Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries stated Sunday he’s “hopeful” a authorities shutdown might be averted as Congress lurches towards its Tuesday deadline to achieve a spending settlement.
Jeffries’ feedback come after President Donald Trump canceled a gathering final week with Jeffries and Senate Democratic chief Chuck Schumer to hammer out a deal earlier than saying Saturday he’d meet with the Democrats and Senate Majority Chief John Thune and Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday.
“Our view going into the assembly is that we wish to discover bipartisan frequent floor, to discover a spending settlement that avoids a authorities shutdown and truly meets the wants of the American folks when it comes to their well being, their security, and their financial well-being,” Jeffries informed “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.
One of many details of rivalry between Democrats and Republicans has been the approaching expiration of among the Reasonably priced Care Act’s tax credit, which Democrats are preventing to increase.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries seems on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Sept. 28, 2025.
ABC Information
“We all know they do not expire until the tip of the yr, so why not approve this and simply get seven extra weeks to barter?” Raddatz requested.
“Effectively, as a result of notices are going to exit in a matter of days and it’ll be a shock to the system of on a regular basis Individuals who’re already struggling to get by,” Jeffries stated. “And the problem that we’ve got on this explicit occasion is that a number of occasions over the previous few months, Republicans within the Home have had the chance to vote with Democrats to increase the Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit. They usually’ve repeatedly and constantly declined to do it.”
Responding to Jeffries in a while “This Week,” Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise advocated for passing a short-term funding invoice to forestall a shutdown and persevering with negotiations into the approaching months.
“Let’s let these talks proceed until November with this short-term authorities funding invoice that is within the Senate,” Scalise stated. “Nevertheless it’s the identical ranges of funding that the Senate voted for, Democrats included, again in March.”
Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise seems on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Sept. 28, 2025.
ABC Information
Scalise famous that he, like Jeffries, is hopeful {that a} shutdown might be averted.
“I am not solely hopeful, I, Speaker Johnson, all my Republican colleagues voted to forestall a authorities shutdown, and we handed that invoice to the Senate,” Scalise stated.
“There’s nonetheless time for an settlement to be reached. I am glad that President Trump is displaying management and assembly with all leaders, Republican and Democrat, Monday within the White Home, however finally, these Democrats should decide.” he added.
Listed here are extra highlights from Jeffries’ interview:
On upcoming negotiations with Trump
Jeffries: They didn’t clarify why [last week’s meeting] was canceled, aside from the assertion that Donald Trump issued that mischaracterized the Democratic place. Our place has been very clear: Cancel the cuts, decrease the prices, save well being care so we are able to handle the problems that actually matter to the American folks.
Our view going into the assembly is that we wish to discover bipartisan frequent floor, to discover a spending settlement that avoids a authorities shutdown and truly meets the wants of the American folks when it comes to their well being, their security, and their financial well-being.
On the influence of a shutdown
Raddatz: I wish to play what — play what you had been saying again in December after then-President-elect Trump got here out towards the invoice Congress was working to go to maintain the federal government open. That is what you stated can be the results of a shutdown.
Jeffries on Dec. 19, 2024: Households can be damage. Farmers can be damage. Border safety and border patrol brokers won’t be paid. TSA brokers won’t be paid. Small companies can be damage in each single group.
Raddatz: And this time, the specter of mass firings principally and telling folks they might not be capable to come again to work in any respect.So, do you continue to imagine a shutdown would broadly damage the American folks?
Jeffries: We’re all the time of the view that we have to fund the federal government and ensure that the companies that the American folks rely on can proceed to be acquired. And in addition that we stand by our federal civil service. We have seen since January twentieth mass firings already going down by the Trump administration within the absence of presidency shutdown, as a result of that is what they decided to do, damage daily Individuals.
Listed here are extra highlights from Scalise’s interview:
On the administration’s risk to fireside federal employees
Raddatz: And the administration has threatened these mass firings of federal staff. What would that appear like? And is that one thing you — you help?
Scalise: Effectively, I have never seen the total particulars. However if you happen to return to Covid, Martha, President Biden dramatically expanded, mushroomed the scale of the federal authorities, supposedly to take care of Covid. Effectively, Covid is over, and but a lot of these federal companies are nonetheless 20 or 30% bigger than they had been earlier than Covid. And so there’s been a necessity for a rightsizing of the federal authorities for a very long time.
President Trump’s talked about that with DOGE and different issues he is doing to attempt to save waste, fraud and abuse in authorities. And I feel all people is aware of there are billions, and tens of billions of {dollars} in waste, fraud and abuse that also must be rooted out. We acquired to a few of that, however there’s extra that must be finished.
On the James Comey indictment
Raddatz: Let me learn you what your fellow Republican caucus member, Consultant Don Bacon, wrote in response to the indictment: “Lawfare undermines our nice nation. It did not begin in January, however it did not finish both. The continued escalation will solely damage us all.”
Your response to that?
Scalise: Effectively, we noticed an unbelievable abuse of energy from federal companies for years and years. And, frankly, James Comey is without doubt one of the important culprits in undermining the general public’s belief in companies just like the FBI. He abused his energy, Martha. And now, finally, he has been indicted for mendacity to Congress. This is not about what he did to the president. It is about mendacity to Congress and obstructing justice, and that is what he was indicted for. He will finally go earlier than a jury of his friends. So he will get to make his case, however there’s critical fees.
