Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“America faces a dire Republican healthcare crisis, and now – despite having the power to avoid it – President Trump has plunged America into a potential hunger crisis,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Rather than sit down with Democrats to negotiate a plan to get us out of this mess, Trump is intentionally making it as painful as possible.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — On Day 34 of the Democrat Shutdown, Speaker Johnson hosted a press conference alongside House GOP Leadership to dismantle Congressional Democrats’ most flagrant lies about their government shutdown. Speaker Johnson also addressed Democrats fear of the Far-Left radicals in their own party.

“What is outrageous to us is that they have gone onto the Senate floor and they have voted no. They have voted to close the government,” Speaker Johnson said. “And then they have gone out to the hall, to the nearest camera they can find, and they look into the lens and say, ‘Republicans are shutting down the government…’ It’s the most extreme example of gaslighting in the history of American politics.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

On Democrats lying about their votes to shut down the government:

The obviously false claim from the Democrats is that Republicans have closed the government. I’ve heard them say this myself. You’ve all seen it in interviews. They’re blaming the shutdown on the Republicans, and it is patently absurd. The next slide will show you the simple fact, the obvious fact that everyone can see, it is Republicans who have voted to open the government 14 times. Now, remember how this came about. Back on September 19, in the House, Republicans voted to open the government, to pass the clean continuing resolution to keep everything in operation. Every Democrat, except one, in the House voted to close the government, but we still passed it because we have the majority. And so we sent that bill over to the Senate. And on 13 different occasions, 13 times, the Democrats have voted to close the government. Republicans voted yes every time to open it. Republicans and the Senate and the House voted to keep the lights on, to pay service members and our troops who are in harm’s way, Border Patrol agents, TSA, air traffic controllers, all federal workers.

They voted to ensure that women, infants, and children nutrition programs continue and that SNAP benefits continue to go to the American families who are in need. But by contrast, the Democrats have voted no every single time. And what is outrageous to us is that they have gone onto the Senate floor and they have voted no. They have voted to close the government. And then they have gone out to the hall, to the nearest camera they can find, and they look into the lens and say, “Republicans are shutting down the government.” It makes no sense. It’s the most extreme example of gaslighting in the history of American politics. And many in the media have allowed them to get away with that.

On the false claim that Democrats are “fighting for health care”:

False claim number three, Democrats are fighting for health care. You’ve heard this over and over and over. Let me say something very simply about this false claim. It is the Democrats who created Obamacare. It is the Democrats who did that without any Republican votes. It’s the Democrats who, by extension, have cost the American taxpayers and people who have health insurance have made their costs skyrocket. It is their policies that made that happen. And so instead of reforming it, the Democrats don’t reform Obamacare, they want to subsidize it. They want to spend more taxpayer dollars. That, by the way, goes mostly to insurance companies, which makes the cost rise further. That’s the Democrats plan. When they passed Obamacare in 2010, they called it the Affordable Care Act. We know the truth is exactly the opposite.

By some estimates, premiums have risen 60% in many categories since they passed that bill into law. Now, the fact is, the opposite. Republicans are the ones fighting to save health care. Why? It’s not just talking points to us. We do this, we have ideas and we have already implemented ideas and measures to reduce costs, increase access and quality, and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. Now, why do we say it’s not just a talking point? Why do we say the Republican Party is the only one advancing commonsense reform solutions? Because we’ve proven it. We did that in the big beautiful bill, the Working Families Tax Cut. We took a look at Medicaid, and we took on that challenge. We took action to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid. We got able-bodied young men without dependents off the program. We got illegal aliens off the program, and we saved $185 billion, just to start. We got millions of ineligible enrollees off the program, and it preserved it, it strengthened Medicaid for the people who rely upon it, which is the elderly, disabled, and young pregnant women. No, it’s not about health care. That is a false claim, and everybody knows it. Everyone in America, and certainly everybody in this room understands that this is about something else. That what this is about is about fear. The Schumer Shutdown was never about health care. That’s a distraction. It’s a red herring, as we say in debate club. Okay? This is about fear and what is the fear, the resolution on the COVID-era Obamacare subsidy issue was always going to be slated for debate in October, November, and December. Everybody knows that, and every Democrat knows that it’s an issue that’s too complex to be solved on a short-term funding measure like a CR.

