As the government shutdown drags into its fourth day with no resolution in sight, House leaders Mike Johnson and Hakeem Jeffries are accusing the other’s party of being responsible for both the shutdown and the government’s inability to reopen.
In an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he has not heard from Republican leadership for at least a week.
“Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent,” Jeffries said. “And what we’ve seen is negotiation through deep fake videos, the House canceling votes and of course President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”
In a separate interview moments later, Johnson (R-La.) argued Democrats are “not serious” about finding a solution to end the shutdown and fund the government through the end of the year.
“This is not a serious negotiation,” Johnson said. “They’re doing this to get political cover because [Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer] is afraid that he won’t win his next reelection bid in the Senate because he’s going to be challenged by a Marxist in New York, because that’s the new popular thing out there.”
Democrats have focused on extending tax credits through the Affordable Care Act as their bargaining tool, but Johnson on Sunday said there is “plenty of time to figure that out.” It’s a point Johnson has made previously, arguing that insurance subsidies don’t expire until the end of the year.
Jeffries countered that if the subsidies do lapse, insurance premiums could skyrocket.
“We just want a bipartisan negotiation that addresses the health care crisis at the same period of time with the fierce urgency of now,” Jeffries said.
As the shutdown continues, a potential federal reduction in force is also looming.
“We haven’t seen the details yet about what’s happening, but it is a regrettable situation that the president does not want,” Johnson said on Sunday.
He added that though he does not want to see thousands of federal workers lose their jobs, layoffs would be the result of Senate Democrats turning “the keys to the kingdom over to the White House.”
“Russ Vought runs the Office of Management and Budget. He has to now look at all of the federal government, recognizing that the funding streams have been turned off and determine what are essential programs, policies and personnel,” Johnson said. “That’s not a job that he relishes. But he’s being required to do it by Chuck Schumer.”
