Jeffries says that he has “hopes” that the closure of the government can be avoided

The minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, said on Sunday that he has “hopes” that a government closure can be avoided, since Congress wobbles towards its deadline on Tuesday to reach an expense agreement.

Jeffries’s comments occur after President Donald Trump canceled a meeting last week with Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to reach an agreement before saying on Saturday that he would meet with the Democrats and the leader of the majority of the Senate, John Thune and the president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, on Monday.

“Our point of view in the meeting is that we want to find a common bipartisan land, to find an expense agreement that avoids a government closure and meets the needs of the US people in terms of their health, their safety and economic well-being,” Jeffries told the co-public “This Week” Martha Raddatz.

One of the main dispute points between Democrats and Republicans has been the imminent expiration of some of the tax credits of the Health Care Law at a low price, which the Democrats are fighting to extend.

“We know that they do not expire until the end of the year, so why not approve this and get seven more weeks to negotiate?” Raddatz asked.

“Well, because the notices will come out in a matter of days and it will be a shock for the system of everyday Americans who are already struggling to survive,” Jeffries said. “And the challenge we have in this particular case is that several times in recent months, Republicans in the Chamber have had the opportunity to vote with the Democrats to extend the tax credits of the Law of Health Care at a low price. And they have been refused repeatedly and constantly to do so.”

Responding to Jeffries later in “This week”, the leader of the majority of the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, advocated to approve a short -term financing bill to avoid a closure and continuous negotiations in the coming months.

“Let these conversations continue until November with this draft Government Financing in the short term that is in the Senate,” said Scalise. “But they are the same levels of financing for which the Senate voted, including the Democrats, in March.”

Scalise pointed out that he, like Jeffries, hopes that a closure can be avoided.

“Not only have I hope, I, President Johnson, all my Republican colleagues voted to avoid a government closure, and we approved that bill to the Senate,” said Scalise.

“There is still time to reach an agreement. I’m glad President Trump is showing leadership and meetings with all leaders, Republicans and Democrats, Monday at the White House, but ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” Added.

Here are more outstanding aspects of Jeffries’s interview:

In the next negotiations with Trump

Jeffries: They did not explain why [last week’s meeting] He was canceled, apart from the statement that Donald Trump issued that he erroneously characterized the democratic position. Our position has been very clear: cancel the cuts, reduce costs, save medical care so that we can address the problems that really matter to the US people.

Our point of view in the meeting is that we want to find a common bipartisan land, to find an expense agreement that avoids the closure of the government and actually meets the needs of the US people in terms of their health, their safety and their economic well -being.

On the impact of a closure

Raddatz: I want to play what: play what you were saying in December after the then elected president that Trump left the bill that Congress was working to approve to maintain the open government. This is what you said would be the result of a shutdown.

Jeffries on December 19, 2024: Families will be injured. Farmers will be injured. Border security agents and border patrol will not be paid. The TSA agents will not be paid. Small businesses will be affected in each community.

Raddatz: And this time, the threat of massive shots basically and tell people that they may not be able to work again at all. So, do you still think that a closure would be widely hurting the American people?

Jeffries: We are always of the opinion that we need to finance the government and ensure that the services entrusting the American people can continue to be received. And also that we maintain our federal civil service. We have seen since January 20, the massive shots that take place by the Trump administration in the absence of the closure of the government, because this is what they decided to do, they hurt the Americans every day.

Here are more outstanding aspects of the Scalise interview:

About the threat of administration to fire federal workers

Raddatz: And administration has threatened these massive federal employees. What would that be like? And that is something you support?

Scalise: Well, I haven’t seen all the details. But if you return to Covid, Martha, President Biden expanded drastically, gave an honor of the size of the federal government, supposedly to deal with Covid. Well, Covid is over and, nevertheless, many of these federal agencies remain 20 or 30% larger than they were before Covid. And therefore, there has been a need for a federal government dimnation for a long time.

President Trump has talked about that with Doge and other things he is doing to try to save waste, fraud and government abuse. And I think everyone knows that there are billions, and tens of billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse that must still be rooted. We arrive at some of that, but there is more to do.

In the accusation of James Comey

Raddatz: Allow me to read what your member of the Republican Caucus, the representative Don Bacon, wrote in response to the accusation: “The law undermines our great country. It did not begin in January, but it didn’t end either. The continuous climbing will only hurt us all.”

Your answer to that?

Scalise: Well, we saw an incredible abuse of power of federal agencies for years and years. And, frankly, James Comey is one of the main culprits in undermining the public’s confidence in agencies such as the FBI. He abused his power, Martha. And now, ultimately, he has been accused of lying to Congress. It’s not about what he did to the president. It’s about lying to Congress and obstructing justice, and for that he was accused. Ultimately, he will go before a jury of his companions. Then he can present his case, but there are serious charges.