Arizona Senators Confront Speaker Johnson Over Health Care, Government Shutdown, and Epstein Petition
Two Arizona Democrats escalated tensions on Capitol Hill Wednesday in a rare public confrontation with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), accusing him of blocking both government negotiations and the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) for partisan purposes.
Senators Stage Surprise Gaggle Outside Johnson’s Office
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) surprised reporters with an impromptu press gaggle outside Johnson’s office, criticizing the Speaker for refusing to bring House Republicans back into session amid the ongoing government shutdown.
“The guy who works in this office right here is keeping all of his Republican colleagues and his caucus on an extended summer vacation,” Kelly said. “He will not come back to negotiate with us. We are ready.”
Kelly pressed Johnson to make commitments on health care measures, including affordable tax credit extensions, as part of reopening the government.
Grijalva’s Swearing-In Becomes Flashpoint
Gallego directed his criticism at Johnson’s refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won her race after the House had already gone out of session. Democrats argue her signature is the final vote needed to complete a discharge petition that would force the House to take up legislation releasing records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“This is about covering up for pedophiles on the Epstein list,” Gallego alleged. “He doesn’t want her sworn in because she would sign that petition.”
Johnson dismissed the accusation outright, insisting his delay was procedural. He pointed to a previous instance when two Florida members were sworn in immediately following their elections because their families were present and it had been pre-scheduled.
“Grijalva has not yet had a scheduled date because she was elected after the House was out of session,” Johnson said. “I am anxious to administer the oath to her.”
Johnson Confronts Senators Directly
Several minutes into the gaggle, Johnson himself emerged from his office, surprising the Arizona senators and joining the exchange in front of reporters.
“We’re going to do that as soon as we get back to work,” Johnson said of Grijalva’s swearing-in. “But we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government.”
Johnson accused the Democrats of staging a “publicity stunt” to deflect blame for the government shutdown. He insisted Republicans would return to negotiate once a funding agreement was in place.
Heated Back-and-Forth
The confrontation escalated when Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) joined in, backing Johnson and pushing back on Gallego’s Epstein remarks.
“Stop covering up for the pedophiles,” Gallego shouted.
“Nobody’s covering up for pedophiles, so knock it the hell off,” Lawler shot back.
Reporters from Fox News and NOTUS captured video of the heated exchange.
Shutdown Politics Take Center Stage
Johnson has canceled votes this week in an effort to pressure Senate Democrats into adopting a House-passed, GOP-crafted stopgap measure. Democrats counter that Johnson is using procedural maneuvers, including delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in, to shield his caucus and obstruct oversight efforts. As the shutdown drags on, the clash outside Johnson’s office underscores the high stakes: government workers remain furloughed, health care tax credits hang in the balance, and a growing bipartisan push to release Epstein-related documents is colliding with partisan power plays.
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