Government Shutdown Enters Its 13th Day
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York stated on Monday that President Donald Trump has not authorized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) or the Republican Party to engage in negotiations regarding the ongoing government shutdown, which has now reached its 13th day.
“Chairman Mike Johnson and I haven’t had the chance to meet because President Donald Trump hasn’t given us the go-ahead,” Jeffries mentioned during an MSNBC interview. “It seems they’ll remain in the dark about negotiations until Trump permits them to engage.”
Johnson remarked on Monday morning that the current shutdown could become the longest in U.S. history, exceeding the 35-day closure from 2018-2019 if Democrats do not agree to a Republican-backed stopgap bill aimed at reopening the government. This proposal has been rejected by the Senate multiple times.
“Republicans are eager to finalize the full-year budget and return to a genuine negotiating table to tackle the real issues, but we won’t be negotiating in secret or allowing ourselves to be held hostage,” Johnson stated during a press briefing at Capitol Hill.
In an attempt to pressure Democrats into approving a stopgap funding package, Speaker Johnson has canceled various planned votes, leading to an extended recess in the House of Commons.
Democrats have made it clear that they won’t yield to Republican demands, instead insisting on an extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, Republicans counter that such policies do not belong in a short-term funding bill.
Jeffries conveyed to MSNBC’s Katie Toole that Democrats are open to discussions aimed at finding a resolution.
“That’s why we’ve been clear from the start: we are willing to talk to anyone, anywhere, at any time to carve out a bipartisan path to reopen the government,” he explained, emphasizing that their solution does not involve passing a continuing resolution to fund the government now while discussing health care later.
“Well, there’s certainly little reason to trust the Republican Party on health care matters and the Affordable Care Act,” Jeffries added.