On Democrats running scared from their Far-Left base:

This is about fear. Everybody in the country is watching the elections that’ll happen tomorrow. You got big elections in New Jersey and Virginia, the governor’s races and attorney general’s races, et cetera. But all that, the attention is focused primarily on New York City. Why? Because the fear that Mamdani and all that he represents will be risen to power, that he’ll be elected the mayor of America’s largest city, the, the once cradle of capitalism, that we’re going have a Marxist, a communist, running the largest city now. This terrifies the establishment old guard Democrats in Washington, and the leaders of both chambers are among those most terrified. They’re both from New York. Leader Hakeem Jeffries is the Democrat in the House and Leader Schumer in the Senate. They’re both from New York and they’re terrified. You’ve watched their actions carefully. Many of you have not reported on it enough.

Hakeem Jeffries had to ultimately, finally, he was forced to endorse Mamdani, and he’s terrified that he now owns the results of that. Chuck Schumer has been dancing around the issue, but he knows he’s darned if he does, darned if he doesn’t, they’re both terrified. And so that is the fear. This is a fact, and you should print it this way. Schumer and Jeffries and their colleagues fear political retribution from the Far-Left activists in their party more than they fear the consequences of keeping the government closed for weeks on end. They fear that personally for their own political future, and they care more about that than they care about SNAP benefits flowing to hungry families, about air traffic controllers being paid so they can keep the sky safe, Border Patrol, troops, and all the rest. It pales in comparison, and this is a simple summary that is a simple fact. It is extremism on the Left that is the direct cause of American suffering right now.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — On Day 33 of the Democrat Shutdown, Speaker Johnson joined Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday to discuss how, despite the real pain they have caused for working families around the country, Democrats shamefully continue to treat the government shutdown as “leverage.”

“This is not about winning a political contest here. Real people are losing; the American people are hurting,” Speaker Johnson said. “Democrats have voted 14 times now to keep the government closed. 14 times.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full interview here.

On Democrats treating the suffering of American families as “leverage”:

Just 24 hours before that [poll] came out, CNN of all places had a big story about how Republicans are winning the shutdown battle. But we reject all of this. This is not about winning a political contest here. Real people are losing; the American people are hurting. Democrats have voted 14 times now to keep the government closed. 14 times. They had the opportunity to have SNAP benefits flow, to let air traffic controllers be paid, to take care of all these problems and pay the troops. And they said no. And it is a fact that no one can dispute. They shut the government down over restoring free healthcare to illegal aliens as part of their $1.5 trillion wild partisan wish list. They’re playing games and real people are suffering because of it.

You have all the unions now coming out against them. You have the major airlines in the country; you have every segment of the population and hardworking Americans who will be going without. You have 42 million recipients of SNAP that are in jeopardy right now. You have the women, infants, and children nutrition program that President Trump and the White House have heroically funded thus far is running out of money. And of course, the troops, I mean, we’ve gotten them paid now for two cycles, but that money is not inexhaustible and it’s running out. And so increasingly the American people will be feeling the pain. And after we pass that threshold of the first of this month, it gets very real for more and more people.

On Democrats refusing to fund SNAP then blaming Republicans for the consequences:

It’s absolutely absurd. They are accusing the Republicans and the President of doing exactly what they are doing. Remember, don’t get lost in the facts, Republicans have voted 14 times to open the government. Democrats have voted 14 times to close it. Who’s playing games here? We have a clean, simple continuing resolution, no partisan gimmicks or tricks at all. It’s 24 pages in length. It would keep everything going. The President is bending over backwards to take care of the American people, and it’s the Democrats who are quite literally using the people as leverage. 

I can quote you Senator, after House Member on the Democrat side in the last two weeks who have said the quiet parts out loud, from Whitehouse, to Coons to Katherine Clark, the number two Democrat in the House. Bernie Sanders, they’ve all said this is their leverage, their leverage for what? So, they can show that they’re fighting President Trump to the Far Left because they’re worried about the Marxists rising Democrat Party. We see it in New York City and elsewhere. And because they actually want, and they’ve argued and they put on paper, they want illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. Again, that is a fact. They’ve never changed it. They’ve never pulled back from that. Everybody can see the stark contrast between two parties right now, and only one is fighting for the people. And that’s a Republican party.

On the Trump Administration’s actions to protect the homeland from narco-terrorists:

We had a gang of eight briefing with the Secretary of State himself about a week and a half ago. You had Republicans and Democrats there, the top leaders on both sides in intelligence and in elected leadership. We have exquisite intelligence about these strikes, and I can’t get into the classified parts, but that information is well known. It is very reliable. And what the President and the Administration are doing is protecting the homeland. That’s one of his number one responsibilities. 

