‘You’re Embarrassing Yourself’: Tensions Boil Over on Capitol Hill as Shutdown Drags On

A pair of confrontations Wednesday in the halls of Congress are the latest sign that the ongoing shutdown is far from over.

Rep. Mike Lawler, right, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about signing on to a bill that would extend Affordable Care Act tax credits

Rep. Mike Lawler, right, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about signing on to a bill that would extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Tom Williams/AP

The government may be shut down and the House isn’t in session — but lawmakers are having debates in the halls of the Capitol.

On Wednesday alone, Speaker Mike Johnson held a debate with two Democratic senators about the government shutdown and the Epstein files, just hours before House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sparred with Rep. Mike Lawler over the Republican’s bipartisan legislation to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.

During the tense confrontation, Jeffries repeatedly told his colleague in the New York delegation, “You’re embarrassing yourself.”