Johnson faces Democratic senators amid government shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., engaged in a tense standoff Wednesday with two Democratic senators outside his office as anxiety runs high on Capitol Hill on Day 8 of the government shutdown.

Senators Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, and Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, gathered reporters outside Johnson’s office in an effort to publicly pressure the House speaker to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, Democrat of Arizona, who won a special election last month to fill her late father’s seat.

Johnson appeared to surprise Democrats when he crushed their media group.

“Reopen the government so we can get back to work,” he said in response to Gallego’s question about Grijalva’s inauguration.

GOVERNMENT ENTERS DEEPER INTO CLOSURE CRISIS WITH NO DEAL IN SIGHT

House Speaker Mike Johnson had a tense confrontation with Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly on Capitol Hill on the eighth day of the government shutdown, October 8, 2025. (Fox News)

Gallego retorted: “This excuse continues to advance.”

“We’re happy she was elected. She’s in her father’s seat. It’s fantastic. We have a long tradition here and a process for how we swear in a member,” Johnson said despite Democrats’ attempts to interrupt.

“We’re going to do it as soon as we get back to work, but we need to get the lights back on, so we encourage you both to open the government.”

Gallego countered that Johnson was keeping the House out of session in an effort to delay a vote to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the records of the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“You just don’t want to vote on Epstein’s discharge petition,” Gallego said.

Johnson called the comment “totally absurd,” adding: “You are experts in red herrings and distractions. This has nothing to do with Epstein. The House Oversight Committee is currently working on the Epstein files.”

Senator Ruben Gallego speaks at a Harris-Walz “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus stop at Arizona State University on November 4, 2024, in Tempe, Arizona. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Gallego called it an “excuse,” causing more back-and-forth between the men.

“OK, you see, it’s a publicity stunt. Let me tell you what’s going on. The House Oversight Committee is working on releasing the Epstein files. These are some of the biggest bulldogs in Congress, and both the Republican and Democratic parties are working on it aggressively,” Johnson said.

Gallego asked, “So why are you blocking her then?”

“I’m not blocking her. I just told you that,” Johnson said.

At one point, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., joined the fray, telling senators: “With all due respect, you voted repeatedly to continue the government shutdown, OK?” Arizona Republican members voted to keep the government open.

SCHUMER SHUTDOWN HOLDS AS SENA DEMS BLOCK GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

“Get your people in and stop covering for pedophiles,” Gallego said after further exchanges.

Lawler replied: “No one covers pedophiles, so go ahead.”

Kelly, meanwhile, has repeatedly said Democrats are fighting to extend the enhanced ObamaCare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva is interviewed in Tucson, Arizona, July 15, 2025. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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The impasse occurred just as Senate Democrats blocked the Republican Party’s federal funding bill for the sixth time, extending the ongoing government shutdown.

The House passed a bill to extend federal funding levels for fiscal 2025 until Nov. 21 to give lawmakers more time to create a longer-term deal for fiscal 2026 spending.

But Democrats, furious at being left out of negotiations over federal funding, have widely said they would reject any deal that don’t understand an extension of expiring ObamaCare subsidies.

Grijalva won his race on September 23.

The House has not been in session since Sept. 19, and Johnson has signaled that the House will not return until Senate Democrats agree to the GOP funding plan.