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?”
Lawler continued to speak over Jeffries, resulting in some harsh words from the Brooklyn native. “You are making a show of this to make yourself relevant. You’re embarrassing yourself right now,” he said. “…Why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?”
Jeffries and fellow Democrats want a permanent extension of the tax credits, with the Congressman labeling the one-year extension of the ACA a “non-starter.” During the exchange, he highlighted how Lawler voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill that indicated “a permanent extension of massive tax credits for your billionaire donors.”
Tensions are high on Capitol Hill. Jeffries vs. Lawler was just a continuation of another heated exchange about the shutdown that took place earlier. Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego confronted Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on why he hasn’t sworn in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in September.
Gallego accused Johnson of delaying the process to prevent the controversial Jeffrey Epstein files from being released, which are rumored to contain the names of high-powered leaders who may have engaged in illegal activity. Once sworn in, Grijalva will be the 218th signature, forcing a House vote on the matter. While Gallego said that the Speaker keeps “coming up with excuses.”
Johnson called the accusations “totally absurd.”
After Johnson tried to change the topic by blaming Democrats for parts of the government being closed, Lawler reappeared to defend his colleague. “Don’t sit here and try to lecture us,” Lawler said. “How about you go down the hall and vote to open the government up. That would be great…Thank you very much.”
The two parties were scheduled to agree earlier that day to move forward with the funding plans in hopes of ending the shutdown.