I like what Secretary Hegseth said at the opening, “Narco-terrorists will be treated like Al-Qaeda.” We have to do that. They’re bringing in huge amounts, tons of illegal narcotics into the country, and it is killing Americans. Remember, fentanyl alone was a leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49 in the four years of the Biden Administration. We finally have a President who is strong enough to stop that and to protect the people. And one of these boats, Shannon, could kill potentially tens of thousands of Americans. This is serious business. They’re taking it seriously and Congress will continue to have oversight. We’ll have more of these hearings, but thus far, the intelligence that we have is very reliable.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

RIVERSIDE, CA – Inland Empire Representatives Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Norma Torres (CA-35) call out the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for actions that intimidate voters and undermine confidence in California’s free and fair elections. The DOJ recently announced plans to send federal election monitors to polling sites in five California counties ahead of the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election, a move the lawmakers say is unnecessary and unjustified.

The Inland Empire Representatives joined 41 California Democrats urging the DOJ to respect the state’s election system and refrain from actions that intimidate voters or suppress participation. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the lawmakers stressed the importance of protecting California’s transparent and secure voting process, noting that the DOJ has provided no evidence of federal law violations in the state’s elections.

“California’s elections are secure, transparent, and fair. Any attempt to intimidate, harass, or mislead voters is unacceptable. Every Californian has the right to cast their ballot freely, privately, and without fear, and they can be confident their vote will count. False claims meant to sow doubt are a threat to democracy, and we will continue to protect the integrity of our elections.” — Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25)

 “In an effort to intimidate voters and undermine confidence in California’s Statewide Special Election on November 4th, Donald Trump is directing his Department of Justice to unnecessarily send federal monitors to the state. Let’s be clear: California elections are free and fair, and voters should feel safe going to the polls or mailing in their ballots. I’m confident Californians will make their voices loud and clear in just a few days.” — Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-33)

“California knows how to run elections. We have one of the most transparent and secure systems in the country, and millions of Californians vote safely every year. I welcome fair observation from the Department of Justice, but not interference or intimidation. Donald Trump and his cronies are just looking for an excuse to suppress turnout, but I’m confident Californians will make their voices heard in this upcoming special election for Prop 50.” — Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39)

“There is no justification for the DOJ to intimidate Inland Empire voters with unnecessary federal monitors. California’s elections are safe, secure, and fair. Donald Trump and the Republican Party continue spreading lies to undermine trust, both here and across the nation. We saw the deadly consequences of those lies on January 6, when a President refused to accept the results of a fair election. Their goal is clear: to sow distrust, suppress votes, and silence Californians, especially Latino communities in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. DOJ’s actions are an attack on our democracy, and I will not stand by while Californians’ right to vote is threatened.” — Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35)

California operates one of the most transparent and secure election systems in the nation. Every registered voter automatically receives a mail-in ballot, and each ballot includes a voter-verifiable paper trail, allowing voters to confirm that their vote has been received and counted. Voting machines are thoroughly tested and audited to ensure accuracy and security. In the November 2024 election, more than 16.1 million Californians voted, representing over 71 percent of registered voters, far above the national average.

The Inland Empire delegation emphasized that Californians should feel safe and confident voting by mail, at drop boxes, or in person on Election Day. They encouraged voters to make a plan and to use official resources to track their ballots and find polling places: https://WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

Voters in California have the right to cast their ballots free from intimidation, coercion, or interference under both state and federal law. No one can threaten, harass, or obstruct a voter to influence their choice or prevent them from voting. Every eligible voter is entitled to a private, secure voting experience, with access to assistance if needed, without fear of discrimination or suppression. Protections under laws like the Voting Rights Act ensure that all Californians, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or disability, can participate safely and confidently in the electoral process.

The four Inland Empire members reaffirmed their support for California’s election officials and encouraged residents to vote early, by mail, or in person on Election Day.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on WISN’s UPFRONT and highlighted the Democratic agenda to push back against the chaos, confusion and cruelty being visited on Wisconsinites and the American people because of the Republican healthcare crisis.

MATT SMITH: We’ll get to it all. We begin with the Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Mr. Leader, good to see you. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you so much for having me on.

