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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and CNBC host Becky Quick received right into a heated argument on “Squawk Box,” Friday, after the host pressed Jeffries over Democrats’ negotiations to increase Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.
The exchange grew tense when Quick accused Democrats of permitting Obamacare subsidies to lapse for political achieve — a declare Jeffries known as “ridiculous.”
The two debated what could be the perfect technique to steer some Republicans to vote in favor of an extension of the ACA credits. Jeffries blamed Republicans for repeatedly refusing to “take yes for an answer” through the negotiations that occurred whereas the federal government was nonetheless shut down as to why a deal hasn’t been reached.
SEN. GALLEGO CLASHES WITH CNBC HOST OVER DEMOCRATIC PUSH TO EXTEND OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and CNBC host Becky Quick on the set of “Squawk Box” on Friday. (Screenshot/CNBC)
Quick questioned why Democrats are pursuing a three-year extension to those subsidies, relatively than a one-or two-year deal which Republicans could be extra prone to settle for.
After Jeffries talked about that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had supplied a one-year extension of the tax credits through the shutdown, Quick jumped in and instructed the Democratic House chief: “Let’s not go back to what’s done in the past and what has not been extended. If you want to get something that has actually done, you need to do something that will have bipartisan [support]. Let’s not go back.”
Jeffries argued that the “context” of previous negotiations was crucial to understanding the dynamics of the present negotiations.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
“It’s important context to make me realize that I don’t think you want to get a deal done,” Quick shot again. “I think this is something where you’d like to see the rates go higher and allow the Republicans to hang themselves with that. Is that the answer? Is this politics?”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., proper, speak with reporters following their assembly with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders on the federal government funding disaster, on the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“That’s absolutely a ridiculous assertion and really shame on you — shame on you for saying that because we’re fighting,” Jeffries fired again over crosstalk from Quick, who continued to say that the three-year deal “is not going to get passed.”
“It’s not a partisan issue for us. In fact, the states that are most impacted as it relates to an Affordable Care Act tax credit expiration are all Republican states,” Jeffries added.
Quick agreed, noting that Democrats might “probably have some Republicans who would sign on if you guys could come up with something that actually looks like a bipartisan deal.”
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Rep. Mike Lawler is seen confronting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the eight day of the federal government shutdown, Oct. 8, 2025. (Elizabeth Elkind/Fox News Digital)
Closing out the phase, Jeffries reiterated that “this is not a partisan fight” for Democrats, however relatively a “patriotic fight” to revive the ACA tax credits and assist Americans.
The funding invoice to reopen the federal government, signed final week by President Donald Trump, didn’t assure funding for the tax credits however ensures the Senate will vote in December on a Democratic-backed invoice to increase them.