House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly faced pointed questions Sunday from NBC’s Kristen Welker after he blamed Republicans for the latest government shutdown, even as Senate Democrats withheld the votes needed to reopen the government.
Appearing on Meet the Press, Jeffries repeated his claim that the crisis was a “Republican shutdown,” but Welker pressed him on why Senate Democrats blocked what she described as a “clean resolution” — a temporary funding measure without additional policy riders, long supported by Democrats during previous budget standoffs.
“But let me ask you,” Welker said, “because you say this is a Republican shutdown, but it’s Democratic senators who are withholding their votes on what is called a clean resolution — that means no strings attached — which is something, quite frankly, Leader, that you and other Democrats have advocated for in the past.”
The exchange came days after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led most Democrats in voting against a Republican-backed spending bill.
The measure failed 55-45, just five votes short of the 60 needed to advance, despite support from three Democratic senators. The result triggered a shutdown early Wednesday morning, halting nonessential government operations and putting pressure on both parties to reach a deal.
To underscore her point, Welker played a montage of past clips featuring Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, all emphasizing the importance of avoiding shutdowns and keeping government open through clean spending bills.
Jeffries, however, defended Democrats’ decision, arguing that the GOP plan failed to address urgent concerns about rising health care costs. “What we’ve called for is a bipartisan negotiation where Democrats and Republicans can sit down in good faith, reopen the government, pass a spending bill that actually improves the quality of life of the American people,” he said.
He accused Republicans of breaking campaign promises to lower costs. “Republicans promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren’t going down, they’re going up,” Jeffries said. “If these Affordable Care Act tax credits are allowed to expire, premiums and healthcare costs are going to skyrocket.”
He blamed what he called “Trump-failed policies” — including tariffs — for making “America already too expensive for the American people.” Jeffries insisted Democrats would not support a bill that fails to address what he described as a “healthcare crisis” with the “fierce urgency of now.”
Republicans, meanwhile, argued that Democrats were holding the government hostage over unrelated issues. They accused Schumer of bowing to pressure from the party’s progressive wing, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who has increasingly challenged Democratic leadership.
Ocasio-Cortez previously criticized Schumer for siding with Republicans during a March 2025 budget standoff, calling his vote “a tremendous mistake.” The episode fueled speculation that she could mount a 2028 primary challenge for his Senate seat — a notion she has denied.
As the shutdown stretches into its first week, Republicans say Democrats’ refusal to back a clean funding bill exposes a deeper divide within their party — between those calling for pragmatism and those beholden to ideological purity.
For now, the government remains shuttered, and both parties appear entrenched. But Sunday’s Meet the Press exchange underscored a political reality that Democrats once used to their advantage: even in Washington’s blame game, voters tend to fault the party that blocks the vote to keep the lights on.
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