House Democrat leaders are pushing back against the long-term spending bill that Republicans plan to bring up for a vote next week, calling it "not acceptable," according to multiple reports.
Democrat leadership, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sent a letter to their caucus on Friday framing the GOP bill as a "partisan" effort to "cut funding for healthcare, nutritional assistance and veterans benefits through the end of the current fiscal year," The Hill reported.
Republican leaders are planning to release the bill Friday or over the weekend in an attempt to give lawmakers at least three days to review it ahead of the vote, Politico reported. March 14 is the government shutdown deadline.
Democrat leadership, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., are looking for language in the bill to protect against cuts to programs already authorized and funded by Congress, Axios reported.
Further, the letter said leadership would "enthusiastically support a bill that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans health and Medicaid," adding that "Medicaid is our redline,” according to all three outlets.
"We cannot back a measure that rips away life-sustaining healthcare and retirement benefits from everyday Americans as part of the Republican scheme to pay for massive tax cuts for their wealthy donors like Elon Musk," the leaders wrote, The Hill reported.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said a full-year funding bill is the only option Republicans are considering.
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