LEADER JEFFRIES: “WE’RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT A PARTISAN REPUBLICAN SPENDING BILL THAT CONTINUES TO GUT THE HEALTHCARE OFTHE AMERICAN PEOPLE”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he made clear that House Democrats will continue to push back against the Republican funding bill and fight on to end the Republican healthcare crisis.

LEADER JEFFRIES: From the very beginning of this year, Donald Trump and Republicans have failed to deliver on their core promise to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. In fact, what Donald Trump and Republicans said is that costs were going to go down on day one. But costs haven't gone down, they're going up. Inflation is going up under Republican policies. Housing costs are going up. Child care costs are going up. Grocery costs are going up. Electricity prices are through the roof. And now, because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically-increased healthcare costs. In some cases, their health insurance premiums will increase by $1,000 or $2,000 per year. That is unacceptable. It will be unaffordable for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans to be able to go see a doctor when they need one. And so House Democrats and Senate Democrats have been fighting hard to address the Republican healthcare crisis and to lower the high cost of living for everyday Americans in the United States of America because the reality is America is too expensive and far too many people are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. They can't thrive. They can barely survive. And that's why Democrats have been waging this fight and we'll continue to wage this fight no matter what comes over to us from the United States Senate to the House of Representatives at some point this week.

Our position as House Democrats has been crystal clear. We will sit down with any Republicans, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, in order to find a bipartisan path forward, but we're not down with their my-way-or-the-highway approach to governance. That's failed the American people. It's been a disaster for the American people. And the American people know it, which is why last Tuesday, Republicans all across the country got wiped out. One of the most decisive off-year elections ever in modern American history. And so as House Democrats, we know we're on the right side of this fight, the right side of the American people. And we're not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. And we're going to continue the fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And if it doesn't happen this week, next week, this month, next month, then it's the fault of Donald Trump, House and Senate Republicans who continue to make life more expensive for the American people.

Full press conference can be watched here.