House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Thursday did not rule out forcing a government shutdown to see the end of the Iran war.
Jeffries was asked during a press conference if he would consider attaching a provision to end the Iran war as a rider to an appropriations bill as Congress heads toward a looming funding cliff on Dec. 11. Jeffries did not directly answer the shutdown inquiry, but he reaffirmed that a priority of the Democratic caucus is to see an end to the conflict.
“We need to end the reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” Jeffries said. “That’s been a commitment that we’ve made. We’ve been strongly opposed to this war from Day 1, and we will continue to do everything we can to end it.”
He punted the funding negotiations to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, saying he wants “to get out ahead” of her on the appropriations matters. Jeffries said DeLauro is leading four-corners negotiations with congressional appropriators ahead of the Dec. 11 deadline and is “working through all of our Democratic priorities to see what’s possible” ahead of next month’s funding cliff.
Jeffries added that House Democrats oppose sending “any additional money” to the Trump administration for the war in the Middle East.
“Taxpayer dollars should be spent to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not to drop bombs overseas in an endless war that [President] Donald Trump and Republicans promised they would not get the country into, but turned around and did the exact opposite,” Jeffries said.
TRUMP TELLS VANCE TO FORGET IRAN DEAL AND FOCUS ON DEMOCRATIC CORRUPTION
Pundits have suspected, and exit polls have suggested, that the unpopularity of the Iran war and the subsequent rise in gas prices were a large contributor to the success of Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
Heading into 2027, Jeffries and Democrats will have a majority in the House with at least 255 members; 12 seats left to be called, according to the Associated Press.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
