LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: “WHY HAS DONALD TRUMP SPENT MORE TIMEON THE GOLF COURSE THAN HE HAS IN TALKING TO DEMOCRATS?”

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN's State of the Union, where he pointed out how Donald Trump and Republicans have shown no interest in ending their reckless government shutdown while Democrats are standing up for a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people.

JAKE TAPPER: And joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us. So, even these emergency supplemental funds for SNAP, even if they ultimately, the Trump administration ultimately does use them, it's only enough to keep benefits going, food stamp benefits going for two to three weeks, which is a significant but obviously not a long-term solution. I understand why Democrats are voting against the continuing resolution to fund the government. You're fighting for the extension of the Obamacare premiums, you're fighting to restore Medicaid funds, but I wonder, when these SNAP funds are gone, whether this week or three weeks from now, if the contingency funds are used, are you worried at all that that pressure point will cause more Democrats to rethink the strategy and maybe ultimately vote for the government funding bill?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we're continuing to make life better for the American people. We want to reopen the government, we want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually makes life better for everyday Americans and, of course, we want make sure that we can decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis which is crushing people all across the country, including working-class America, rural America, urban America, small town America, the heartland of America and Black and brown communities throughout America. It's very unfortunate that Donald Trump and Republicans have decided to weaponize hunger and withhold SNAP benefits, even in contravention of two federal courts, which have made clear that not a single person in this country should go without their nutritional assistance, and, of course, that the funds exist to make sure that those SNAP benefits are paid through November, as has been the case with Donald Trump and his administration finding funding for other projects, but somehow they can't find money to make sure that Americans don't go hungry.

JAKE TAPPER: You're refusing to fund the government until Republicans join you to help prevent Americans' healthcare costs from skyrocketing as well as to restore some of the money from Medicaid that was cut. I understand why Democrats are making the choice, but you acknowledge that it's a choice here, right?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, what I acknowledge is that we're asking Republicans to sit down, as we've indicated our willingness, to sit down with them anytime, anyplace, anywhere, either at the Capitol or back at the White House, in order to find a bipartisan path toward enacting a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people. So yes, we are committed to doing things like lowering the high cost of living for the American people in an environment where Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. But costs haven't gone down. Costs are going up. Housing costs are up. Grocery costs are up. Child care costs are up. Electricity prices are through the roof. And now, because of the Republicans' refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, we know that tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles, such that they will be unable to go see a doctor. In some cases, Jake, you're talking about premium increases of $1,000 to $2,000 per month. That is completely and totally unsustainable, unacceptable and un-American.

JAKE TAPPER: I understand, but the decision to not fund the government means very real pain caused today. People not getting paychecks today and SNAP funds today. And then, obviously, at airports across the country, delays are getting worse due to air traffic controller shortages. The FAA says that in the New York area, nearly 90 percent, 90 percent of air traffic controllers are out. The White House says that Thanksgiving travel could be a disaster if this shutdown continues that long. Are Democrats prepared to keep the government closed through Thanksgiving if it comes to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The question is, why are Republicans continuing to keep the government shut down? They have the House, the Senate and the presidency. Donald Trump just made clear over the weekend repeatedly that Republicans have the ability to reopen this government. They don't want to do it because they'd rather continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. And here are some questions that need to be asked. Why have House Republicans remained on a taxpayer-funded vacation for the last six weeks? They keep canceling votes. They canceled votes for next week. Of course, they are unserious as it relates to reopening the government. Why has Donald Trump spent more time on the golf course, including this weekend, than he has in talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill who represent half of the country? It's because, apparently, Donald Trump is uninterested in reopening the government. He doesn't want to stand up for hardworking federal employees. They fired more than 200,000 federal employees prior to them shutting the government down on October 1. And why are Republicans so unwilling to even sit down and have a conversation with their Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill in order to find a bipartisan path forward? It's because they are trying to inflict this cruelty on the American people. And Jake, this is a group of folks who passed their One Big Ugly Bill, largest cut to Medicaid in American history. At the same time, they cut $186 billion from SNAP, literally ripped food out of the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. They did this in July, and that was done so they could reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they made permanent, and now they're unwilling to extend tax credits for working-class Americans. It's all unacceptable, and it's obviously part of their plan.

JAKE TAPPER: So you alluded to President Trump saying that the Senate Republicans have the power to pass a government shutdown. He's saying that by saying that they should get rid of the filibuster. You're saying that they should get rid of the filibuster and just own this entirely?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No. What I'm saying is that that's a decision ultimately for the Senate to make. However, President Trump has acknowledged, listen, from the very beginning of this presidency, he's enacted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people-reckless Republican policies, which are now causing hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers to close all across the country. Now he's saying to his Republican colleagues, Senators, those who actually just work for him because they don't work for the American people, reopen the government, and they refuse to do it.

JAKE TAPPER: Big elections coming up in just two days. Governor's race in Virginia, Governor's race in New Jersey and then the Mayor of the city in which you live, New York, New York. You've already cast your ballot for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Do you see Mamdani as the future of the Democratic Party?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall, as far as we're concerned, relative to the House Democratic Caucus and Members who are doing great work all across the country as it relates to our need to both take back control of the House. But in doing so, make sure that we're communicating to the American people, like we understand, you deserve better than the country that you have received. Donald Trump and Republicans have gone way too far and have failed to deliver anything meaningful for the American people. And as Democrats, we're going to focus on lowering the high cost of living, on fixing our broken healthcare system that Republicans continue to make worse with their toxic policies and, of course, on cleaning up corruption in the Congress, in the courts and within the administration with Donald Trump running the largest pay-to-play scheme in the history of the country. So we're going to continue to affirmatively lean in on the issues that we know matter to the American people. I expect that we're gonna see a big night on Tuesday in New Jersey and in Virginia and certainly as it relates to Prop 50 in California where we stop Trump from stealing the election. And then that'll lay a foundation for Democrats to take back control of the House in 2026.

JAKE TAPPER: Well, I mean, I asked you if Mamdani was the future of the party and you didn't answer the question. You said the House Democrats are. I would note that at least a couple House Democrats from the New York area are not endorsing Mamdani. Your endorsement took a long time. Schumer still has not endorsed him. Are you concerned about Republicans using him as a lightning rod so as to hurt your ability to win back the House in 2026?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, the lightning rod in terms of what's going to impact the ability of either side to win control of the House or hold control of the House in 2026 is going to be the failure of Republicans to actually deliver on the promises that they've made and to actively make life worse for everyday Americans. The country knows that we're heading in the wrong direction. We see it repeatedly. The country knows that Republicans have refused to make healthcare affordable and are actively making it unaffordable, depriving working-class Americans of their ability to see a doctor when they need one. And the country knows that Republican policies have been all about the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected, and they have not focused on making life better for everyday Americans. We will, as House Democrats.

JAKE TAPPER: Alright, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, thank you so much for your time today sir, appreciate it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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