Democrats' shutdown civil war spills out in private call
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Rep. Melanie Stansbury walks through the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 2. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A private call of House Democrats devolved into a furious vent session Monday afternoon as lawmakers fumed about a group of Senate centrists cutting a deal with Republicans to end the shutdown.
Why it matters: Over a dozen House Democrats spoke on the call, with the vast majority slamming the deal, sources told Axios — a volume that reflects deep outrage between the two chambers.
- Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said the public is incensed at what they see as Democrats caving on the shutdown fight, telling her colleagues, "People are f**king pissed."
- Nearly "everyone [was] strongly against" the deal, said one House Democrat who was on the call but spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a private discussion.
Between the lines: It's not just a fight between the House and Senate, with a growing number of House Democrats urging their colleagues to stop training their fire on fellow party members.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) instructed members to keep the focus on health care and not on "a few individuals in the Senate," according to three lawmakers who were on the call.
- Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), the leadership representative for members in battleground districts, similarly told her colleagues to focus their shutdown-related attacks on Republicans, not Democrats.
State of play: House Democrats and liberal grassroots groups erupted into rage Sunday after a group of eight Senate Democrats voted to advance a bill to reopen the government.
- The deal the Democratic centrists struck with Republicans includes the promise of a Senate vote next month on renewing expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
- But the bill would need 60 votes to pass, and the deal doesn't guarantee a House vote, making it unlikely Democrats will actually succeed in securing an extension.
Zoom in: Roughly half of those who spoke on Monday's call either directly criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or did so implicitly by agreeing with previous speakers who tore into him, sources said.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that either the Senate leader "can't control his caucus" or he "gave his blessing" to the deal.
- A Schumer spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yes, but: Despite the widespread anger towards the deal among progressive and moderate House Democrats, some of the party's most centrist members are expressing openness to voting for it.
- Just as the caucus call was getting started, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a retiring centrist who has openly opposed his party's shutdown strategy, signaled he is supportive of the Senate deal.
- "Congressman Golden’s position on using a government shutdown as a legislative strategy has been clear and has not changed," a spokesperson told Axios, while stressing his support for extending ACA tax credits.
- Lee said on the call that she, personally, is undecided on the bill even as Jeffries has said he opposes it and vowed to fight it.
What's next: Jeffries vowed to fight the deal in the House and floated the possibility of a discharge petition to force a vote on extending ACA tax credits, sources said.
- Several members, including Jayapal and Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), praised Jeffries' handling of the shutdown, according to a person on the call.
- Several hours after the call, House Democratic leadership sent out an email to members' offices instructing them to "VOTE NO" on the shutdown deal.
Go deeper: Scoop: Schumer privately fought to extend government shutdown
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting on the caucus call and a whip notice sent out by Democratic leadership.
