Jeffries: Trump, Republicans ‘radio silent’ on shutdown negotiations

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday accused President Trump and congressional Republicans of going “radio silent” during the government shutdown.

Jeffries told host Jonathan Karl on ABC’s “This Week” that “we haven’t heard anything from Donald Trump or the Republicans over the last few weeks. They have gone radio silent since” a Sept. 29 Oval Office meeting between the president and the four congressional leaders.

The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, persisted through the weekend. At 19 days, it is the third-longest funding stalemate in American history, and will become the second-longest if it extends through Wednesday. 

Republicans have pushed a “clean” funding proposal, while Democrats, led by Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have largely backed the inclusion of a permanent extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies in any bill to reopen the government. 

Last Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told MSNBC that he offered a vote on an extension of the subsidies to Democrats “by a date certain.” The South Dakota Republican noted, though, that he supports reforms to the credits, including income caps to limit those who qualify for them.

Trump also expressed a willingness to cut a deal with Democrats on health care during the shutdown’s first week. Schumer then called for a meeting with the president, which has yet to occur.  

Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats “have repeatedly and publicly and privately” sought to negotiate an end to the shutdown with their GOP colleagues. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has argued, though, that the House “did its job” in passing a stopgap funding bill on Sept. 19.

“[Republicans] continue to cancel votes,” Jeffries added on ABC. “They have no interest in doing the business of the American people, and that’s unfortunate.”