Jeffries shuts down Trump's plan to link L.A. fire money to debt limit
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) holds a news conference on Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that it is a "nonstarter" to attach California wildfire aid to a debt limit increase, throwing cold water on an idea floated by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Why it matters: Given Johnson's narrow margins in the House, any dissent from House Democrats could further complicate the speaker's efforts to strike a deal ahead of the looming showdown over raising the federal borrowing cap.
- Jeffries said Thursday that Republicans had not "opened up any line of communication" about possible spending deals, which he said presumably means "that they intend ... to avoid a government shutdown on their own and to raise the debt ceiling on their own."
- President Trump has suggested he wants the debt ceiling taken off his plate so congressional Democrats can't use it as leverage.
- But to do so would likely take Democratic support, given fiscally conservative Republicans' distaste for raising the borrowing cap.
Driving the news: Jeffries also said Thursday that he has not had any conversation with Trump about his efforts to extend tax cuts enacted during his first term.
- "I have not had any communication with the president or the incoming administration on the issue of the GOP tax scam," Jeffries said.
- Trump, in virtual remarks earlier Thursday to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said: "We're working with the Democrats on getting an extension of the original Trump tax cuts."
State of play: Johnson said last week that he wants to raise the limit through the end of Trump's presidency, floating the prospect of tying it to LA wildfire aid.
- He has refused to commit to sending disaster aid to California without strings, telling NBC's Kristen Welker that "human error" made the disaster "exponentially worse."
- Trump has also suggested holding California aid until local officials "let water flow down into their system."
- But House Democrats have opposed the idea of linking fire aid to a debt limit increase, and some have warned Johnson that such a move could set a new precedent that would come back to bite Republicans.
What they're saying: "I certainly think all this talk about conditioning aid to California, I mean it really divides the country," said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.).
- "We've always been together on this. I've voted for aid for Louisiana and North Carolina and for Florida and never worried once that it was a red state."
Between the lines: It's also not clear whether Johnson's proposal to put conditions on California wildfire aid would garner full support among Republicans, Axios' Andrew Solender reported.
- That dynamic makes it all the more necessary for Johnson to find some common ground with Democrats.
Go deeper: Jeffries' plan to kill the debt ceiling forever
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
