Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) engaged in a tense exchange in the halls of Capitol Hill this week, with both lawmakers sparring over the government funding debate and accusations of partisan obstruction.

Footage of the interaction circulated widely on social media following the confrontation.

The exchange began when Jeffries questioned Lawler about whether he had received direction from President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing spending negotiations.

“Did you get permission from your boss?” Jeffries asked, referring to Trump.

Lawler quickly responded, “Why don’t we sign on right now?” pressing Jeffries to support a pending proposal rather than engaging in political rhetoric.

When Jeffries repeated, “Did your boss, Donald Trump—,” Lawler interrupted him, replying, “He’s not my boss.”

Jeffries countered, “Yes, he is,” before Lawler asked, “And by the way, why did you vote to shut the government down?”

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Lawler pointed out that Jeffries and other Democratic leaders had previously emphasized the importance of avoiding a shutdown but voted against the latest continuing resolution.

The measure, according to House Republicans, was intended to keep the government funded while negotiations over long-term spending continued.

“You have four Democrats on here. Why won’t you sign onto it? It’s a clean extension for one year,” Lawler said during the exchange.

Jeffries dismissed the proposal as “one big ugly bill,” a reference to GOP-backed spending measures he said were insufficient.

Lawler countered, “I voted for a tax cut bill that gave the largest tax cut to Americans in history, including, by the way, the average New Yorker getting a $4,000 tax cut. Are you against that?”

Jeffries then accused Republicans of cutting Medicaid, prompting Lawler to respond that the GOP proposal targeted waste and fraud rather than benefits.

“No, we rooted out waste, fraud, and abuse. Tom DiNapoli, the Democratic Controller of New York, pointed out that $1.2 billion were wasted on fraud and non-New York residents getting paid,” Lawler said.

As the back-and-forth continued, Jeffries accused Lawler of following Trump’s direction and catering to wealthy donors.

Lawler dismissed the remarks and reiterated his position that Democrats could immediately support a one-year subsidy extension to prevent rising healthcare premiums.

“You could actually pass a subsidy right now to ensure that people don’t have healthcare premiums going up. Why won’t you support this one-year bill?” he asked.

The discussion briefly turned to local New York politics when Lawler questioned Jeffries about his position on state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist who is reportedly considering a run for New York City mayor.

Jeffries responded, “I don’t answer to you,” to which Lawler replied, “Aw. Why is that? Because you don’t want to answer the question?”

The exchange ended with both lawmakers walking in opposite directions as reporters attempted to follow up on the confrontation.

🚨 BREAKING: A HEATED EXCHANGE between Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Mike Lawler (R) during the shutdown – Hakeem is FURIOUS.

“Why don’t you just keep your mouth SHUT.”

Hakeem got up close and started pointing his finger at Lawler’s chest: “You’re NOT gonna talk to me and talk over… pic.twitter.com/CXAVMHe8a3

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 8, 2025

Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, has been a vocal critic of Democratic leadership on budget issues and has urged bipartisan cooperation to keep the government open.

Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, has accused Republicans of using short-term spending bills to push partisan priorities rather than reaching a long-term deal.

Lawler’s challenge to Jeffries quickly drew attention online, with supporters of both sides sharing clips of the exchange and disputing which lawmaker got the upper hand.

It didn’t take long for The White House to chime in with a sombrero meme.

ICYMI: Democrats STILL don’t know the facts. 🪇

DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN. pic.twitter.com/2ZIhPeojRL

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 8, 2025