Speaker Johnson Bobs and Weaves On C-SPAN Debate With Jeffries — Says He Won’t Show Up Until After Shutdown

On Wednesday, C-SPAN announced that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had both publicly accepted an invitation to make a joint appearance on its Ceasefire program, but a few hours later Johnson made it clear he’s unwilling to show up until the government shutdown is over.

C-SPAN initially shared the news that Johnson and Jeffries would appear on Ceasefire, hosted by Politico White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns, posting a memo that quoted from recent media appearances by both party leaders agreeing to come on the show for a debate.

“C-SPAN stands ready to host this Johnson-Jeffries joint appearance,” the memo stated. “We look forward to providing a forum for a smart, civil, respectful exchange of ideas between both leaders. C-SPAN is currently working with both offices on scheduling.”

However, a few hours later, Johnson put a big condition on his C-SPAN debate with Jeffries: He’s not willing to show up until the shutdown is over.

During an appearance on America Reports, Wednesday, anchor Sandra Smith asked Johnson about the report that he had “agreed to a debate with Jeffries on C-SPAN at an unknown date and time.”

“Is that true?” asked Smith.

“I’ll debate Hakeem Jeffries anywhere, anytime — as soon as we get the government open,” replied Johnson. “He’s engaging in political theater and stating absurd things.”

“What he just said is absurd,” Johnson continued, claiming that Democrats were “the ones who forced the government to shut down” and were trying to give “health care to illegal aliens.”

“I am frustrated by this,” he said. “We have to serve the American people. It’s Hakeem and the Democrats who are making that not happen.”

Republicans have been repeatedly claiming that Democrats are demanding to fund health care for illegal immigrants, but this has been assessed as “false” by Politifact and other fact-checkers:

The Democrats’ proposal wouldn’t give health care to immigrants illegally in the U.S. — they are already largely ineligible for federally funded health care. Instead, the proposal would restore access to certain health care programs for legal immigrants who will lose access under the Republican law.

Additionally, there is a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that requires hospitals’ emergency departments to provide certain medical treatments to anyone, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. By the definition of the law, this would include citizens, legal residents, visitors, and immigrants, both legal and illegal.

Nothing in either the Republicans’ or Democrats’ proposed versions of the continuing resolution would repeal or amend  EMTALA’s legal obligation to provide medical treatment so it will remain in force against hospitals across the U.S. Any effort to block federal funding for EMTALA would not unwind the federal laws requiring hospitals to provide this treatment to everyone, including immigrants; it would only deprive those hospitals of funding.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.