MATT SMITH: Let’s begin here. Both sides, as you well know, are seeming incredibly dug in at this point. More Wisconsinites now starting to feel the impact. How much pain are you allowing for this to go before Democrats would ever consider supporting now a clean funding resolution?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our view from the very beginning, as Democrats, has been we want to reopen the government. We want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the people of Wisconsin and the people of this great country, while at the same time decisively addressing the Republican healthcare crisis, where we’ve seen Republicans enact the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. We know hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all across the country because of what happened in that One Big Ugly Bill and now, unfortunately, Republicans are refusing to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and that’s going to result in tens of millions of Americans, including many people throughout Wisconsin, experiencing dramatically increased healthcare premiums that will be unaffordable.

MATT SMITH: So to negotiate that point blank, is there any scenario you would back a clean funding resolution?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’ve said from the beginning that a bipartisan spending bill requires Republicans to sit down with Democrats to reopen the government. But unfortunately, during this shutdown, Republicans have actually refused to have a conversation with us as Democrats, and all we’ve asked for is to try to find common ground so we can improve the lives of the American people in an environment where the cost of living has been way too high for far too many people. We know that Donald Trump promised to lower the high cost of living on day one, but unfortunately, costs aren’t going down, they’re going up. These are issues that the American people understandably want the Congress to address, but in order for that to happen, we have to enter into a bipartisan negotiation.

MATT SMITH: So no scenario you would support a clean funding resolution?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, in our view, a clean spending bill requires Republicans drop their [effort] to continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. 

GERRON JORDAN: So, Leader, your goal is to bring Republicans to the table here to extend Obamacare subsidies. Is it fair to say that at this point that strategy is just not working?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think it’s fair to say that tens of millions of people across the country who have been receiving notices over the last few weeks consistently have communicated with the Congress—this is both Democrats and Republicans across the country—making it clear that we need to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the most conservative Republicans in the Congress, has made clear that this is a real issue. It’s going to impact her constituents. We know, in fact, that the five states that will be most impacted by the Republican refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits are Republican-held states. That’s West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Tennessee and Mississippi. 45 percent of the people throughout the country who receive Affordable Care Act tax credits are actually registered Republicans. Only 35 percent are Democrats and 20 percent Independents. So this is not a partisan fight for us. It’s a fight for the people of Wisconsin and a fight for the people of the United States of America. Working-class people, middle-class people and everyday Americans.

GERRON JORDAN: This past week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said most people on Obamacare would still have access to plans that cost $50 a month or less, even if the enhanced subsidies aren’t extended. Is that reasonable for you?

LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s a stone-cold lie and the American people know it because they are receiving notices as we speak indicating that if the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire, their premiums are going to increase in some cases by a thousand or two thousand dollars per month. So this is not a debatable issue and Republican Members of Congress including Derrick Van Orden are hearing from their own constituents that something needs to be done to address this issue. And unfortunately, Republicans have refused to extend these Affordable Care Act tax credits when more than 90% of the people who receive them make about $63,000 or less. This is a fight for working-class Americans in Wisconsin and throughout the country.

GERRON JORDAN: When do you plan to talk with Speaker Johnson next or any Senate leaders?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Speaker Johnson and I had a brief conversation yesterday. We reiterated our openness as Democrats to sit down with him or any Republican, anytime, anyplace, either at the Capitol or we’ll go back to the White House in order to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that reopens the government, that ends this, you know, Trump shutdown.

MATT SMITH: If you get that meeting in the coming days with the President or Republican leaders, what are you prepared to concede in negotiations?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, again, you know, everything is on the table and as we’ve indicated, as House Democrats, we look forward to considering anything that emerged from the Senate in good faith in a bipartisan way, as long as it actually is designed to improve the quality of life of the American people in three areas: their health, their public safety and our economic well-being in terms of driving down the high cost of living in Wisconsin and throughout America.

MATT SMITH: So why not just reopen the government, then negotiate healthcare?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think the problem with Republicans is that they’ve repeatedly failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. They voted against it multiple times throughout this year while at the same period of time enacting the One Big Ugly Bill, which put into place the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And it’s also important to remember on this healthcare issue that Republicans have voted more than 70 times since 2010 to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And so, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that if Republicans decided that the wealthiest people in this country, that their billionaire donors, should benefit from permanent tax breaks, that at this moment in time where the Affordable Care Act tax credits are about to expire, that working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans in Wisconsin and throughout the country should have a similar level of certainty, particularly as we approach open enrollment or are in the open enrollment period and the reality of these massive healthcare premium increases is going to hit people like a rock.

MATT SMITH: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Mr. Leader, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you very much.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) welcomed and personally led a U.S. Capitol tour for the Seneca County Veterans Honor Bus, which included 24 veterans from Seneca County, Ohio.

