The Daily Punch Hakeem Jeffries' take: Inside the funding fight
Sep 25, 2025
Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader and lead Democratic negotiator, shares insights on the looming government shutdown. He insists Republicans will be held accountable for it, emphasizing that they engineered the crisis. Jeffries discusses the impact of potential GOP cuts to healthcare and downplays the prospect of Republican gains in redistricting. He also teases his upcoming endorsement for Zohran Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race, explaining that timing is key amid his busy schedule.
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Shutdown Framed As Republican Choice
- Hakeem Jeffries frames the looming shutdown as a Republican choice and responsibility.
- He argues Democrats will insist on protecting health care rather than backing a partisan bill that guts coverage.
Cancellation Signals Avoidance, Not Compromise
- Jeffries says Republicans control government but chose to cancel votes and meetings, exposing their role in any shutdown.
- He calls out President Trump for canceling a meeting with Schumer and him and for avoiding bipartisan talks.
Health Cuts Fuel Democratic Resistance
- Jeffries lists concrete harms from recent Republican legislation to explain why Democrats resist a clean CR.
- He emphasizes cuts to Medicaid, ACA subsidy lapse, Medicare reductions, and threats to research and public health programs.