00:00created health care crisis that must be addressed with the fierce urgency of now.
00:08It's time for House Republicans to get back in town, get to the negotiating table,
00:15and get real about reopening the government and addressing the quality of life and cost
00:23of living challenges that the American people face all across the country.
00:31House Republicans canceled votes last week. House Republicans canceled votes this week.
00:38House Republicans appear ready to cancel votes next week. These people are not serious
00:46about reopening the government. Donald Trump and Republicans decided to shut down the government.
00:54Because they'd rather inflict that kind of pain that the American people are experiencing right now
01:02than address the health care of everyday Americans and the need to urgently extend
01:09the Affordable Care Act tax credits to avoid tens of millions of Americans from having to pay
01:18dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. This Republican health care crisis
01:28must be addressed with the fierce urgency of now. That's not a partisan position. It's a widely held view
01:38issue amongst the American people all across the country, which is why our position continues to be clear.
01:48We will sit down to negotiate with members of the Trump administration,
01:54with Republican leaders in the House and the Senate. We're ready to do it now,
01:58but we have to also address the Republican health care crisis. Questions?
02:05Leader Jeffries, thank you. Good afternoon. Yesterday,
02:09Leader Schumer indicated that the longer this goes on, this is better for the Democrats.
02:14Do you believe, as Republicans suggest, that that's a calloused remark, that this is kind
02:17of a scorekeeping going on here? House and Senate Democrats have been completely aligned,
02:23and we've taken a principled position in defense of the health care of the American people. Leader
02:29Schumer and Senate Democrats have courageously taken vote after vote against the partisan Republican
02:36spending agreement and bill because that bill continues to gut the health care of the American
02:44people. This is an extraordinary health care crisis that even Marjorie Taylor Greene recognizes
02:51is a very real thing for everyday Americans all across the country. The largest cut to Medicaid
03:02in American history that Republicans have visited upon the American people. That's a real thing.
03:08The possibility of a $536 billion cut to Medicare that will take effect at the end of this year if
03:15Congress doesn't act because of the one big ugly bill. That's a real thing. The fact that unless we
03:22extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, tens of millions of Americans are about to experience
03:30dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles by thousands of dollars per year.
03:37That's a real thing. The fact that hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health clinics
03:42are closing all across the country, including in rural America, that's a real thing. The Republican
03:49health care crisis is real. It's upon us. It's devastating the country. And House Democrats,
03:56partnering with Senate Democrats, are standing up on principle in defense of the American people.
04:05The President brought your name up earlier today during a Cabinet meeting. Was that the first time that he has
04:10actually said your name out loud? And also, why is it important for you to have something resembling
04:16a working relationship with the President? I guess it appears to be the first time that he has actually
04:25mentioned my name. But we obviously, more importantly, had a meeting a week ago to sit down
04:34at the White House, at the Oval Office, to try to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement, to at the
04:40time avoid a shutdown, and also to address the Republican health care crisis. Unfortunately,
04:46subsequent to that Oval Office meeting, the Republican behavior has been erratic at best.
04:53subsequent to that White House meeting, all we saw from President Trump were deepfake videos, threats
05:04to cancel projects, promises made to engage in mass firings, Republicans in the House continuing to be
05:12on vacation all across the country. And Leader
