Key points
- Republicans refuse healthcare funding deal
- Trump skips talks, attends golf event
- Democrats fight to protect subsidies
- Shutdown risks mass federal job cuts
WASHINGTON: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are “marching the country” into a government shutdown over their refusal to meet with Democrats and strike a deal to save health care funding from cuts.
Jeffries told the Associated Press in an interview late Friday that he remained hopeful Congress could reach an agreement to prevent a federal funding lapse next week, ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline.
However, with House Republicans cancelling next week’s voting and Trump pulling out of a scheduled meeting with Democratic leaders, he said “the onus is on Donald Trump to show some presidential leadership,” reports AP News.
“Donald Trump and Republicans are chaos agents,” Jeffries stated, adding, “At moments in time that require stable, presidential leadership, Donald Trump is incapable of providing it.”
This potential shutdown could be worse than past ones, as Trump’s budget office has reportedly told federal agencies to prepare mass firings instead of temporary furloughs.
Painful government shutdown
Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, argue a shutdown can be avoided if Democrats compromise. The House passed a short-term funding bill, but it failed in the Senate, along with a Democratic version that included healthcare provisions.
Jeffries criticised Trump for attending a golf event amid the crisis, saying, “Why are you at a golf event right now? And the government is four days away from closing. That’s outrageous.” After Trump cancelled a planned meeting, Jeffries added, “Why did you back out of the meeting, bro?”
Democrats aim to protect enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire, risking higher premiums. Republicans say negotiations can wait.
“House Democrats are united,” Jeffries said. “Donald Trump and the Republican Party are marching the country into a painful government shutdown.”
Jeffries believes Republicans will eventually back down: “At the end of both of those shutdowns, Republicans came to the conclusion that their position was unsustainable.”
