WASHINGTON — Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, both Arizona Democrats, publicly sparred Wednesday with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and New York GOP Rep. Mike Lawler over the delay in swearing in a Democrat who won a special election in Arizona last month.
"Let's be clear, the reason [Rep.-elect] Adelita Grijalva is not here is because Mike Johnson wants to do two things. Number one, cover up for pedophiles on the Epstein list," Gallego told reporters. "And number two, put his members in a really rough position when it comes to voting and extending these [Affordable Care Act] tax credits."
The Arizona senators had gathered in front of reporters outside the speaker's office in the Capitol.
"Seven-hundred-thousand people do not have representation right now," Kelly said, referring to the constituents in Grijalva's Tucson-area congressional district.
The press gaggle began with Gallego and Kelly taking questions from reporters while Lawler stood behind them. During their remarks, Johnson emerged from his office.
"Hey, gentlemen," he said as he came out of his office, adding, "Appreciate it, good to see y'all."
The two senators told Johnson they were hoping to see Grijalva sworn in soon.
"Yeah, reopen the government so we can get back to work," Johnson told them.
NBC News reached out to Johnson, Gallego and Kelly for comment.
For days, House Republican lawmakers have blamed Senate Democrats for the government shutdown, which began last week after the Senate failed to pass a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open beyond Sept. 30.
During Wednesday's clash, the speaker went on to tell Gallego and Kelly that there was no reason for the delay in swearing in Grijalva other than that the government is shut down.
"We're happy that she got elected," he told the senators, noting that she was elected to the seat held by her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, who died in March.
"We have a long tradition here, and a process, of how we administer the oath to the member," Johnson added. "We're going to do that as soon as we get back to work. But we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government."
Earlier, before Johnson emerged from his office, Gallego told reporters: "I mean, again, he's already rejecting a duly-elected member of Congress. Now, can we really imagine him going one step forward and actually doing a compromise that's going to extend — at least to some period — the Affordable Health Care Act?"
"The line — everything keeps changing. Like it's every day, some new excuse why he won't sign, right? Look at the core. He knows that, that is the deciding signature on the discharge petition," Gallego added.
The Arizona senators also pointed to the fact that Florida GOP Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis were sworn in while the House was out of session in April. Both were elected in special elections, like Grijalva.
Johnson said that Fine and Patronis were sworn in due to an "exception" because "they were here, on a day — they had their families here, they had a scheduled day for the oath of office and the House was called out of session that day."
"Rep.-elect Grijalva has not yet had a scheduled date, because she was elected after the House was out of session," Johnson said.
The House has been out of session since Sept. 19, when it passed a stopgap funding measure. Grijalva was elected on Sept. 23.
Gallego asked Johnson whether he was delaying setting a date for Grijalva's swearing in because she would be the 218th signature on a bipartisan discharge petition that would force a vote on the House floor on a bill directing the Justice Department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
"That's totally absurd. You guys are experts at red herrings and distractions. It has nothing to do with Epstein," Johnson told the senators.
"You just keep coming up with excuses," Gallego answered.
The two sparred, talking over each other, until Johnson looked at the assembled group of reporters, telling them, "This is a publicity stunt."
The trio continued to talk over one another, with Kelly saying that House lawmakers were on "an extended summer vacation" and Johnson insisting that the House "did its job" by passing a temporary government funding measure in September.
Eventually, Lawler jumped in, telling the two senators, "With all due respect, you voted multiple times to keep the government shut down. OK? The Republican members from Arizona voted to keep the government open. So don't sit here and try to lecture us about whether or not we did our job. We did our job. You did not."
His comment ignited further argument and crosstalk, with the Democratic senators accusing the House GOP lawmakers of "covering up for pedophiles" and Johnson and Lawler calling their comments "ridiculous."
Later Wednesday, Lawler also publicly sparred with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The New York congressman accused Jeffries of shutting down the government, while Jeffries told him, "you're making a show of this to make yourself relevant" and "you're embarrassing yourself right now."
The Senate on Wednesday voted for a sixth time on two separate temporary funding measures, one that was crafted by House GOP leaders and passed in the House on Sept. 19, and one that was crafted by Senate Democrats.
The House bill would temporarily fund the government at previous levels through Nov. 21. The Senate Democrats’ bill would fund the government at previous levels through Oct. 31, but would also restore Medicaid cuts that were enacted in July and would extend certain Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Neither bill has reached the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage.
Senate Democrats have blamed Republicans for failing to negotiate with them on a path to a deal regarding the Affordable Care Act subsidies.
