On Friday’s broadcast of “NewsNation Now,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) stated that Democrats won’t vote for the clean CR and then negotiate with Republicans because “we lose our leverage” by doing so.
Host Connell McShane asked, “[W]hat they’re saying, basically, is, hey, same thing, if the Democrats voted for the clean CR, we could open it up and discuss and negotiate from there. Why is that not something that the Democrats are open to right now?”
Smith responded, “Well, we lose our leverage, right? At that point. And, thusfar, this year, Republicans have governed in a purely partisan one-party rule without talking to us or including us in anything. And, look, they’ve got the votes to do that. I guess that’s what their power grants them the ability to do. But, in so doing, they’ve destroyed any sort of sense, certainly on the Democratic side, that we’re going to be dealt with in good faith. So, they need our votes to continue. Now is the time when we actually have leverage to have that conversation and at least give us something other than a vague future promise. So, it’s going to need to be something far more concrete. Health care is part of it. The other piece that hasn’t gotten as much attention is President Trump simply ignoring what Congress has passed.”
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