Mike Lawler and Hakeem Jeffries get into fiery shouting match over government shutdown: Keep your mouth shut
WASHINGTON — They’ve gone from government shutdown to shout down.Hudson Valley Rep.
Mike Lawler (R-NY) got into an epic war of words with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) over his role in causing the partial government shutdown after catching him at the end of a Wednesday press conference.Lawler had walked up to and called out Jeffries for not engaging in bipartisan negotiations with him to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.“Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?” a smirking Jeffries snapped back as Lawler began confronting him in front of a group of reporters.The Hudson Valley rep, who held up a copy of legislation to extend the ACA credits, denied that President Trump is his boss and recounted how Jeffries has repeatedly voted for spending patches in the past to avert government shutdowns.
“You’re making a show of this to make yourself relevant,” the Brooklyn Democrat sniped.“You’re embarrassing yourself right now.”“It’s sad, you could sign onto this right now,” Lawler countered.
“You have four Democrats on here.Why won’t you sign on?”Democrats have repeatedly blocked a GOP-backed continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through Nov.
21.They’ve demanded that the GOP reverse Medicaid reform and extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire by the end of the year, in exchange for breaking the Senate filibuster and allowing the CR to reopen the government.
Jeffries has dismissed calls for a temporary extension of those subsidies and called for it to be permanent as part of his demands to reopen the government.During their verbal tussle, the top House Democrat needled Lawler over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (now known as the Working Families Tax Cut 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,” he said.Jeffries chided that the megabill s...