Speaker Johnson Slams Dems’ “Political Theater,” Refuses Debate with Jeffries Until Reopening [WATCH]

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he will not participate in a televised debate with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries until Congress passes a measure to reopen the federal government, as reported by The Independent Journal Review.

Johnson made the comments during an interview on Fox News’ “America Reports” amid reports that C-SPAN had scheduled a debate between the two congressional leaders.

The federal government entered a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on October 1 after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution to keep agencies funded. The measure required 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster but fell short after the House passed a short-term funding bill on September 19.

“I will debate Hakeem Jeffries anywhere, any time, as soon as we get the government open,” Johnson told host Sandra Smith.

“He’s engaging in political theater and stating absurd things. What he just said is absurd. It is the Democrats who voted to shut the government down. Look at the record: Nine times now, the Republicans in the House and Senate have voted to open the government, and nine times Democrats in Congress voted to close it, all but one. Hakeem Jeffries led the effort in the House.”

Johnson added that the House had already passed legislation to prevent the shutdown and that the responsibility now lies with the Senate.

“We had this debate on the government shutting down, on the House floor. We won. We passed a bill in the House, sent it to the Senate,” he said. “That’s where the ball is now, in the Senate’s court, and the Schumer shutdown is causing real pain and needs to stop.”

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C-SPAN had announced plans earlier Wednesday for Johnson and Jeffries to appear together on its new program Ceasefire, hosted by Politico reporter Dasha Burns.

The network’s email release suggested the event would mark a rare opportunity for direct discussion between the two party leaders.

“Coming soon on @cspan’s CEASEFIRE: Johnson and Jeffries,” Burns posted on X, calling it “a rare space for opposing sides to engage.” Jeffries reportedly agreed to the joint appearance on Tuesday, according to The Hill.

Coming soon on @cspan’s CEASEFIRE:

Johnson and Jeffries

It’s what our new show was made for…creating a rare space for opposing sides to engage. https://t.co/9sJ4ymJIgK

— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) October 15, 2025

The government shutdown has stalled numerous programs and federal operations across the country.

Democrats have called for more than $1 trillion in additional funding for priorities including extended Obamacare subsidies, pandemic-era health provisions, and restored funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That funding had been cut in a rescission package passed by the House in July.

Speaker Johnson has repeatedly said the House will not negotiate while the government remains closed. He also stated that the debate proposed by C-SPAN can only take place once funding is restored. C-SPAN has not yet commented on whether the debate will be rescheduled.

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