CNBC’s Kernen Presses Hakeem Jeffries: What Changed Since 2013 When Dems Said They Won’t Negotiate on Health Care Until Gov’t Reopens?

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
1st. This is a now issue.
>> But Leader Jeffries, you’re.
>> Kind of conflated a spending bill with a clean CR. It’s only 24 pages. It keeps the government open at this point. And the house passed it. It’s ready to go. The Senate has it. I know that the Republicans control everything, but you know how the filibuster works. And god forbid, Republicans, you know, fold on the filibuster because it will be used. You know, both parties will use it against the other. One of the last safeguards that make the Senate different than the house. And the only reason the Senate can’t do it is purely because of Democrats. And you had one of your colleagues in the Senate say this is the only leverage we have. People are going to get hurt. This is the only leverage we have to get what we want on health care. That’s a bad look.
>> Yeah. This is not this is not this is not about leverage. And and by the way, if the votes of Democratic senators are required, then of course there should be a bipartisan discussion about enacting a spending bill that is designed to actually make life better for the American people, lower the high cost of living in an environment where Donald Trump and Republicans promise that costs were going to go down on day one. Costs aren’t going down. Inflation is moving in the wrong direction. The Trump tariffs are causing thousands of dollars of additional expense on everyday Americans. Grocery costs have gone up. Housing costs are going up, electricity bills are through the roof. And now people are faced. Tens of millions of people are facing dramatically increased health care premiums. In some instances 1000 or $2000 more per month. These are working class people. This is unaffordable. And of course, it’s a crisis that is before us right now.
>> But what changed from when the Democrats said, we will not negotiate when the government is shut down on health care? Not now, reopen the government then will negotiate. That happened in 2003. What happened? What changed since then to where we are now, where you can use a government shutdown to extract concessions from Republicans.
>> We are not using a government shutdown to extract any concessions. We want to reopen the government immediately. Donald Trump has refused to meet with Democrats over the last 24 days. He spent more time on the golf course than he has actually talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill. He’s found time to demand that the Department of Justice give him $230 million in taxpayer money. He’s found time to bail out a right-wing wannabe dictator in argentina with $40 billion. He’s found time to demolish the east wing of the White House in the most horrific way possible, because he wants to erect a ballroom so he can be celebrated like a king. He’s found time for all of these different things, but somehow can’t be bothered to reopen the government, or can’t be bothered. To find.
>> A.
>> Dime to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
>> Okay, let’s talk about some of these issues. You bring up inflation and you’re right to do so. We just got the CPI. It was not quite as hot as had been anticipated. But inflation is higher than the Fed’s target range or than anybody feels comfortable with. The problem is inflation is often caused by government spending. Additional government spending is not likely to get it to the point where we are going to see less inflation out there. How do you handle that?
>> This is not additional government spending.
>> It is additional government spending. You’re looking for another $350 billion of additional government spending over the next 10 years.
>> That’s just with the ObamaCare.
>> We’re actually we’re actually extending a tax credit that currently exists. And what’s interesting is that and then one big ugly bill where Republicans raised the debt ceiling by about over $4 trillion, exploded the deficit and the debt. But then they used a policy framework called currently current policy baseline, which is to say that if you just extend current policy, it has no fiscal impact. So the question is why not a big fan. Of his willing to use that approach? So the question is so the question is why, why, why, why, why are Republicans willing to use that approach when it comes to massive tax breaks?
>> Like I said, I’m not a big fan with how.
>> Any of the.
>> Working of the government for not a big fan of how any elected officials tend to use figures to tell us what we want to hear with some of these things. Additional government spending, though, is going to mean worse numbers when it comes to inflation. Is there a way to get everybody together and try and find ways to fix the base problems with health care, and try and make sure that people are being given the help that they need along the way. It seems like it’s a really tough thing to do when the government’s been shut for 24 days, that that is not a great situation, that we’re asking other people to bear the pain.
>> We have a broken health care system, and it obviously needs to be fixed in a decisive way. But there are steps that should be taken right now with respect to the reality that tens of millions of Americans are receiving notices as we speak, indicating that their health care premiums are about to skyrocket in ways that will bankrupt them or deprive them of the ability to go see a doctor when they need one, when their children, or when their families need one. This is not an artificially made up thing. November 1st open enrollment begins. The notices are going out. Marjorie Taylor Greene agrees that something needs to be done with respect to the Affordable Care Act, tax credits and traditional conservatives in the house agree. They just sent a letter to Mike Johnson indicating that this is an issue that needs to be confirmed. There are problems. Agreed.
>> That’s a first problem.