House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claims Republicans are in a “civil war” amid the party’s failure to agree on a spending bill to fund government operations — and avoid an Oct. 1 shutdown.
Jeffries (D-NY) blamed GOP infighting as the main reason why much of the government could be shut down — noting that right-wing Republicans have threatened to force House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) out of leadership if he doesn’t comply with their demands.
“Let’s be clear: House Republicans are in the middle of a civil war,” Jeffries told ABC News’ This Week on Sunday.
“The House Republican civil war hurts hard-working American taxpayers and limits our ability to solve problems on their behalf,” he added.
“It’s unfortunate, but as House Democrats, we will continue to try to find common ground with other parties across the aisle to work with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans and President Biden.”
Jeffries appears to be addressing a fight sparked by the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, whose members have vowed to oppose any stopgap measures to prevent a shutdown unless they see more spending cuts.
Reportedly, Republicans are threatening to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the leadership. AFP via Getty Images
The Democratic leader said the rift in the Republican party was also evident in McCarthy’s insistence on launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden, despite previously claiming he would not do so without a full house vote.
Before the U-turn, some ultra-conservative councilors had threatened a shutdown if an impeachment inquiry was not launched.
“There are no facts in the record that indicate that President Biden violated the law in any way, shape or form. This is an illegal dismissal investigation,” Jeffries told the ABC. “It’s the result of a House Republican civil war.”
Appearing later on the program, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) disputed that characterization and blasted Jeffries for using the term “civil war.”
“Using the word civil, the phrase civil war, over and over again in an interview — if that was a Republican, there would be outrage on the left,” he said.
Mace also stressed that Republicans need to honor promises made to the Freedom Caucus, which previously acknowledged their call for more budget cuts in May to help raise the debt ceiling.
McCarthy told reporters Sunday there was progress in advancing 12 appropriations bills to fund the government, with the House Speaker confident a vote would pass before the looming deadline.
The next fiscal year begins October 1, and without consensus, the government will shut down.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
