Home Minority Chief Jeffries defends Democrats' healthcare push amid shutdown : NPR

[ad_1] NPR's Scott Detrow talks with Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries on his Democratic Get together's technique to resolve the federal government shutdown.

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

It's day two of the federal authorities shutdown, and thus far, there isn't a clear finish in sight. Democrats and Republicans stay at an deadlock. President Trump is leaning into blaming Democrats with threats to completely reduce hundreds of federal jobs and a promise to chop what he known as, quote, "Democrat businesses" in authorities. Democrats say that Republicans may have averted this as they managed the White Home and each homes in Congress. They proceed to insist on Republican concessions on well being care, together with extension tax credit for Reasonably priced Care Act insurance coverage. Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries joins me now. He's a Democrat from New York. Chief Jeffries, thanks for being with us.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Nice to be with you.

DETROW: I need to begin with this. Earlier at this time, President Trump known as the shutdown, quote, "an unprecedented alternative" to attain his agenda. He has frozen tens of billions of {dollars} in funds for Democratic-run states, together with New York. He is eyeing main cuts to federal businesses. I need to play a second from Vice President Vance talking yesterday on the White Home.

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JD VANCE: We're going to have to put some individuals off if the shutdown continues. We do not like that. We do not essentially need to do it, however we will do what we now have to to maintain the American individuals's important companies persevering with to run.

DETROW: I need to begin with this. Has this shutdown handed extra energy to the Trump administration?

JEFFRIES: No. The Trump administration has been uncontrolled since day one. They have been laying individuals off since day one. They have been firing federal workers since day one, they usually've been violating the legislation since day one. It is unlucky that we now discover ourselves on this Trump Republican shutdown as a result of they do not need to present well being care to working-class People. Democrats are prepared to sit down down, have a dialog, discover a bipartisan answer transferring ahead, reopen the federal government, however we now have to guard the well being care of the American individuals.

DETROW: However wasn't {that a} large purpose why you and different leaders didn't transfer ahead with probably inflicting a shutdown in March? I imply, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned it plainly, he was fearful a authorities shutdown then would give the administration permission to wreak havoc on businesses. What was the change in considering?

JEFFRIES: Nicely, Home Democrats, myself included, strongly opposed the partisan persevering with decision in March due to the truth that it did substantive injury to on a regular basis People. It damage seniors. It damage veterans. It damage kids. It damage households. It damage reasonably priced care, and it damage housing packages that individuals desperately want on this excessive value of dwelling setting. That is why we opposed it in March. And this invoice is only a continuation of that on prime of the Republican well being care disaster.

DETROW: I suppose my query is, if these mass layoffs go ahead, what would you inform a federal worker who says, you understand, I misplaced my job, and I really feel prefer it's as a result of Democrats compelled this shutdown?

JEFFRIES: What's clear is that the American individuals know who shut the federal government down, and it is Donald Trump and Republicans. That is clear to the American individuals as a result of Republicans management the Home, the Senate and the presidency. And Republicans - the Trump administration - have been partaking in mass firings because the starting of Donald Trump's presidency, and that is exterior of the context of a authorities shutdown. This is able to simply be a pretense that Republicans would use to do what they had been in any other case going to do anyway.

DETROW: It is occurring regardless in your thoughts. I need to ask you about one other Democrat's viewpoint. Yesterday, I interviewed Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. She's one in all three Democrats who broke ranks with the get together and voted in favor of the Republican funding invoice. I requested her why. This is what she mentioned.

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CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO: I feel it is essential for us to actually work in a bipartisan strategy to resolve issues, together with addressing this looming well being care disaster that we now have. I see it in Nevada after I'm house. And we must be working collectively to resolve these issues. We need not shut down the federal government to do this.

DETROW: What's your response to that? I do know there's some variations of opinion inside a Democratic caucus right here on the trail ahead.