During the ongoing government shutdown, many federal operations, including public Capitol tours, are suspended until the government reopens. However, Members of Congress are still permitted to lead tours themselves, allowing visitors and students to continue experiencing the U.S. Capitol. Last week, Congressman Latta led two Capitol tours for Marion Local Schools and Coldwater Middle School in Mercer County. On Tuesday, Congressman Latta led two tours for Fort Recovery Middle School and Antwerp Middle School and on Thursday, Congressman Latta led two tours for Willard High School and Upper Sandusky Middle School. This is Congressman Latta’s seventh Capitol tour he has led since the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025. 

The Seneca County Honor Bus is a proud local tradition that brings veterans from Seneca County, Ohio, to Washington, DC. The committee works year-round to raise funds so veterans can visit the nation’s memorials and pay tribute to their fellow service members. Launched in 2019, this is the program’s sixth trip to the nation’s capital.

“It was an honor to welcome our veterans from Seneca County here to Washington, DC and to lead them through the halls of the U.S. Capitol for a personal tour. Their service has protected our freedoms and future, it’s a privilege to show my gratitude in person and to share this meaningful experience with them,” Latta said. 

“When we organize these Veteran bus tours, we start out as strangers but end the journey as family and friends. Mission 6 is deeply grateful to Congressman Latta for personally leading our tour of the Capitol. It was truly a highlight of the trip, and we were inspired by his passion and impressed by his deep knowledge of the Capitol’s history,” said Jenn Pahl, Tour Director for the Seneca County Honor Bus. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, is working on potential health care solutions that improve rural community access to health care, strengthen available health care services and deliver better health outcomes to patients.

Chairman Griffith introduced H.R. 5736, the Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act, or PAVE Act. This bipartisan legislation adds a screening for penicillin allergy to the Medicare initial preventive physical examination. It is one solution that delivers improved access to penicillin allergy verification testing, directs medical applications of appropriate treatments and ensures better patient outcomes. The bill has received support from multiple patient and provider organizations, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology:

“We are excited to partner with Rep. Griffith and this bipartisan group of co-sponsors to help America’s seniors get better healthcare outcomes at a lower cost,” said Frank Virant, MD, FAAAAI, President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). “Penicillin allergy evaluation is safe and inexpensive, and removing this label for patients who can safely use penicillin improves their health outcomes, reduces drug costs and helps fight antimicrobial resistance. Medicare patients who are evaluated and ‘delabeled’ can avoid potential significant side effects from alternative antibiotics and be better protected against community-acquired infections in healthcare, residential and recreational facilities. We hope that standardizing delabeling among seniors is a first step toward broad adoption of this important public health intervention. In addition to helping America’s seniors, access to the most effective, well-tolerated antibiotic an individual patient can take gets them back to school and/or work sooner.”

This comes on the heels of Chairman Griffith’s cosponsorship of Rep. Diana DeGette’s bill, H.R. 5621, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025. This bill strengthens the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) by adding physical therapists to the NHSC and making physical therapy an allowable service that can be reimbursable for community health centers. This pro-patient bill will allow more health care professionals in physical therapy to deliver rehabilitative care and address medical workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Additionally, Chairman Griffith headlined an event with Punchbowl News that focused on cancer prevention and early detection. During his remarks, Chairman Griffith expressed his belief that the United States is on the precipice of a revolution in medicine and medical innovation. You can watch his conversation with Punchbowl News co-founder and CEO Anna Palmer here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s State of the Union, where he pointed out how Donald Trump and Republicans have shown no interest in ending their reckless government shutdown while Democrats are standing up for a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people.

JAKE TAPPER: And joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us. So, even these emergency supplemental funds for SNAP, even if they ultimately, the Trump administration ultimately does use them, it’s only enough to keep benefits going, food stamp benefits going for two to three weeks, which is a significant but obviously not a long-term solution. I understand why Democrats are voting against the continuing resolution to fund the government. You’re fighting for the extension of the Obamacare premiums, you’re fighting to restore Medicaid funds, but I wonder, when these SNAP funds are gone, whether this week or three weeks from now, if the contingency funds are used, are you worried at all that that pressure point will cause more Democrats to rethink the strategy and maybe ultimately vote for the government funding bill?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re continuing to make life better for the American people. We want to reopen the government, we want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually makes life better for everyday Americans and, of course, we want make sure that we can decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis which is crushing people all across the country, including working-class America, rural America, urban America, small town America, the heartland of America and Black and brown communities throughout America. It’s very unfortunate that Donald Trump and Republicans have decided to weaponize hunger and withhold SNAP benefits, even in contravention of two federal courts, which have made clear that not a single person in this country should go without their nutritional assistance, and, of course, that the funds exist to make sure that those SNAP benefits are paid through November, as has been the case with Donald Trump and his administration finding funding for other projects, but somehow they can’t find money to make sure that Americans don’t go hungry.

