Democrat leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries on Saturday sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to meet with them directly, blaming Republicans for the ongoing government funding fight and accusing the GOP of targeting healthcare programs as the September 30 deadline nears.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote to President Trump on September 20, warning that his administration and congressional Republicans are steering the country toward a shutdown by refusing to negotiate a bipartisan agreement. The letter charged Republicans with pushing a “partisan spending bill” that Democrats say would cut Medicaid and Medicare, raise premiums and deductibles, end Affordable Care Act tax credits, reduce vaccine access, and force the closure of hospitals and clinics nationwide.
“Republicans will bear responsibility for another painful government shutdown because of the refusal of GOP congressional leadership to even talk with Democrats,” Schumer and Jeffries wrote, demanding a direct meeting with the president. They argued that rising healthcare costs are putting millions of Americans at risk of financial hardship and said they will not accept what they called a “dirty spending bill.”
The dispute follows a week of heightened partisan tension as both chambers of Congress struggled to find a path forward on a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR). On Friday, the House passed a funding bill to extend government operations through mid-November, with some bipartisan support. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) broke with their party to support the measure, but Senate Democrats largely opposed it.
Republicans contend the temporary measure is necessary to buy time to pass twelve appropriations bills. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview that Democrats are responsible for blocking the plan, labeling the potential standoff a “Schumer shutdown.” Thune stated the GOP bill was a “clean” stopgap measure, adding that Schumer opposed it despite having supported similar measures in the past.
“The House and Senate Republicans are trying to fund the government into November to give us time to move on the individual appropriations bills,” Thune remarked, warning that Schumer’s position is driven by his party’s activist base. Thune expressed hope that other Democrats, especially those facing tough reelection battles or retiring, would break ranks to avoid a shutdown.
Democrats, however, insist that Republicans are prioritizing partisan politics and following President Trump’s lead instead of addressing urgent issues such as healthcare. Earlier this week, Schumer and Jeffries rejected the GOP’s CR, maintaining it “fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis.” They claimed Republicans refused to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits and criticized the bill for including new spending on security for federal officials.
With the September 30 deadline approaching, the White House and Congress remain locked in a standoff. Unless both chambers reach an agreement that can secure bipartisan support, large portions of the federal government are set to shut down at the start of the new fiscal year.
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