House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) vowed to oppose it on Sunday new senate deal In the works to end the nearly six-week government shutdown.
In a statement, the Democratic leader took a dig at his party’s position that any legislation to reopen the government must include an extension of the Advanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, which would raise premiums for millions of Americans.
“House Democrats have consistently said that bipartisan legislation funding the government must also decisively address the Republican health care crisis. For seven weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have fought a brave fight on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.
“It now appears that Senate Republicans will send a spending bill to the House of Representatives that fails to expand the Affordable Care Act tax credit,” he continued.
As many as 10 Democrats in the Senate could support a bill to reopen the government Sunday evening or Monday morning, after a group of moderate Democrats, and even some liberals, engaged in secret talks over the weekend to end the record-length shutdown.
The legislative package would combine some full-year funding bills for parts of the government with a continued pledge to reopen the government by Jan. 30. The legislation would also address some of the mass layoffs of federal workers imposed by the Trump administration during the shutdown.
Citing its apparent failure to address Democrats’ health care concerns, Jeffries said he would fight against the legislation if it returns to the House for a vote.
“America is too expensive,” Jeffries wrote. “We will not support spending legislation proposed by Senate Republicans that fails to expand the Affordable Care Act tax credit.”
He added, “We will fight against the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson would be forced to end the seven-week Republican taxpayer-funded furlough.”
