After midnight on Tuesday, Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer blamed President Trump and Republicans for the federal authorities shutdown.
“After months of constructing life more durable and dearer, Donald Trump and Republicans have now shut down the federal authorities as a result of they don’t need to defend the healthcare of the American individuals,” mentioned Jeffries and Schumer, each New York legislators.
“Democrats stay able to discover a bipartisan path ahead to reopen the federal government in a manner that lowers prices and addresses the Republican healthcare disaster,” they added. “However we’d like a reputable accomplice.”
Jeffries and Schumer mentioned that, over the previous few days, “President Trump’s conduct has grow to be extra erratic and unhinged.
“As a substitute of negotiating a bipartisan settlement in good religion, he’s obsessively posting crazed deepfake movies,” they mentioned. “The nation is in determined want of an intervention to get out of one other Trump shutdown.”
Earlier Tuesday evening, Jeffries, who represents the eighth Congressional District in New York, encompassing components of Brooklyn and Queens, appeared on MSNBC’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki and CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip to emphasise that Democrats are preventing to guard the healthcare of the American individuals within the face of” a reckless Republican authorities shutdown.”
“Nicely, we’re right here within the Capitol. And as Chief Schumer has mentioned, as I’ve repeatedly mentioned, as Home Democrats proceed to say, you already know, we’re prepared, we’re prepared, we’re in a position to sit down with anybody, any time, anyplace to reach at a bipartisan spending settlement that really meets the wants of the American individuals, avoids a shutdown and retains the federal government open,” Jeffries informed Psaki.
“However, on the identical time period, what we even have made clear is that we’re not going to help a partisan Republican spending invoice that continues to intestine the healthcare of the American individuals within the midst of a Republican healthcare disaster that’s devastating to individuals all throughout the nation,” he added.
“Republicans, as you identified, management the Home, the Senate, and the presidency,” Jeffries added. “They’ve the flexibility to fund the federal government, however to the extent that they’re focused on Democratic help, then, after all, we need to be certain, as a part of a bipartisan course of, that we’re looking for the American individuals in rural America, in city America, in small city America, within the heartland of America and in Black and brown communities all throughout America, collectively, all of whom have been devastated in several methods by the continuing Republican assault on healthcare.”
Jeffries mentioned Republicans now not operate in Congress as a separate and coequal department of presidency.
“And the truth is, when Donald Trump says bounce, the Republicans say how excessive. And so they’ve served as nothing greater than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s excessive agenda all year long,” he mentioned. “So, the truth is Donald Trump’s gonna shut the federal government down. Republicans are going to acquiesce to that, which is why Home Republicans aren’t even on the town, in the event you can consider it. Home Democrats are right here on obligation.
“Republicans stay on trip,” he added. “And so, that is gonna have to come back all the way down to, ultimately, the Trump administration recognizing that their very own shutdown goes to be a consequence that can harm them with the American individuals, who’re sensible sufficient to know Donald Trump and the Republicans are inflicting it. Come to the desk so we will work one thing out that additionally consists of defending the healthcare of the American individuals.”
With Phillip, Jeffries mentioned, “Republicans have mainly demonstrated zero curiosity in making an attempt to work out any variations from a coverage perspective that we might have, as a result of on the finish of the day, they need to shut the federal government down as they’ve completed repeatedly over the past a number of many years.
“And what we’ve seen with respect to Republicans over the past 15 years is a constant effort to attempt to blow up the Inexpensive Care Act and harm thousands and thousands of People who rely on that enlightened piece of laws with a purpose to present healthcare for themselves and for his or her households,” he mentioned.
“Over the subsequent few days, greater than 20 million People are gonna expertise notices that can point out that their premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are about to skyrocket, in some situations, by hundreds of {dollars} a 12 months,” he warned. “Individuals are gonna face medical chapter. Individuals will probably be unable to offer healthcare for themselves and for his or her households. And all of that is on prime of the truth that Republicans handed their One Huge Ugly Invoice, which is now legislation, together with essentially the most important reduce to Medicaid in American historical past. Hospitals, nursing properties, and community-based well being clinics all throughout America are closing. They’re triggering a doable $536 billion reduce to Medicare on the finish of the 12 months due to that One Huge Ugly Invoice, if Congress doesn’t act.
“However Republicans have been lecturing America all 12 months that they management the federal government and that they’re jamming their coverage preferences down the throats of the American individuals. So how is it the case that at this explicit second in time, they’re instantly on the mercy of Democrats who’re within the minority within the Home or within the Senate when Donald Trump has persistently behaved like he’s omnipotent, together with within the issues that he continues to attempt to do at present with respect to the US army,” Jeffries added.
“All we’re saying is that we have to have a dialog in good religion that’s genuine, sitting down with legislative leaders on the opposite facet of the aisle within the White Home to each fund the federal government in a manner that meets the wants of the American individuals, however on the identical time, doesn’t proceed this effort by Republicans to intestine the healthcare of on a regular basis People, significantly given the truth that the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit, which profit thousands and thousands of working-class People, are about to run out, and Republicans have proven little interest in coping with that critically necessary subject.”
Earlier than his tv appearances, Jeffries spoke on the Healthcare over Billionaires Rally on the Capitol, the place he made clear that Home Democrats will proceed to face up on behalf of the well being, security, and well-being of the American individuals and battle again towards the intense MAGA Republican assault on healthcare.
“We’re right here as a result of we perceive this is a crucial battle, an necessary battle to win,” Jeffries informed the group. “We’re ready always to attempt to discover a bipartisan path ahead to fund the federal government, nevertheless it needs to be funded in a way in step with our values and in a way that lifts up the standard of lifetime of the American individuals, that doesn’t harm on a regular basis People.
“So, our place has been clear. We won’t help a partisan Republican spending invoice that continues to intestine the healthcare of the American individuals. Not now, not ever,” he mentioned.
Jeffries famous that he and Schumer met within the Oval Workplace on Monday with the President and Republican management.
“In that assembly, it was extraordinary, among the Republican leaders mentioned healthcare is extraneous,” he mentioned. “We mentioned, no, healthcare isn’t extraneous. Healthcare is central to the standard of lifetime of the American individuals, and that’s why we’re preventing.
“Now, after that assembly, Donald Trump posted this AI video that includes myself and Chuck Schumer. It was a pretend video. It was a disgusting video. It was a racist video. It was unbecoming of anybody purporting to be the President of the US of America. However y’all, I ain’t scared. I’m from Brooklyn. We get down like Shirley Chisholm, unbought and unbossed always,“ Jeffries declared.
“So, Mr. President, permit me to reintroduce myself. I’m the Home Democratic Chief,“ Jeffries added. “The Home Democratic Caucus is 217 Members robust. We’re a part of a separate and coequal department of presidency. Which means we don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work for JD Vance. We don’t work for billionaire donors. We work for all of you, the American individuals.
“And that’s why we’re right here collectively. Home Democrats, Senate Democrats, standing along with all of you,“ Jeffries continued. “Your values are our values, and our values are your values. And collectively, we’re preventing to cancel the cuts, decrease the price, and save healthcare.
“We’re preventing collectively on your Medicaid. Are we preventing on your Medicaid? We’re preventing collectively on your Medicaid. We’re preventing collectively for the Inexpensive Care Act. We’re preventing to guard your hospitals. We’re preventing to guard our nursing properties. We’re preventing to guard our community-based well being clinics. And we’re preventing for the precept that in America, the wealthiest nation within the historical past of the world, healthcare can’t merely be a privilege for the rich, the well-off, and the well-connected. We’re preventing for the precept that on this nation, healthcare should be a proper out there to each single American always,“ he mentioned.
