House Democrats back off another red line on ending shutdown
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 6. Photo: Eric Lee/Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Friday signaled his openness to a proposed one-year extension of expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits as a way to end the government shutdown.
Why it matters: Jeffries called a one-year extension proposed by House members "laughable" last month, but he has since proven flexible on several of his initial shutdown demands in an effort to reach a deal.
- The House Democratic leader said ahead of the shutdown in September, that any ACA deal would have to be "ironclad" and "in legislation," but has since signaled he would be open to a handshake deal.
- He has told reporters for several weeks that House Democrats would evaluate anything that is passed in "good faith" by the Senate.
Driving the news: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday floated adding a one-year extension to a package of appropriations bills and a stopgap spending bill as a way to break the shutdown logjam.
- Schumer called it a "very simple compromise," and said Democrats "are ready to clear the way to quickly pass a government funding bill that includes health care affordability."
- Jeffries, in a statement, called it a "very reasonable, good faith proposal that reopens the government and addresses an important part of the Republican healthcare crisis."
Between the lines: Jeffries initially said a one-year extension bill introduced by Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) was a "non-starter."
- "The Democratic position has been clear: Permanent extension, and let's go from there," he said at an Oct. 7 press conference.
- But he has backed off many of his red lines in recent weeks, instead sticking to the line that, as he put it on Thursday, "we are going to evaluate whatever is presented from the Senate if it emerges in good faith and in a bipartisan way."
Between the lines: A Democratic leadership aide noted that the Kiggans-Suozzi legislation was a standalone bill whereas Schumer's proposal would be part of the broader stopgap spending bill.
- The aide also argued that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was highly unlikely to hold a vote on the House bill, but that he would face more pressure to vote on a spending bill that comes from the Senate.
- Finally, they pointed out that Jeffries didn't fully endorse Schumer's proposal — he said House Democrats would have a caucus meeting "shortly" to "further discuss how to end the Republican shutdown."
Reality check: Key House and Senate Republicans quickly lined up against the idea, meaning it is unlikely to pass in either chamber.
- The leader of the Republican Study Committee, of which roughly three-quarters of Republicans are members, called it a "non-starter."
- "Hakeem would support this," a House Democrat familiar with Jeffries' thinking told Axios, "but I'd be shocked if [Republicans] would."
