House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries mentioned he and fellow Democrats are dedicated to extending the shutdown till they and Republicans can attain a deal to increase enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“Our fight is to make sure we continue to stand up to address the Republican health care crisis,” Jeffries advised MSNBC immediately. “Democrats are not going to break because we’re standing up for the health care of working-class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans.”
But Jeffries mentioned excessive-degree talks between each side “are not” occurring “at this moment.”
“The White House and Republicans have gone radio silent since the Oval Office meeting on Monday,” Jeffries mentioned. “It’s because they wanted to shut the government down, and they don’t want to provide health care to everyday Americans.”
Jeffries condemned what he sees as Trump and Republicans utilizing “hardworking, federal civil servants” as expendable “pawns” as a result of they face potential mass layoffs as a result of shutdown.
“(The Trump administration has) been engaging in mass firing since January 20… And so, to the extent that they’re claiming that a government shutdown may force their hand, that’s just pretext for something that they’ve already been doing,” Jeffries mentioned. “This is why it’s important for us as Democrats to continue to hold the line on behalf of the American people while also making it clear we’ll sit down with the Republicans.”
“This administration is trying to bully us, and we’re not going to be bullied,” he added.