NBC Host Confronts Jeffries’s Blaming GOP For Stalled Gov’t Reopening, Plays Clips Showing Dems Against Shutdowns

NBC host Kristen Welker confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday during “Meet the Press” over Democratic senators withholding votes to reopen the federal government and played clips of Democrats speaking out against shutdowns after he blamed Republicans.

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lead most Democrats to vote against the Republicans’ spending bill, the government shut down early Wednesday morning. Discussing who was to blame for the shutdown, Welker noted Republican senators need at least five more Democrats to pass the bill to reopen the government.

“But let me ask you, because you say this is a Republican shutdown, but it’s Democratic senators who are withholding their votes on what is called a clean resolution — that means no strings attached — which is something, quite frankly, Leader, that you and other Democrats have advocated for in the past,” Welker said.

Welker went on to play a montage of clips featuring Democrats such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Jeffries, who advocated for avoiding a government shutdown and passing a clean continuing resolution.

The NBC host then asked Jeffries why Democrats won’t just “fund the government and debate extending Obamacare tax credits after,” noting that the credits don’t expire until the end of 2025.

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