Amid a stalled funding battle in Congress, Ruben Gallego, the Democratic Senator from Arizona, has bluntly asked, “How can I negotiate? The President is in Asia for five days.” With Donald Trump—the U.S. President currently serving a second term—abroad, Gallego says he is left without a clear counterpart in the seat of power. At the same time, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, has delayed the swearing-in of a newly elected representative, prompting accusations from Gallego that the delay is intended to shield wrongdoing and stall negotiations.
Negotiation in a Vacuum
Senator Gallego argues he lacks a negotiation partner while President Trump remains overseas, stating that with the President in Asia for five days, the locus of decision-making is murky. Typically, budget negotiations flow between the White House, the House leadership and the Senate. But in the current impasse, Gallego contends that no one on the House side is authorized to negotiate meaningfully because Speaker Johnson has held the House out of session until January—ostensibly to protect certain disclosures linked to sexual-abuse investigations.
In practice, that leaves Senate Democrats facing an unusual scenario: they cannot meaningfully cut a deal with the House if the House isn’t participating, and they can’t press forward with the White House if the President and executive leadership are out of the country. The result: a de facto negotiation freeze, as Gallego alleges.
Accountability, Stalling and the Epstein Files
At the heart of Gallego’s critique is his claim that Speaker Johnson is delaying key business in the House—particularly the swearing-in of Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona representative-elect whose seating could trigger votes to release undisclosed files related to Jeffrey Epstein investigations. Gallego charges that this delay is not a matter of scheduling but a cover-up:
“Stop covering up for the pedophiles,” he told Johnson.
Johnson, for his part, maintains he has done nothing improper, insisting the delay is about reopening the government and passing funding bills.
Gallego’s position: Without the House member seated and without the White House fully present and engaged, those looking to negotiate or demand accountability are left in the dark.
As the President remains abroad and the House remains absent from key sessions, Senator Gallego finds himself asking a pointed question: with whom is he meant to negotiate? The political and operational limbo created by these simultaneous absences leaves the Senate—and by extension the federal budgeting process—in limbo. Until either the House returns to full function or the White House re-engages in earnest, the bipartisan negotiation he seeks may remain out of reach.
