House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that Democrats will "strongly oppose any legislation that does not decisively address the Republican health care crisis."
Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room," Jeffries said he expects the House to vote on the bill that passed the Senate Monday evening after eight Democrats joined the Republican majority.
The Senate approved the GOP-led funding bill by a 60 to 40 vote to end the shutdown and keep most federal agencies open until Jan. 30. However, the package does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, a key Democratic demand.
"We want to reopen the government. We'll continue to stand by our hardworking federal employees and civil servants," Jeffries said. "But we have a responsibility to ensure the Affordable Care Act tax credits are extended so that tens of millions of Americans don't face dramatically increased health care costs that prevent them from seeing a doctor when they need one."
The shutdown has begun to impact broad sectors of the economy, extending well beyond furloughed federal employees. Nearly 1,200 flights were canceled Tuesday, marking the fifth consecutive day with more than 1,000 cancellations following government-mandated reductions for safety reasons.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce daily flights by 4% at 40 major airports, citing air traffic control staffing shortages. The cuts increased to 6% on Tuesday, will reach 8% on Thursday, and are set to hit 10% on November 14.
Nearly 600,000 federal workers have been furloughed without pay since Oct. 1, with thousands more continuing to work without compensation. The shutdown has now stretched to 41 days, surpassing the previous record of 35 set during the first Trump administration in 2018–19.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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