Jeffries and Lawler clash as shutdown tensions explode on Capitol Hill

The Nationwide Hockey League performed seven video games within the younger 2025-2026 season on the finish of the day final Wednesday. The matches consisted of a complete of two fights.

The federal government shutdown had lasted eight days by the top of that Wednesday. And the now extended shutdown led to 2 extraordinary verbal brawls within the halls of Congress between lawmakers.

NHL referees Gord Dwyer and Mitch Dunning labored towards the Washington Capitals/Boston Bruins in DC on Wednesday night time. Maybe the Home and Senate Sergeants at Arms may have had Dwyer and Dunning come to Capitol Hill and hand out a couple of ten-minute misdemeanors beforehand.

“You are embarrassing your self now!” shouted Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., at Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.

JOHNSON RAISES THE BET ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTTS BARRELS IN WEEK 3

Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer stated Democrats, led within the Home by Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, are jeopardizing entry to well being care by rejecting the Republican Celebration’s federal funding plan. (Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs; Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)

“The one disgrace right here is you!” Lawler thundered to Jeffries.

Tempers exploded as Lawler lurked outdoors the Home Radio/TV Gallery Studio for a closing motion after Jeffries concluded his now each day press convention.

“You are not going to speak to me and discuss over me should you do not wish to hear what I will say!” an animated Jeffries shouted at Lawler, jabbing his index finger at his colleague’s chest however by no means poking him.

“Oh, I am listening,” Lawler stated.

“So simply shut up!” shouted the normally cool Jeffries.

There have been a number of rounds of vocal fistfights between members and leaders of Congress.

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., referred to as the press into the hallway outdoors the workplace of Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to complain concerning the closure and criticize the speaker for not swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., greater than two weeks after her election. Johnson then confronted Arizona senators. And Lawler was close by, serving as “fourth man in.”

“That is absurd,” stated an irritated Johnson.

SCREAMING MATCH ENDS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES AND MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT CHAOS CONTINUES

“That is the longest the Home has spent…” Gallego interrupted.

“Would you like me to reply the query?” Johnson shot again.

“You are not really answering the query,” Gallego countered.

The a number of corridor brawls between lawmakers have been nearly unprecedented in Congress. The shutdown slams embrace arguments about well being care. Lawler waved laws aimed toward Democrats’ stress throughout the shutdown: a bundle to increase Obamacare subsidies.

“Should you imagine in it a lot!” Lawler chided with a rhetorical uppercut.

“Bro, do you perceive math?” Jeffries counter-punched.

Tensions are rising within the Capitol. The undersigned requested Johnson about Lawler’s confrontation with Jeffries and his resolution to go away the Speaker’s Workplace to have interaction Kelly and Gallego. I’ve identified to the Chairman that when the Home is in session, there could also be fist fights within the corridors.

Speaker of the Home of Representatives Mike Johnson speaks throughout a press convention on the U.S. Capitol on the tenth day of the federal authorities shutdown on October 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP through Getty Photographs)

“Are you involved and is it your job as Speaker to attempt to decrease this temperature?” I requested.

Johnson added that the setbacks “concern me.” He added that he wished to “restore civility to the establishment.”

“Let’s have coverage discussions. However do not make it private. That is getting private. Feelings are excessive. Individuals are indignant. I am indignant. I am a really affected person man. However I am very indignant now as a result of these are harmful issues. And so is it higher for them to be bodily separated proper now? In all probability.” Johnson stated.

Lawmakers aren’t the one ones outraged. Hundreds of federal staff are outraged by the shutdown. The federal government is now shedding federal workers.

“Proper now, many households are paying the worth for a political gridlock they didn’t create,” stated Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Authorities Staff.

TENSION CONFRONTATION BETWEEN HOUSE SPEAKER AND SENATE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ABOUT CLOSING

Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., represents 44,000 federal workers in her district close to Washington, DC. She notes that Maryland has misplaced 15,000 federal jobs since President Trump took workplace in January.

“I imagine (the firings) should not solely unethical and immoral, but in addition unlawful for him to RIF individuals throughout a shutdown. No new authority is granted to the president or the OMB throughout a shutdown,” Elfreth stated. “I do not imagine in negotiating by way of threats. It additionally exhibits that I believe they’ve the weaker hand and that they’re dropping the PR battle on the nationwide stage by resorting to threats.”

Whereas the shutdown is the primary occasion, the undercard is a battle between Democrats and Johnson over Grijalva to succeed her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. The eldest Grijalva died in March after a battle with most cancers.

“I can not rent workers. We do not have an workplace,” Grijalva stated. “So it looks like a second-class citizen to me.”

Democrats have repeatedly tried to pressure the Home to swear in Grijalva throughout temporary, professional forma periods with the physique taking the oath after only a few seconds. As soon as in workplace, Grijalva would make the essential 218th signature to go over the Speaker’s head and pressure the Home to vote on a measure to launch the Epstein recordsdata.

‘Let your individuals are available in and cease hiding the pedophiles,Gallego shouted at Johnson throughout their confrontation within the hallway.

“That is ridiculous,” Johnson replied.

“There isn’t any one protecting up for pedophiles,” Lawler chirped from the again of the scrum. “So throw it the fuck away.”

Johnson denies that the Grijalva theft is concerning the Epstein recordsdata.

Speaker Mike Johnson is canceling votes within the Home of Representatives for the third week in a row in an effort to place stress on Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer throughout the federal government shutdown. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite; Allison Robbert/AP Picture)

“We’ll schedule it, I believe, as quickly as she needs. It has nothing to do with it,” Johnson stated.

However Grijalva wrote to the Speaker final week demanding that the Home swear her in instantly. And the Home nonetheless hasn’t sworn her in.

Circumstances have been totally different this spring when the Republican Celebration’s majority within the Home of Representatives fell to a web seat of 1. Republicans wanted as many votes as they may muster to move legislative frameworks for the Large, Lovely Invoice. Johnson swore in Reps. Randy Positive, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., a day after they gained the particular election.

“These guys labored arduous and so they earned the place,” Johnson stated when he met them in April. “These gents will are available in and assist us obtain the America First agenda.”

Johnson famous that the swearing-in of Positive and Patronis made “the margin a bit extra comfy” for Republicans within the Home of Representatives.

That’s the reason Johnson is protecting the Home out of session in the meanwhile. Home Democrats return to Capitol Hill this week to make some extent about Johnson protecting the Home out of session throughout the shutdown. Both method, sending everybody again to the Capitol would most likely set off the Congressional equal of a line battle.

There are unwritten guidelines about hockey combating. You do not punch somebody. You do not kneel your opponent. Usually you can be competing towards somebody in the identical weight class. In hockey, either side heat up on their very own facet of the crimson line earlier than the sport and between intervals. Violation of that code may trigger a significant brawl.

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Lawmakers from either side seemingly left their very own facet of the rink to argue with the opposite facet. Gallego and Kelly outdoors the Speaker’s workplace. Lawler outdoors Jeffries’ press convention.

However lawmakers apparently ignore these unwritten guidelines. The federal government shutdown will quickly enter its third week and everyone seems to be dropping their gloves.