House GOP leaders’ daily government shutdown press conference briefly descended into chaos on Wednesday when a Democratic lawmaker interrupted the event.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., a moderate Democrat, shared a heated exchange with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after crashing his remarks outside the U.S. Capitol while demanding he meet with her caucus to end the shutdown.
Johnson told her, ‘You should respect free speech,’ to which Houlahan responded, ‘You should respect free speech.’
‘I’m asking a question if you’re ready to have a conversation with the other side,’ Houlahan shouted from where reporters were gathered at the press conference. ‘You represent all of us. You are the speaker for all of us, sir.’
Johnson attempted to take a question from a reporter but told them, ‘I can’t hear you because we have someone who doesn’t respect the rights of their colleagues.’
Meanwhile, Houlahan kept shouting over the speaker even as he tried to call order.
‘You have an obligation not just to speak lies to the American people, you have an obligation to call the leadership of both parties and bring us together, and solve this problem together,’ she yelled.
House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., erupted back, ‘You have an obligation!’
‘We did that before the shutdown began. I went to the White House. We went and sat in front of the Resolute Desk. We brought [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] in and we had a discussion,’ Johnson responded.
‘The president said, ‘Please don’t shut the government down, it would all this pain to the American people.’ This has never happened before. It is a clean, non-partisan CR that every Democrat, including you, voted no on,’ he said.
Houlahan shot back, ‘You are absolutely misrepresenting history, sir, and you know that you are, and you’re dividing the American people unnecessarily.’
The two continued to speak over each other, with Johnson accusing Houlahan of having ‘regret’ for her vote.
‘No, sir, I do not regret anything. It’s important that we work together and that we unify,’ she responded.
Johnson said, ‘I appreciate your input. Now somebody give me a question that’s real.’
‘I appreciate you too,’ she finished.
Tensions are running high on Day 36 of the government shutdown, now the longest such standoff in U.S. history.
It was Johnson’s first shutdown press conference after Tuesday night’s sweeping victories for Democrats during elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City.
Republicans had anticipated Democrats’ resolve was weakening amid a lack of funding for food aid programs and paychecks for air traffic controllers, but Tuesday night’s wins appear to have emboldened some on the left as well.
The House passed a short-term federal funding bill on Sept. 19 aimed at giving lawmakers until Nov. 21 to strike a deal on fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending levels.
But at least some Democrats are needed to advance the legislation in the Senate, where it’s failed 14 times over the left’s demand that any funding deal be paired with an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year.
Republicans have contended that federal funding and healthcare are issues that must be considered separately.