On most days, after Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York finishes a news conference in the basement of the Capitol, the Democratic minority leader can expect a mob of reporters waiting in the halls to lob more questions his way.
But on Wednesday, one week into a government shutdown, one atypical guest awaited him: Representative Mike Lawler, a fellow New Yorker and a Republican who wanted to confront him about legislation in the public eye.
With a crowd of journalists watching — and their phone cameras recording — Mr. Lawler and Mr. Jeffries engaged in a heated back-and-forth that lasted more than five minutes. They pointed fingers, raised voices and argued over who was doing more disservice to the American people. Each accused the other of theatrics. Both were correct.
“I’m here on behalf of my constituents, because you shut the government down,” Mr. Lawler said to Mr. Jeffries. “My constituents are suffering as a result of your ridiculous ploy.”
Mr. Jeffries fired back: “Listen, you’re a complete and total embarrassment right now. Is this supposed to be a video for your failed re-election? Is that what’s going on right now?”
The exchange was an unusually fiery confrontation between two New York lawmakers not typically given to displays of hallway drama, and one that encapsulated the mounting tensions on Capitol Hill as the fight over government funding drags on.
With a shutdown appearing no closer to a resolution, Republicans and Democrats have each rushed to capture public attention as they blame their opponents for the situation and try to win an edge with voters.
The funding fight is in the hands of the Senate and the House is out of session, leaving lawmakers with few outlets to vent their frustration and fewer opportunities to court the spotlight of the sizable Capitol Hill press corps.
Mr. Lawler, who was involved in a spat with other colleagues earlier on Wednesday, had originally planned to confront Mr. Jeffries during his news conference. Instead, he waited in the hallway with a copy of a House bill, H.R. 5145, in hand.
The bill would extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies for one year. Democrats have made renewing the subsidies a condition of their support for a measure to fund the government, arguing that health care premiums will spike without them. Some Republicans, particularly those in competitive states and districts, like Mr. Lawler, are also eager to address the coming increases.
But at the moment, the bipartisan proposal, supported by 14 House Republicans and 12 Democrats, appears to be a nonstarter. Mr. Jeffries has called anything short of a permanent extension “laughable,” while Republican leaders have said they would not support extending the subsidies without making significant changes to the policy.
Mr. Jeffries seemed to acknowledge the measure’s slim odds as soon as he caught sight of Mr. Lawler, a frontline Republican representing a Hudson Valley swing seat.
As the Republican waved a printed copy of the proposal, Mr. Jeffries responded: “Let me ask you get a question. Did you get permission from your boss? Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?”
Even as the two men spent much of their interaction arguing about the government shutdown and the health care subsidies, their attacks veered personal.
Mr. Lawler needled Mr. Jeffries about whether he would endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, accusing the Democratic leader of being afraid of his left flank.
Mr. Jeffries asked Mr. Lawler why he was no longer mulling a bid for governor of New York, a nod to reporting that President Trump was looking to clear the field for another Republican, Representative Elise Stefanik.
Mr. Jeffries repeatedly called Mr. Lawler “bro” and at one point accused him of being “mathematically challenged.” Mr. Lawler turned the accusation back around.
In the hours after the two men clashed, both of their camps declared victory. Mr. Lawler sent out a campaign fund-raising text message with a link to a video of the confrontation. In a statement, he said that Mr. Jeffries was “playing political games with people’s livelihoods” and “hurting families across New York and the country.”
Mr. Jeffries was more succinct. In a post on X, he called Mr. Lawler a “random Republican” who had “tried to come for me in the Halls of Congress,” adding, “Things didn’t work out well for him.”
Michael Gold covers Congress for The Times, with a focus on immigration policy and congressional oversight.
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