LEADER JEFFRIES: "THE REPUBLICAN HEALTHCARE CRISIS IS IMMORAL IN NATURE AND DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING HARD TO REVERSE IT"
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference with Whip Clark and Chairman Aguilar where he emphasized that Donald Trump and Republicans have shut down the government instead of working with Democrats who are in Washington, DC and ready to work to find a bipartisan agreement and lower healthcare costs.
LEADER JEFFRIES: At midnight, Donald Trump and Republicans shut the federal government down because they don't want to provide healthcare to working-class Americans. Leader Schumer and myself met with President Trump and legislative leaders on Monday. We had a conversation that was designed to avoid a painful government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Subsequent to that meeting, we heard nothing from any of the legislative leaders on the Republican side, and the President has been engaging in irresponsible and unserious behavior, demonstrating that, all along, Republicans wanted to shut the government down. That's no surprise, because for decades, Republicans have consistently shut the government down as part of their efforts to try to extract and jam their extreme right-wing agenda down the throats of the American people.
Democrats have repeatedly made clear we are ready to sit down with anyone, at any time and at any place in order now to reopen the government, to enact a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people and to address the devastating Republican healthcare crisis that has caused extraordinary harm on people all across the country, in rural America, working-class America, urban America, small town America, the heartland of America and Black and brown communities throughout America. The Republican healthcare crisis is devastating, the likes of which no one has ever seen. Largest cut to Medicaid in American history. A possible $536 billion cut to Medicare because of the One Big Ugly Bill if Congress doesn't act by the end of the year. Tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because of the Republican unwillingness to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics are closing all across the country, including in rural America, because of what Republicans have done and the healthcare crisis they have triggered through their cruel actions throughout this year. Republicans have even canceled medical research in the United States of America, even as it relates to children who are battling cancer. The Republican healthcare crisis is immoral in nature, and Democrats are fighting hard to reverse it. Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare on behalf of the American people.
Full press conference can be watched here.