JAKE TAPPER: You’re refusing to fund the government until Republicans join you to help prevent Americans’ healthcare costs from skyrocketing as well as to restore some of the money from Medicaid that was cut. I understand why Democrats are making the choice, but you acknowledge that it’s a choice here, right?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, what I acknowledge is that we’re asking Republicans to sit down, as we’ve indicated our willingness, to sit down with them anytime, anyplace, anywhere, either at the Capitol or back at the White House, in order to find a bipartisan path toward enacting a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people. So yes, we are committed to doing things like lowering the high cost of living for the American people in an environment where Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. But costs haven’t gone down. Costs are going up. Housing costs are up. Grocery costs are up. Child care costs are up. Electricity prices are through the roof. And now, because of the Republicans’ refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, we know that tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles, such that they will be unable to go see a doctor. In some cases, Jake, you’re talking about premium increases of $1,000 to $2,000 per month. That is completely and totally unsustainable, unacceptable and un-American.

JAKE TAPPER: I understand, but the decision to not fund the government means very real pain caused today. People not getting paychecks today and SNAP funds today. And then, obviously, at airports across the country, delays are getting worse due to air traffic controller shortages. The FAA says that in the New York area, nearly 90 percent, 90 percent of air traffic controllers are out. The White House says that Thanksgiving travel could be a disaster if this shutdown continues that long. Are Democrats prepared to keep the government closed through Thanksgiving if it comes to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The question is, why are Republicans continuing to keep the government shut down? They have the House, the Senate and the presidency. Donald Trump just made clear over the weekend repeatedly that Republicans have the ability to reopen this government. They don’t want to do it because they’d rather continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. And here are some questions that need to be asked. Why have House Republicans remained on a taxpayer-funded vacation for the last six weeks? They keep canceling votes. They canceled votes for next week. Of course, they are unserious as it relates to reopening the government. Why has Donald Trump spent more time on the golf course, including this weekend, than he has in talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill who represent half of the country? It’s because, apparently, Donald Trump is uninterested in reopening the government. He doesn’t want to stand up for hardworking federal employees. They fired more than 200,000 federal employees prior to them shutting the government down on October 1. And why are Republicans so unwilling to even sit down and have a conversation with their Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill in order to find a bipartisan path forward? It’s because they are trying to inflict this cruelty on the American people. And Jake, this is a group of folks who passed their One Big Ugly Bill, largest cut to Medicaid in American history. At the same time, they cut $186 billion from SNAP, literally ripped food out of the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. They did this in July, and that was done so they could reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they made permanent, and now they’re unwilling to extend tax credits for working-class Americans. It’s all unacceptable, and it’s obviously part of their plan.

JAKE TAPPER: So you alluded to President Trump saying that the Senate Republicans have the power to pass a government shutdown. He’s saying that by saying that they should get rid of the filibuster. You’re saying that they should get rid of the filibuster and just own this entirely?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No. What I’m saying is that that’s a decision ultimately for the Senate to make. However, President Trump has acknowledged, listen, from the very beginning of this presidency, he’s enacted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people—reckless Republican policies, which are now causing hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers to close all across the country. Now he’s saying to his Republican colleagues, Senators, those who actually just work for him because they don’t work for the American people, reopen the government, and they refuse to do it.

JAKE TAPPER: Big elections coming up in just two days. Governor’s race in Virginia, Governor’s race in New Jersey and then the Mayor of the city in which you live, New York, New York. You’ve already cast your ballot for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Do you see Mamdani as the future of the Democratic Party?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall, as far as we’re concerned, relative to the House Democratic Caucus and Members who are doing great work all across the country as it relates to our need to both take back control of the House. But in doing so, make sure that we’re communicating to the American people, like we understand, you deserve better than the country that you have received. Donald Trump and Republicans have gone way too far and have failed to deliver anything meaningful for the American people. And as Democrats, we’re going to focus on lowering the high cost of living, on fixing our broken healthcare system that Republicans continue to make worse with their toxic policies and, of course, on cleaning up corruption in the Congress, in the courts and within the administration with Donald Trump running the largest pay-to-play scheme in the history of the country. So we’re going to continue to affirmatively lean in on the issues that we know matter to the American people. I expect that we’re gonna see a big night on Tuesday in New Jersey and in Virginia and certainly as it relates to Prop 50 in California where we stop Trump from stealing the election. And then that’ll lay a foundation for Democrats to take back control of the House in 2026.

