Tensions erupted at a House Rules Committee hearing on Tuesday as lawmakers debated legislation to end the government shutdown, with accusations flying between senior Republicans and Democrats. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., confronted Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, over the fallout from the ongoing shutdown.
Cole accused Democrats of derailing the federal government, asserting that their actions had resulted in thousands of workers being out of work. McGovern countered by blaming Republicans for refusing to include provisions extending expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies in the funding bill, arguing that these provisions were critical for his constituents who are struggling to afford healthcare without the subsidies.
During the, Cole reiterated his claim that Democrats had taken actions they had previously said they would never do, including causing a government shutdown. McGovern, in turn, expressed frustration over the lack of attention to healthcare issues, stating that his constituents were