House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday vowed to oppose a new Senate deal in the works to end the nearly six-week government shutdown.
In a statement, the Democratic leader dug his heels in on his party’s position that any legislation to reopen the government must include an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, raising premiums for millions of Americans.
“House Democrats have consistently maintained that bipartisan legislation that funds the government must also decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis. For seven weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.
“It now appears that Senate Republicans will send the House of Representatives a spending bill that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” he continued.
As many as 10 Democrats in the Senate could support a bill to reopen the government as soon as Sunday evening or early Monday morning, after a group of moderate Democrats, and even some liberals, engaged in secretive negotiations over the weekend to end the 40-day record shutdown.
The legislative package would combine some full-year funding bills for parts of the government with a continuing resolution to reopen the government through Jan. 30. The legislation would also address some of the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees during the shutdown.
Jeffries said he would fight the legislation, if it returns to the House for a vote, citing its apparent failure to address Democrats’ health care concerns.
“America is far too expensive,” Jeffries wrote. “We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.”
“We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation,” he continued.