JEFFRIES: The overwhelming majority of Democrats are standing agency as a result of we acknowledge that the well being care disaster will not be looming, it's upon us. Republicans have already enacted the biggest reduce to Medicaid in American historical past. That was a part of their one large, ugly invoice. Hospitals and nursing houses and community-based well being clinics are closing due to Republican malignant motion all throughout America. They're setting in movement a potential $536 billion reduce to Medicare on the finish of this 12 months due to what they did within the one large, ugly invoice. And we all know that on account of their refusal to increase the Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit, greater than 20 million working-class People are going to expertise dramatically elevated premiums, copays and deductibles, whereas within the Trump financial system, the price of dwelling is already too excessive.

DETROW: How a lot...

JEFFRIES: That is why there's urgency to this battle proper now.

DETROW: How a lot would these subsidies repair these broader issues, although? They usually exist already, and individuals are already having a tough time paying for well being care.

JEFFRIES: We're speaking about 20 million People whose premiums, copays and deductibles are about to skyrocket. And past that, you actually are appropriate. There is a Republican well being care disaster. Now we have to repair our damaged well being care system. Now we have to decrease the excessive value of dwelling. These are issues that must occur, and the second is now to start to work on these issues urgently. That is what we mentioned in that White Home assembly to Donald Trump, to Mike Johnson and to John Thune. This can be a matter that requires pressing consideration. Johnson claimed that well being care is extraneous. Well being care will not be extraneous. It is central to the well-being of on a regular basis People.

DETROW: There's some motion on the opposite facet of the Capitol from you. There is a small bipartisan group of Senate lawmakers who're attempting to give you some kind of compromise about having that dialog about well being care however giving (ph) the federal government up and operating once more. Is that motion that you simply take severely? Are these talks that you simply're carefully watching?

JEFFRIES: Nicely, dialogue is essential by way of what's occurring. Over on the Senate facet, I defer to Chief Schumer because it pertains to these conversations. We have to cancel the cuts, decrease the prices and save well being care.

DETROW: I need to ask you in regards to the messaging battle, which, as you understand, is de facto essential to a shutdown. It often decides the way it ends. Plenty of our reporters throughout the nation are listening to that facets of Republican messaging are getting via, together with this false declare that undocumented immigrants would get well being care protection. That is one thing we're listening to loads in our interviews. It is displaying up in polling. Are you fearful Democrats are dropping that messaging battle?

JEFFRIES: After all we're not dropping that messaging battle. And the explanation why we all know we're not, one, they're mendacity, they usually're mendacity as a result of they're dropping. There's nothing that Democrats have advised in any manner, form or kind that's designed to offer well being care to undocumented immigrants. The legislation prohibits taxpayer {dollars} from being spent by way of Medicare, Medicaid and the Reasonably priced Care Act. And we all know the American individuals aren't shopping for it as a result of the overwhelming majority of the American individuals know that it was Donald Trump and Republicans who shut down the federal government, they usually're being blamed for that malignant motion.

DETROW: Curious what your plan is thru the weekend, for the approaching days. Are you having direct conversations with the White Home? What comes subsequent?

JEFFRIES: For the reason that White Home assembly that came about on Friday, it has been radio silent. We've not heard a phrase from them as a result of they wished to close down the federal government, however now they are going to bear the results of doing that. I am right here within the Capitol. We're prepared. We're prepared. We're capable of sit down with anybody, anytime, anyplace, right here on the Capitol or again on the White Home to fund the federal government, reopen the federal government, be sure that we cross a spending settlement that meets the wants of the American individuals, whereas on the identical time, decisively handle the Republican well being care disaster.

DETROW: We have about 30 seconds left. The final shutdown lasted 35 days. Can your caucus maintain collectively for 35-plus days? Is that this a long-haul state of affairs in your thoughts?

JEFFRIES: We have to get this matter resolved sooner slightly than later. That is why I am right here in Washington and can proceed to be right here to fulfill with anybody at any time and at anyplace to get this problem resolved.

DETROW: That's Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries. Thanks a lot to your time.

JEFFRIES: Thanks a lot.

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