{"id":43090,"date":"2025-11-11T16:50:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T16:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=43090"},"modified":"2025-11-11T16:50:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T16:50:21","slug":"hakeem-jeffries-slams-fellow-democrats-over-emerging-deal-to-end-government-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=43090","title":{"rendered":"Hakeem Jeffries Slams Fellow Democrats Over Emerging Deal to End Government Shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Frustration Erupts as Shutdown Nears an End<\/h3>\n

House Minority Leader\u00a0Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)<\/strong>\u00a0sharply criticized members of his own party this week for agreeing to a bipartisan plan with Senate Republicans to reopen the federal government \u2014 a move that effectively ended a\u00a040-day shutdown<\/strong>\u00a0but abandoned one of the Democrats\u2019 key demands: extending tax credits under the\u00a0Affordable Care Act (ACA).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHouse Democrats have consistently maintained that bipartisan legislation to fund the government must also decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,\u201d Jeffries said in a written statement. \u201cFor seven weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

But, he warned, the new spending plan from Senate Republicans \u201cfails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healthcare at the Heart of the Dispute<\/h3>\n

Jeffries framed the issue as a matter of principle, arguing that failing to renew ACA subsidies would drive up costs for millions of families.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result of the Republican refusal to address the healthcare crisis that they created, tens of millions of Americans are going to see their costs skyrocket,\u201d Jeffries continued. \u201cMany will not be able to afford a doctor when they or their children need one.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Democratic leader made clear that his caucus would oppose the deal in the House, where he said Speaker\u00a0Mike Johnson (R-La.)<\/strong>\u00a0would now be under pressure to bring the GOP-led plan to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica is far too expensive,\u201d Jeffries said. \u201cWe will not support spending legislation that fails to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits.\u201d<\/p>\n

His statement ended with a pointed attack: \u201cDonald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country, and the American people know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Senate Democrats Break Ranks<\/h3>\n

The sharp tone from Jeffries came after\u00a0eight Senate Democrats<\/strong>\u00a0broke with their party leadership to join Republicans in a vote to advance legislation reopening the government.<\/p>\n

The group included:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • Angus King<\/strong>\u00a0(I-Maine)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      <\/div>\n
        \n
      • \n
          \n
        • John Fetterman<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Pa.)<\/li>\n
        • Catherine Cortez Masto<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Nev.)<\/li>\n
        • Jeanne Shaheen<\/strong>\u00a0(D-N.H.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          <\/div>\n
            \n
          • \n
              \n
            • Maggie Hassan<\/strong>\u00a0(D-N.H.)<\/li>\n
            • Jacky Rosen<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Nev.)<\/li>\n
            • Tim Kaine<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Va.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              <\/div>\n
                \n
              • Dick Durbin<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Ill.), the Senate\u2019s second-ranking Democrat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Their decision marked a significant political shift, signaling that patience for the prolonged shutdown had worn thin even within Democratic ranks.<\/p>\n

                \u201cThe question was whether the shutdown furthered the goal of achieving an extension of the tax credits,\u201d King explained. \u201cOur judgment was that it would not. Nearly seven weeks of deadlock produced nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

                <\/div>\n

                Weeks of Deadlock and Growing Pressure<\/h3>\n

                The standoff, now stretching into its\u00a041st day<\/strong>, had left millions of federal workers, military personnel, and families who rely on programs like SNAP without pay or benefits. Public frustration had intensified as each side blamed the other for the impasse.<\/p>\n

                Democrats had initially vowed to keep the government closed until Republicans agreed to extend ACA subsidies that help lower-income Americans afford healthcare. However, as the shutdown dragged on, moderate voices in both chambers began urging compromise.<\/p>\n

                Late Sunday, Senate leaders announced a\u00a0bipartisan package<\/strong>\u00a0of appropriations bills tied to a short-term plan to reopen the government \u2014 a move that brought immediate relief but also angered progressives who viewed it as a premature concession.<\/p>\n

                <\/div>\n

                Political Fallout Inside the Party<\/h3>\n

                The deal has exposed deep divisions among Democrats. Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader\u00a0Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)<\/strong>\u00a0had stood firm on conditioning any reopening on healthcare funding guarantees, arguing that giving in would undercut their negotiating position.<\/p>\n

                But the eight Democratic defections signaled a practical recognition of political reality: the shutdown had failed to sway Republicans, and public patience was wearing thin.<\/p>\n

                \u201cThe evidence is clear,\u201d King said. \u201cForty days of stalemate accomplished nothing for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

                <\/div>\n

                Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson, celebrated the development as proof that their strategy had worked. \u201cIt\u2019s time to put politics aside and get Americans back to work,\u201d a GOP statement read.<\/p>\n

                The Broader Context<\/h3>\n

                The Affordable Care Act \u2014 passed in 2010 without a single Republican vote \u2014 remains one of the most divisive pieces of domestic legislation in modern history. Democrats credit it with expanding access to healthcare for millions, while Republicans argue it inflated costs and limited choice.<\/p>\n

                The current dispute centers on whether to renew certain ACA tax credits that were set to expire, a move Democrats say is essential to preventing higher premiums for middle-class families.<\/p>\n

                <\/div>\n

                For Jeffries, the issue was about more than numbers \u2014 it was about maintaining credibility on a signature Democratic achievement.<\/p>\n

                What Happens Next<\/h3>\n

                With the Senate plan moving forward, the\u00a0House of Representatives<\/strong>\u00a0is now expected to take up the measure, potentially ending the longest shutdown in over a decade.<\/p>\n

                Even so, Jeffries\u2019 sharp criticism underscores the growing tension inside his party between pragmatism and principle \u2014 a balancing act Democrats will continue to face as they head into an election year.<\/p>\n

                <\/div>\n

                \u201cThe shutdown may be ending,\u201d one Democratic strategist noted, \u201cbut the political fight over healthcare \u2014 and the question of who stood firm or who folded \u2014 is just beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    Frustration Erupts as Shutdown Nears an End House Minority Leader\u00a0Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)\u00a0sharply criticized members of his own party this week for agreeing to a bipartisan plan with Senate … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43090"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43092,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43090\/revisions\/43092"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}