While most of Congress has vanished from Washington during the ongoing government shutdown, one Republican congressman is still clocking in—alone, bored, but unbowed. Representative Kevin Kiley of California has become the unlikely face of quiet protest inside an empty Capitol, showing up day after day even as his own party keeps the House shuttered .
Table of Contents
- The Lonely Republican
- Why Kiley Is Staying Put
- A Republican at Odds
- Political Stakes for Kiley
- What Others Are Saying
- Sources
The Lonely Republican
Fourteen days into the government shutdown, the U.S. Capitol has turned into a ghost town. But on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Kevin Kiley could be found striding through the underground tunnel from the Rayburn Office Building to attend a pro forma House session—a two-minute procedural meeting required every 72 hours during recess.
Only 11 House Republicans showed up that day. For Kiley, it was “the big excitement here!” he joked. “It’s the only thing on the calendar!”
Why Kiley Is Staying Put
Kiley’s presence isn’t just about killing time—it’s a pointed rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to send lawmakers home indefinitely. While Kiley agrees with his party’s stance on the shutdown fight, he believes Republicans should be in Washington negotiating, not hiding.
“The decision to shut down the government and the decision to shut down the House… are completely independent things,” Kiley told The New York Times. “I thought, ‘Maybe I can practice what I preach. I’ll come back myself, even if the speaker isn’t making it happen.’”
He’s opened his office door to any colleague willing to talk—though so far, it’s mostly reporters who’ve taken him up on the offer.
A Republican at Odds
Kiley’s frustration runs deeper than the shutdown. Earlier this year, he begged Speaker Johnson to bring a bill to the floor banning mid-decade redistricting—a move that could have protected vulnerable Republicans like him from California’s newly redrawn maps, backed by Governor Gavin Newsom and indirectly spurred by former President Trump.
Johnson refused. Now, Kiley is in a district that may not re-elect him, giving him little to lose by speaking out.
“I’m never going out of my way to create conflict just for the sake of doing so,” he said, “but I’m willing to do it when it’s necessary.”
Political Stakes for Kiley
Kiley is one of five California Republicans almost certain to lose their seats if voters approve the new district lines next month. Unlike other GOP critics of Johnson—like retiring Rep. Don Bacon or Sen. Thom Tillis—Kiley hasn’t announced his exit. He’s still fighting, even if it’s from an empty office.
He’s also taken issue with Johnson’s refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, whose delayed seating has drawn accusations of political gamesmanship. “She won her election; swear her in,” Kiley said bluntly.
What Others Are Saying
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries echoed Kiley’s sentiment, accusing Johnson of avoiding in-person meetings to dodge pressure from his own members to reopen the government.
“There will be substantial pressure on Republican leaders to actually do what the American people are asking Congress to do,” Jeffries said .
Meanwhile, Kiley remains a solitary figure in a silent Capitol—proof that even in gridlock, someone is still showing up for work.
