Not satisfied with the three week long delay to swear in Representative-Elect Adelita Grijalva, Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego confronted Mike Johnson over his broken promises and delays to seat the newly elected Congressional District Seven Congresswoman.
Saying their claims that he is deliberately delaying swearing in Grijalva because of the Epstein files was absurd and their confronting him in the halls of Congress a “publicity stunt,” Johnson called on the Senators to vote to reopen the government so he could seat her.
He also justified swearing in two Republican House members a day after their special elections by saying they had their families present and the House was in session.
When Senator Kelly suggested Johnson bring the Republicans back to work on negotiating a deal to end the shutdown and seat Grijalva, Johnson had New York Representative Mike Lawler come to his assistance and accuse the Senators of “pontificating” rather than vote to reopen the government under a Clean Continuing Resolution.
When Kelly called on Johnson again to bring the Republicans back so they could talk about a deal on health care and ACA subsidies, Johnson accused them of holding the government “hostage.”
When Gallego said the Republicans were covering for pedophiles, Johnson said that was “Ridiculous.” Lawler said that was “Absolutely absurd.”
After Johnson again said this was a publicity stunt and that “The House has already done its job,” Kelly said “That was fun” after Johnson and Lawler walked away.
After the confrontation, Senator Gallego said:
“Let’s be clear. The reason Adelita Grijalva is not here is because Mike Johnson wants to do two things. Number one. Cover up for pedophiles on the Epstein List. And number two, put his members in a really rough position when it comes to voting and extending these ACA tax credits.”
Senator Kelly posted:
After the event, the Senators sent a joint letter to Arizona’s Republican Congressional Delegation imploring them to return to Washington to “Work with us to keep Arizonans from facing higher health care costs and get the government back open.”
Furthermore, the Senators, after sharing stories about constituents who would suffer if the ACA tax credits were not extended, wrote:
“Republicans and Democrats need to work together to find an agreement to reopen the government and prevent health care premiums from spiking for the Arizonans we all represent. If we do not act, these Arizonans will see sharp premium spikes when they go to purchase a new plan on November 1st. Many of them will need to pay hundreds of dollars more per month. […] The Arizonans who are going to get hit by this are hardworking people. They are small business owners who have to purchase their own plans, older Arizonans who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare, and folks who live in rural Arizona and don’t get health care through their employer. We’ve been listening to them.”
With regard to the event in the halls of Congress, honestly, from a Democratic and Progressive perspective, they probably liked what they saw with Kelly and Gallego taking the fight to Johnson.
From a MAGA-Republican perspective, they probably liked what they saw with Johnson and Lawler pushing back.
However, please remember, the government is still paralyzed by the Trump-MAGA Shutdown.
Remember, people on the ACA exchanges are still going to see their rates skyrocket because of the Trump-MAGA Big Billionaires First Bill.
Remember, Representative-Elect Adelita Grijalva, the now deciding vote for the discharge petition pertaining to the Epstein Files is still being blocked from being seated by a Trump-MAGA Republican Speaker.
Seems like Trump-MAGA Republicans should stop being obstructionists and come back to do the work of working and middle class people with the Democrats instead of presiding over a shutdown and health care crisis they created.
That is what leadership is supposed to be about.
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