WASHINGTON: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused President Donald Trump and Republicans of pushing the country toward a government shutdown by refusing to work with Democrats on a deal to preserve health care funding.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Friday, Jeffries said he still hopes Congress can strike an agreement before the October 1 deadline, but warned that Republican actions are making it harder to avoid a funding lapse. He criticized Trump for canceling a planned meeting with Democratic leaders and Republicans for calling off next week’s House voting session.
“The onus is on Donald Trump to show some presidential leadership,” Jeffries said, calling Trump and Republicans “chaos agents” unwilling to provide the stability the moment requires.
Unlike past shutdowns, this one could be especially severe. The Trump administration’s budget office has directed federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs of federal workers, not just temporary furloughs, in the event of a shutdown.
Republican leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, argue the shutdown can be avoided if Democrats drop their demands. Before adjourning, House Republicans passed a short-term funding bill to keep the government open into November, but it was rejected by the Senate, as was a Democratic plan that included health care funding.
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