JAKE TAPPER: Well, I mean, I asked you if Mamdani was the future of the party and you didn’t answer the question. You said the House Democrats are. I would note that at least a couple House Democrats from the New York area are not endorsing Mamdani. Your endorsement took a long time. Schumer still has not endorsed him. Are you concerned about Republicans using him as a lightning rod so as to hurt your ability to win back the House in 2026?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, the lightning rod in terms of what’s going to impact the ability of either side to win control of the House or hold control of the House in 2026 is going to be the failure of Republicans to actually deliver on the promises that they’ve made and to actively make life worse for everyday Americans. The country knows that we’re heading in the wrong direction. We see it repeatedly. The country knows that Republicans have refused to make healthcare affordable and are actively making it unaffordable, depriving working-class Americans of their ability to see a doctor when they need one. And the country knows that Republican policies have been all about the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected, and they have not focused on making life better for everyday Americans. We will, as House Democrats.

JAKE TAPPER: Alright, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, thank you so much for your time today sir, appreciate it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NBC’s Saturday TODAY, where he emphasized that as millions of Americans cruelly lose their SNAP benefits, Republicans remain unwilling to follow the law, to find a bipartisan solution to end the government shutdown and to work with Democrats to fix the healthcare crisis that they created.

PETER ALEXANDER: We want to bring in the House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, we appreciate your waking up with us. Good morning to you.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning.

PETER ALEXANDER: As we just heard from both Julie and Ryan, this—if it wasn’t already, this crisis just got very real for a lot more Americans. Food lines at football stadiums. 42 million Americans beginning today are gonna go without those SNAP benefits. This isn’t just blue states, red states. Everybody is affected by this. Democrats have framed this debate as being about healthcare premiums which are expected to skyrocket at the end of the year right now. But have we reached the point where other crises like those benefits now no longer available to Americans have become more immediate that it needs to be addressed right now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, all of it needs to be addressed. And we continue to believe that the government needs to reopen, we need to find a bipartisan path forward to enacting a spending agreement immediately that meets the needs of everyday Americans in terms of improving their quality of life and lowering the high cost of living, while at the same time addressing the Republican healthcare crisis that now threatens for premiums, co-pays and deductibles to increase dramatically for tens of millions of people immediately.

LAURA JARRETT: So Leader Jeffries, the President says, ‘let’s just get the government reopen. Let’s just get the government reopen and then we can figure out a solution on healthcare and I’m willing to negotiate with Democrats.’ Why not accept his premise on that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the President is clearly unwilling to negotiate. In fact, he’s playing golf this weekend at his beach resort. And that’s consistent with what we’ve seen over the 32 days that he and Republicans have shut the government down. In fact, Donald Trump, of course, has spent more time talking to Hamas and more time talking to the Chinese Communist Party during this government shutdown than he has with Democrats on Capitol Hill who represent half the country. And we continue to say we want to sit down in good faith with the other side of the aisle to resolve this issue, to reopen the government, to make sure that people don’t go hungry in America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world.

PETER ALEXANDER: So to be clear, Leader Jeffries, how does this end? Is there some outside event that you see as an endpoint here? Is it some more major problem with flights? Is it perhaps the elections coming up this week in states like Virginia and New Jersey? Is it photos of families going without food? Where is the enough-is-enough point?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well we think that we had already reached the enough-is-enough point. The fact that we have hardworking federal employees who are being furloughed without paychecks or forced to work without pay. That’s enough. The fact that Republicans refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, don’t want to spend a dime to keep healthcare affordable for working-class Americans and middle-class Americans, but over the last few weeks could find $40 billion to bail out Argentina and their right-wing wannabe dictator friend is extraordinary in this country. It’s also extraordinary that two federal courts have said that the Trump administration has the money and is required to make sure that not a single person in this country loses their nutritional assistance benefits so they can continue to put food on the table, including 16 million children, yet the Trump administration refuses to spend taxpayer dollars in a manner consistent with what Congress had previously instructed them to do.

