(MENAFN- Live Mint) Arizona's Democratic senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, had a heated confrontation with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, as the U.S. government shutdown entered its eighth day.

The exchange took place in a hallway and focused on Johnson's decision to delay swearing in the Democrats' newest congresswoman-elect until the Senate resolves the impasse and reopens the government.

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The tense six-minute exchange was marked by sharp insults and forceful cross-talk, highlighting the deep divisions between the two parties over how to move forward with reopening the federal government. Each side remains firmly entrenched in its position, making it clear how difficult it will be to break the deadlock.

Watch the video here:

The Democratic senators had been speaking with reporters outside the speaker's office in the US Capitol to argue he was refusing to swear in Republican-elect Adelita Grijalva because she'd be the deciding vote to force a House vote related to the Jeffrey Epstein case files .

The speaker exchanged handshakes with the pair as he approached to push back on their claims.

“Your excuse just keeps on moving,” said Gallego, as the Democrats pointed to Johnson's swearing-in of Florida GOP Reps Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine during a pro forma session , when the House wasn't formally in session - earlier this year.

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Johnson defended his decision not to do the same for Grijalva by saying,“That was the exception we did because the family was here. Grijalva, Rep-elect Grijalva has not yet had a scheduled date because she was elected after the House was out of session. So, I am anxious to administer the oath to her as soon as you guys vote to open the government.”

Johnson, who said he was happy Grijalva was elected, denied that it had anything to do with a vote on the Epstein files and remarked the House didn't need to vote on releasing more of them because the House Oversight Committee is already conducting a bipartisan investigation.

Adelita Grijalva won a special election for a House seat on September 24, but she's been unable to officially represent her district because the Speaker has yet to swear her in. Despite the House being inactive due to the government shutdown, Speaker Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has so far refused to accommodate her request to officially take office.

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“They're doing the work. They're doing it methodically. They're doing it with subpoena power, and you don't need an act of Congress for that to happen because they're already on it,” Johnson said.

After accusing the Democrats of "holding the American people hostage," Johnson ended the exchange.

“OK I'm going to get back to work. These gentlemen had a publicity stunt here. You see the issue, they need to go vote to reopen the government, plain and simple. The House has done its work,” he told reporters, as per CNN.

GOP senator questions whether National Guard deployment to cities is 'best practice'

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina is suggesting that National Guard troops are not the best equipped to address crime in cities and that instead accountability for policing should remain with local officials.

“Is this deployment of the National Guard a part of an emerging best practice that I just don't get yet?” Tillis asked Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Senate oversight hearing.

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Your excuse just keeps on moving.I am anxious to administer the oath to her as soon as you guys vote to open the government.

It was a bit of indirect criticism from Tillis, who is not seeking reelection next year, on how Donald Trump is deploying National Guard troops to major cities as part of his crime and immigration agenda.

(With inputs from agencies)

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