During an interview with “PBS NewsHour” that was aired on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) argued that Democrats aren’t responsible for a shutdown when they’re withholding their votes because Republicans “may be able to find a way, with their complete control of government, to reach a spending agreement” since they passed other legislation without Democrats.
Co-host Geoff Bennett asked, “When you say this is a Republican shutdown, historically, it’s Democratic and Republican votes that are needed on spending resolutions to get them across the finish line. How are you pinning this directly on Republicans, when it’s Democrats who are withholding their votes on a clean resolution?”
Jeffries answered, “Well, Democrats actually are in the minority in the House and the Senate, and, of course, Donald Trump is the president. And what Republicans have consistently done throughout their time in office, they passed this one big ugly bill on a party-line vote, used the reconciliation process to be able to accomplish their objectives, largest cut to Medicaid in American history, stealing food from the mouths of hungry children and seniors and veterans. And all of this, of course, was done so they could reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. If they found a way to do that and include more than $3 trillion in additional debt, potentially driving this country towards bankruptcy and certainly complicating the fiscal health of our country for decades to come, of course, they may be able to find a way, with their complete control of government, to reach a spending agreement. But they’re uninterested. They’re uninterested.”
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