The much-anticipated Schumer Shutdown officially commenced at 12:01 AM on October 1, following the failure of two last-minute attempts to prevent a government closure in the Senate.
Essentially, both proposals required a supermajority of 60 votes, but the GOP-supported initiative floundered with a 55-45 vote, notably featuring Rand Paul siding with Democrats.
Democrats asserted that their blockage of the bill was a protective measure aimed at securing a permanent extension of Obamacare subsidies, indispensable to mitigate looming health care premium surges. However, cynics might suggest that the underlying motives extend beyond simple welfare, involving protections for undocumented immigrants and controversial medical procedures for transgender minorsârather a cocktail of contentious issues thrown into the mix of governmental operations.
On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) directly approached House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to solicit support for the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Actâa critical one-year extension of Obamacare subsidies devised to facilitate government reopening. Currently, four Democrats have pledged support for the bill, yet Jeffries expressed immediate indifference, opting instead to engage in a personal affront. âDid your boss, Donald Trump, send you here?â he quipped.
Lawler disclaimed any directive from Trump and persistently urged Jeffries to endorse the extension. In response, Jeffries escalated the hostility. âYouâre making a show of this in an attempt to remain relevant,â he retorted. âYouâre embarrassing yourself.â The exchange devolved into a verbal see-saw, with Jeffries initiating inquiries while Lawler maintained his position of requesting cooperation on the bill.
Finally, the conversation reached a point where Jeffries implored, âDid you vote for the Big, Ugly Bill (known in politically correct circles as the âBig, Beautiful Billâ)? â Lawler commenced lauding the benefits of Trumpâs proposal for the citizens of New York, but Jeffries intervened dismissively, reiterating, âYouâre embarrassing yourself.â
The dialogue unraveled further as tensions flared, culminating in Jeffries asserting, âYouâre not going to talk to me and over me because you donât like what I have to say,â while wagging an accusatory finger at Lawler. âSo why donât you keep your mouth shut?â he concluded, with his pointed finger emphasizing his frustration.
WATCH:
Another hallway confrontation between House lawmakersâMike Lawler demanding Hakeem Jeffries sign onto a bipartisan bill temporarily extending enhanced ACA credits. âYouâre embarrassing yourself,â Jeffries pressed pic.twitter.com/seGKlcMRiF
— Liz Elkind (@liz_elkind) October 8, 2025
The argument shifted toward the Trump tax cuts. Jeffries not only repeated his taunt about Trump sending Lawler but also reiterated his claim that Lawler was humiliating himself.
As Lawler pressed for Jeffries to endorse the bill once again, he shifted tactics, reminding Jeffries, âIâm here on behalf of my constituents because you shut the government down.â He accused Jeffries of being overly apprehensive of his progressive colleague, Zohran Mamdani. âBy the way, when are you endorsing him?â Lawler cheekily inquired.
With Jeffries evading a response, Lawler seized the moment to challenge him further on Mamdaniâs suitability as the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor. Just as things heated up, the video abruptly cut off, leaving viewers in suspense while Lawler and Jeffries continued their contentious debate over the proposed bill.