PETER ALEXANDER: Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives. We appreciate your making time to speak to us this morning.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s Velshi, where he made clear that Democrats will continue fighting against the healthcare and hunger crises that Republicans are inflicting on the American people as they simultaneously refuse to reopen the government.

ALI VELSHI: Joining me now is the House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York. Leader Jeffries, welcome. Thank you for joining us. I want to talk to you first about this most urgent matter, and that is these SNAP benefits. It’s very unclear. Two separate judges said the government can’t do this. Donald Trump basically said not clear exactly how we’re going to do this. Where do you believe things stand and where should they be?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the law is clear, the courts have been clear and the morality of it is clear. The Trump administration needs to release these benefits. They have the funds for a contingency situation like we confront, but this is a choice that they have made to violate the law as part of an effort to pressure the Congress to continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. It’s an extraordinary thing. And as you indicated, Ali, at your beginning, the Trump administration and Republican policies have been a complete and total disaster for the American people. Costs haven’t gone down, they’re going up. Grocery costs are up. Housing costs are up. Electricity prices are through the roof. And now, 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, are confronted with the possibility that they may not be able to put food on the table because of a crisis that the Trump administration is inflicting on them.

ALI VELSHI: Your goal, the Democrats’ goal with not supporting the reopening of the government has been to try and secure these ACA subsidy extensions, which will kick in at the end of the year, beginning of 2026. But for people who are in open enrollment starting today, they’ll see these new premiums. So tell me how this affects your approach to the shutdown and getting these ACA subsidies extended.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our approach from the very beginning has been clear. House Democrats, working with Senate Democrats under the leadership of Chuck Schumer, has been—we want to reopen the government. We want to do it immediately. We want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people and improves their quality of life, as opposed to continuing these destructive Republican policies. And, of course, we want to address the Republican healthcare crisis in a situation where their refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits is going to result in tens of millions of people experiencing dramatically-increased healthcare premiums. In many instances, people are going to be forced to pay $1,000 or $2,000 per month. These are working-class families, middle-class families. The average family that receives these tax credits makes around $60,000 or so per year. This is incredibly unaffordable. And now that we’re in open enrollment, it’s going to be even clearer to people throughout the country, including in red states like Louisiana that Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise purport to represent, that this is a very real crisis that Congress must decisively address now.

ALI VELSHI: Let’s go back to the SNAP issue for a second. There are a number of Republican Senators who are concerned, as they should be, about healthcare that people in their states are going to be heavily affected by this—Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins. Josh Hawley, by the way, is proposing that the Senate restore SNAP funding. Chuck Schumer has said he’s open to supporting a move to do that. Talk to me about how that would work. Do you think that’s likely? And then what happens in the House? Which, you know, Speaker Johnson still isn’t looking to move on this.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Speaker Johnson is not looking to move on anything because the House has now canceled votes for six consecutive weeks. These extremists have been on vacation, camping or traveling the world including spending time in Europe, while their constituents are suffering and while they’ve shut the government down. This is extraordinary. Now, from our perspective as House Democrats, we’ve made clear we will consider in good faith anything that emerges from the Senate in a bipartisan way that reopens the government, of course, that enacts an enlightened spending agreement and addresses these twin crises moments that we now are confronting because of Republican cruelty and extremism, both the hunger crisis that is upon us and the ongoing healthcare crisis because of failed Republican policies that include doing things like the largest cut to Medicaid in American history and shutting hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers down. Now, the Trump administration just needs to comply with the law. These benefits should be released today. These two federal courts issued these rulings yesterday. Donald Trump claims to know nothing about it, which is extraordinary, because it’s his administration that was arguing against the Democratic Attorneys General saying we don’t have the ability to release this money. Yes, you do. And it needs to be done immediately.

ALI VELSHI: Kind of wild. The court said you do. And then he said, well, maybe the courts can tell us how we do. I want to ask you one question. In New York City and your district, advanced polling for the New York mayoral race has been through the roof. It’s running at about five times normal. What’s your message to New Yorkers right now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this is the last weekend of early voting, and we’re encouraging everyone to come out and exercise your right to determine who will serve in office at all levels—the City Council, the Borough President, the DAs, of course, the Mayor, the Comptroller and the Public Advocate. This is our democracy. In order for us to keep it, we’ve got to aggressively participate in it.

ALI VELSHI: Leader Jeffries, good to see you. Thank you for joining us, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Full interview can be watched here.

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