WASHINGTON — It was noon on Wednesday and the House side of the Capitol was almost deserted. Save for the remaining staff and journalists roaming the halls, it was a shell of its typical self in the middle of what was supposed to be a congressional work week.

But here and there, scattered groups of House Democrats wandered around, drawing attention to the absence of their Republican colleagues.

“These guys like to do work requirements for people who are SNAP and on who are on Medicaid. Maybe we ought to do work requirements for them, that they’re not going to get their paycheck unless they f—ing show up to work,” said Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, who likened the government shutdown to a root canal.

On a typical day in session, lawmakers trade barbs from congressional hearing rooms or during debate on the House floor. During the doldrums of a shutdown, the skirmishes spilled out into the relatively empty hallways. By the afternoon, more than one verbal clash had broken out.

“They’re running around the hallways giving tours,” said Rep. Mike Lawler shortly after showing up outside a Democratic leadership press conference. Holding up a printout, he confronted Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over his refusal to sign on to a bipartisan proposal that would extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax subsidies by one year. Jeffries has instead called for a permanent extension.

“They’re not doing their jobs, and when given the opportunity to do their job, they voted no. They voted to shut the government down,” the New York Republican said.

Earlier on Wednesday, there was a rare cross-chamber showdown when Speaker Mike Johnson came upon a pop-up press briefing with Arizona Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly.

The senators pressed Johnson on why he has yet to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election on Sept. 23. Democrats have alleged that Johnson has delayed because Grijalva has vowed to be the deciding signature on a discharge petition that would force a House vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

“We’re going to do that as soon as we get back to work, but we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government,” Johnson said of Grijalva’s swearing-in.

“You just don’t want her to be on the Epstein discharge,” Gallego said.

Scenes from a shutdown

Aside from Johnson and Lawler, few House Republicans were visible around campus, and the flare-ups were the exception on an otherwise humdrum day. As lawmakers on the Senate side toiled over stopgap spending bills that have failed in their chamber repeatedly, House Democrats worked on their messaging.

In a basement room typically used for weekly caucus meetings, for example, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hosted a panel on health care, a topic that’s been a key sticking point in the funding stalemate.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari said on Wednesday that she’s operating “on a day-to-day basis, not knowing what’s going to happen.”

From Friday through Tuesday, she was in her home district, meeting with constituents about the implications for their insurance premiums if subsidies expire at the end of the year and visiting a local airport to talk about how the shutdown is affecting travel.

She said Democratic leadership left returning to D.C. up to individual members this week.

“I’m back here because I think that it’s important to show that we are here fighting, and Republicans are nowhere to be found,” Ansari said. “It’s a disgrace.”

The Democratic ranks appeared thinner on Wednesday compared with their initial show of force after government funding lapsed on Oct. 1. Though Johnson canceled votes again this week, some opted to work from Washington.

“We know we need to be here, and we’d be here at the drop of a hat to get stuff done, and that’s why you see people coming when they can,” Illinois Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider said.

McGovern said he’s maintaining a full schedule. On days the House was due to be in, he will be on the Hill, setting up meetings in his office and doing media. On Wednesday afternoon, he could be seen filming a video in a makeshift media row set up by Democrats. Lawmakers filtered in and out of the space throughout the day. Illuminated by ring lights, they conducted interviews in front of a step and repeat banner.

“I feel like my presence here is to fight for my constituents. So they don’t get screwed over, so they don’t lose their health care,” McGovern said.

Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine M. Clark and other members of leadership held a press conference as expected — a now daily occurrence for them since the shutdown started a week ago.

Johnson held one too — a daily occurrence for him as well. “Don’t let the Democrats distract you,” he said, accusing them of “political grandstanding.”

Republicans have mostly dismissed Democrats’ attendance as a stunt, betting that their own time is better spent elsewhere, bringing their message back to their home districts. The House has already done its work, they argue, after passing a stopgap spending bill on Sept. 19. But a few cracks appeared to emerge, as some wondered about the optics of not showing up.

Rep. Kevin Kiley argued against keeping House Republican lawmakers home another week in an X post on Wednesday.

“No, what the House has done is pass a 7-week Continuing Resolution,” the California Republican posted in response to a quote from Johnson that the House had “done our job.”

“The entire reason a CR is necessary is that Congress has not done its job in passing a timely budget. The Speaker shouldn’t even think about cancelling session for a third straight week,” Kiley wrote.

The conundrum of being on campus is that without action on the floor or in committees, members left in town are mostly left to their own devices to pass the time.

As New York Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi filmed a video in the Rotunda, which was empty aside from him and his staff, a television outside of Johnson’s office played clips of Democrats criticizing past shutdowns just several feet away from him.

“I’ve been talking to some senators, Democrats and Republicans. I’ve been talking to some members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a lot of that’s been over the telephone. I have some meetings on some constituent-type issues,” Suozzi said.

Suozzi said he wasn’t bothered by the desolate corridors of the House.

“I’ve been here when it’s empty before,” he said.

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