Amid the ongoing US government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the Trump administration for failing to communicate with Democratic leaders. He said that since last Monday’s Oval Office meeting, neither he nor Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have been contacted, describing the White House as ‘radio silent.’
00:00House and Senate Democrats have consistently made clear that we will sit down with anyone at any time and at any place, either here at the Capitol or over at the White House, to reopen the government, to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people, and to address the Republican health care crisis.
00:26Well, the White House has gone radio silent since the Oval Office meeting last Monday, and neither Leader Schumer or myself have heard a word from the administration about resolving this issue, making clear to us that the White House wanted to shut the government down to continue the chaos that they've been inflicting on the American people since day one of this presidency.
00:50How do you answer that response from the Speaker to your challenge to debate him on the House floor in prime time?
00:57Well, Mike Johnson and I, you know, have a very open and candid and forward-looking relationship, and that will continue, but for the life of me, I can't understand.
01:05They don't want to defend their position privately, this is Republicans, extreme MAGA Republicans, and they don't want to defend their position publicly, because their position related to gutting the health care of the American people and shutting down the government is indefensible.
01:22And we continue to give them every opportunity, every single opportunity, to explain themselves to the American people, yet Republicans are on the run.
01:35That's why they're on vacation right now. That's why votes were canceled last week by Republicans in the House, and votes have been canceled this week.
01:41We're in the middle of a shutdown and a chaotic presidency. We are very serious about the issue of improving the quality of life of the American people, about canceling the cuts, lowering the costs, and saving health care.
01:58Very serious about it. And we've made that clear from the beginning.
02:02And now it appears that President Trump, the administration, even House Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, acknowledge that this isn't a fake issue, that we actually need to deal with the health care of the American people, the skyrocketing health insurance costs.
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