Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Friday accused divided Republicans of dropping the ball on negotiations with Democrats on a spending plan to keep away from a looming authorities shutdown.
The Democratic Home Minority Chief mentioned his GOP counterparts have been too busy squabbling amongst themselves to place a proposal to the desk that may hold the federal government funded previous a March 14 deadline.
“We’ve been waiting day after day, week after week, month after month for the Republican budget proposal,” Jeffries mentioned at a Capitol Hill press convention. The place is it? What’s the issue?”
Jeffries mocked Republicans for pleading for Democratic assist to move a spending plan, though they usually declare to have gained a sweeping mandate within the November election.
“We’ve been lectured for months by Republicans about their big mandate,” he mentioned. “So I’m confused about the leverage that we allegedly have in the face of such an overwhelming mandate that was given to Republicans by the American people.”
The Brooklyn Democrat accused Republicans of being locked in a “GOP civil war” between funds deficit hawks and people who wish to slash taxes for the rich at any price.
“They have been kind of busy fighting amongst themselves around how big the tax cuts will be for their billionaire buddies and how much they are going to cut out of Medicaid. I get it. Republicans have been busy.”
Jeffries spoke out minutes after Home Speaker Mike Johnson sought guilty Democrats for what he referred to as “an impasse” in funds talks. He instructed reporters to “ask Jeffries” why the negotiations have been stalled.
Republicans maintain a slender three-seat majority within the Home, however a handful of conservative Republicans usually refuse to vote for what they name wasteful spending plans.
AP Photograph/J. Scott Applewhite
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with reporters on the Capitol on Wednesday. (AP Photograph/J. Scott Applewhite)
Within the final Congress, that dynamic compelled Johnson to usually negotiate offers with Democrats to move spending plans and hold the federal government open.
However that bipartisan cooperation got here earlier than President Trump began unilaterally slashing federal packages and even vowing to eradicate complete businesses that Congress funded.
Democrats are actually much less doubtless to assist Johnson remedy his personal political complications, particularly when Republicans are eyeing a number of sweeping so referred to as funds reconciliation payments to move Trump’s controversial agenda by means of the Senate with out the 60 votes usually wanted to move laws.
