House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) forcefully defended his party’s strategy to keep the government shutdown, now in the fifth week, during a one-on-one interview on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, where he was pressed on the humanitarian impact of the closure and the political implications of key upcoming elections.
Speaking with Jake Tapper, Rep. Jeffries was questioned directly on whether the impending exhaustion of emergency SNAP (food stamp) benefits would force Democrats to reconsider their hardline stance against a continuing resolution (CR).
“I wonder when these Snap funds are gone… are you worried at all that that pressure point will cause more Democrats to rethink the strategy and maybe ultimately vote for the government funding bill?” Tapper asked.
Leader Jeffries, however, placed the blame squarely on Republicans and the Trump administration, accusing them of manufacturing a crisis, even though the US House has already passed the continuing resolution, which has failed to pass the Senate due to Democratic opposition.
“It’s very unfortunate that Donald Trump and Republicans have decided to weaponize hunger and withhold SNAP benefits,” Jeffries stated, citing two federal courts that have ruled nutritional assistance should not be withheld.
Jeffries framed the Democrats’ refusal to fund the government as a necessary fight to address the “Republican health care crisis,” arguing they are fighting to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and restore cut Medicaid funds. He warned that Republicans’ current stance would lead to “premium increases of $1,000 to $2,000 per month” for tens of millions of Americans.
When Tapper pointed out that Democrats’ choice to keep the government closed means “very real pain” today—from delayed paychecks to airport disruptions—Jeffries pivoted back to Republican leadership with talking points, since five senators are needed to pass the CR under the 60-vote threshold.
“The question is, why are Republicans continuing to keep the government shutdown? They have the House, the Senate and the presidency,” he said.
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Progressive Candidate’s Role in the Party’s Future
The conversation later shifted to the political landscape, including the highly anticipated New York City mayoral race. Tapper asked Jeffries about the progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani, whom the Democratic Leader has endorsed, and if he views him as the “future of the Democratic Party.”
Jeffries avoided crowning Mamdani, instead speaking broadly about the House Democratic Caucus’s priorities.
“I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall as far as we’re concerned, relative to the House Democratic Caucus and members, who are doing a great work all across the country,” Jeffries replied. He listed their focus as lowering the high cost of living, fixing the broken health care system, and “cleaning up corruption” within the administration.
Tapper pressed the point, noting that some New York-area House Democrats and Senate Leader Schumer have not endorsed Mamdani, asking if Jeffries was “concerned about Republicans using him as a lightning rod, so as to hurt your ability to win back the House in 2026?”
Jeffries dismissed the concern, asserting that the true “lightning rod” in the 2026 election would be “the failure of Republicans to actually deliver on the promises that they’ve made and to actively make life worse for everyday Americans.”
Jeffries concluded by expressing optimism for upcoming elections, predicting “a big night on Tuesday in New Jersey and in Virginia,” which he said will “lay a foundation for Democrats to take back control of the House in 2026.”
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