Hakeem Jeffries urges Trump to 'get off the golf course' and resume shutdown talks

WASHINGTON, DC: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday, November 9, urged President Donald Trump to “get off the golf course” and return to negotiations as the government shutdown stretched into its 40th day, the longest in US history.

Appearing on NBC’s 'Meet the Press', Jeffries said Democrats will not compromise on their demand to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that expire at the end of the year, warning that millions could face skyrocketing insurance premiums if the benefits lapse.

Republicans are "not acting in good faith as it relates to dealing with a health care crisis that they’re visiting on the American people," Jeffries said.

Hakeem Jeffries slams Trump for avoiding talks

Asked if he believed the shutdown would end by Thanksgiving, Jeffries responded, “I hope so,” before taking aim at the president’s schedule.

“Donald Trump needs to get off the golf course and get back to the negotiating table,” he said.

“He’s spent more time golfing over the last several weeks than he has talking to Democrats who represent half the country,” Jeffries added.

The fight over ACA subsidies has become one of the central sticking points in the ongoing shutdown.

Senate Democrats reportedly proposed a one-year extension of the subsidies and the creation of a bipartisan panel to explore long-term solutions for rising health insurance costs.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune swiftly rejected the offer, calling it “a nonstarter.” 

“The Democrats’ proposal is just more of the same, masking rising premiums and padding insurance companies’ profits with taxpayer dollars,” Thune said during a rare Saturday Senate session.

Democrats previously sought a multiyear extension of the subsidies, as well as the reversal of earlier Republican-backed Medicaid cuts.

“I’m willing to compromise,” said Sen Gary Peters, who helped draft the proposal, “but our Republican colleagues have to be willing to compromise, too.”

GOP accuses Democrats of political posturing

Sen James Lankford, appearing on 'Meet the Press' after Jeffries, accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown for political gain.

“This shutdown is not about health care,” he said. “It’s about Democrats wanting to show they’re fighting Trump and energizing their base.”

Lankford defended Trump’s weekend Truth Social post proposing a new health care plan that would “take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare.”

While Democrats criticized the idea as an attempt to dismantle the current system, Lankford insisted Trump’s proposal was “pretty straightforward” and focused on giving "Americans freedom of choice."

Despite the partisan divide, Lankford said that he remained optimistic the shutdown could end before Thanksgiving. “It needs to be open today, if we can get it open,” he said.

He supported Trump’s position and said that the president had urged them to reopen the government in the first week. 

"President Trump came out within the first week and said, ‘If you want to talk about health care, we’ll talk about health care as soon as the government is open," he added.