Democrats want to save Americans' health care AND prevent a shut-down. Trump wants to score racist points
“Democrats came to the White House to keep the government
open,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). “The president
answered with a racist AI video.”
Trump posted the video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jeffries, also of New York, after they emerged from the
meeting, where Schumer said “large differences” remained between Democrats and
Republicans over healthcare provisions in a government spending bill.
“Bigotry will get you nowhere,” said Jeffries
in response to Trump’s posted video, before adding: “Cancel the Cuts. Lower the
Cost. Save Healthcare. We are NOT backing down.”
Democrats have consistently called for an extension of
Affordable Care Act subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of the year
and to reverse Medicaid cuts included in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful
Bill Act.
Republicans including Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have falsely claimed the Democrats are pushing to fund “free healthcare” for undocumented immigrants in their budget proposal to keep the government funded through October.
The Democratic proposal would restore the eligibility of “lawfully present”
immigrants for ACA subsidies, but would not change the fact that undocumented
immigrants are not eligible for healthcare plans through the ACA or coverage
through Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
In the fake video posted on Truth Social by Trump, Schumer
was shown making statements he has never made about the Democrats needing to
give undocumented immigrants free healthcare so they will vote for the
party—which they’re also not eligible to do.
Jeffries, who is Black, was also shown wearing a sombrero as
mariachi music played in the background.
”This is peak Donald Trump and it’s a goddamn tragedy for
our country,” said Rep.
Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.).
The Republicans need at least 60 votes in the Senate to pass
their spending bill to keep the government funded through November 21, meaning
they won’t be able to pass it without at least eight Democrats joining them.
The GOP-controlled House passed the Republicans’ funding
extension this month, but it failed in the Senate. Johnson has adjourned the
House until October 7.
On Monday, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) posted a video on
social media as she arrived at the Capitol for what had been scheduled to be a
“voting day” for members of the House.
“Republicans cancelled votes and didn’t show up for work
tonight,” said Stansbury, “because they would rather see the government shut
down than negotiate a bipartisan deal to save your healthcare, to keep the
government open, and to keep federal workers working, which is exactly why we
are here.”
Democrats have warned that up to 15 million people could lose their
healthcare coverage and 24 million could see their monthly insurance premiums
rise by 75%—per an analysis by KFF—under the Republican spending plan.
Schumer said that at the White House meeting Monday, he and
Jeffries “laid out to the president some of the consequences of what’s
happening in healthcare.”
“By his face, he looked like he heard about them for the
first time,” said Schumer. “It’s in the president’s hands whether we avoid a
shutdown or not. He has to convince the Republican leaders.”
Republicans are planning to force another vote in the Senate
on the House-passed funding extension on Tuesday, ahead of the midnight
shutdown deadline.
The Trump administration has said it
will unleash a new wave of mass firings in the federal government if the
government shuts down.
On social media Monday, The New Republic posted that
the “tired punditry of shutdown politics doesn’t adequately illustrate
Republican villainy.”
“This shutdown is happening because the aforementioned party
of dictatorship wants it to happen so it can destroy the federal government and
vastly reduce the number of things it does for people,” said the magazine.
“What that means: massive layoffs in many departments and agencies, with the
hope of making as many as possible permanent. The Trump White House wants to
cut the State Department by 84%, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development by 43%, and the Labor Department by 35%. If the government shuts
down Tuesday night, it wants to furlough as many people as it can get away
with. Except, of course, in two areas: immigration enforcement and defense.
There, it’s party time.”
Republican leaders, including Johnson and Senate Majority
Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), have claimed Democrats will be responsible for a government
shutdown, saying the two parties can negotiate over healthcare after the
funding extension is passed.
But, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.),
“Republicans are still refusing to come to the table” regarding Democrats’
demands.
“They control every chamber in Congress and the White
House,” she said. “This shutdown is on them.”
