Cuomo Fact-Checks Claims on Government Shutdown

Chris Cuomo, host of News Nation, examined assertions made by minority leader Hakeem Jeffries about Congressional Republicans allegedly not passing a “clean” continuing resolution (CR). Jeffries claimed that while Democrats opposed the CR, it was not, in fact, clean, although it would have kept the government funded until November 21. Cuomo noted during his program that the law is genuinely referred to as a “clean CR.”

“I respect Hakeem Jeffries. He has a promising future. He’s capable of more than this. This really is a pretty straightforward CR,” Cuomo remarked. He elaborated that a continuous resolution functions to maintain previous budget levels without establishing a new budget. “That means adjustments are necessary, but we’re sticking with the last known figures,” he added.

The bipartisan group known as the Responsibility Budget Committee described the resolution as “as clean as possible,” according to the New York Times.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer had backed the resolution earlier this year. Cuomo suggested Schumer has since shifted his stance, likely due to concerns about a potential challenge from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “Schumer’s vote reflects that; he’s aware of the dynamics concerning Senate seats,” Cuomo stated.

Ocasio-Cortez declined to disclose to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes whether she threatened Schumer with a primary challenge if he supported the CR. During a recent White House press briefing, Vice President JD Vance echoed similar sentiments, arguing Schumer is trying to safeguard his position by appealing to the progressive wing of his party. He suggested that a government shutdown might not last long if moderate Democrats align with Republicans.

Democrats opposed the Republican-led CR, primarily because it did not include an extension of Biden-era Obamacare grants as a bargaining chip. The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that such a permanent extension could raise the deficit by about $350 million between 2026 and 2035.

Only a few Democrats, including Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto, and Maine’s Angus King, voted to keep the government open. Fetterman commented that he voted “beyond party lines” and deemed the shutdown “a sad day for our nation.”

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt predicted significant federal layoffs would occur in the days ahead due to the shutdown. A New York Times/Siena University poll indicated that 65% of Americans disapprove of Democrats’ decision to shut down the government.