Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says that Democratic senators who voted to advance a government funding bill Sunday are “going to have to explain themselves.”
Watch Jeffries’ news conference in our video player above.
“But the overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats continue to remain in the area fighting to fix our a broken health care system,” Jeffries said.
READ MORE: 8 Democrats voted with Republicans on a shutdown deal. Here’s what they’ve said about why
He is speaking to reporters as Congress inches closer to approving a bill that would reopen the federal government after a shutdown that has lasted nearly six weeks.
Democrats had been insisting the bill include an extension of enhanced tax credits that makes health insurance coverage more affordable, but they were unsuccessful in including that demand.
“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 health care of the American people,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries says he still supports Schumer
The Senate Democratic leader has faced criticism from some progressives after several Senate Democrats sided with Republicans to begin reopening the government.
But Jeffries said it was on those Democrats to explain their vote, and that he still supported Sen. Chuck Schumer as the party’s leader in the Senate.
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“Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats over the last seven weeks have waged a valiant fight,” said Jeffries.
In March, Jeffries declined to say whether he had confidence in Schumer after Schumer helped Republicans pass a funding bill.
