Continue to fight funding bill

Jeffries says House Democrats will continue to fight funding bill

From CNN’s Ellis Kim and Audry Jeong

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday vowed House Democrats would continue to oppose the spending bill that advanced in the Senate this weekend and defended Chuck Schumer’s handling of the episode.

“As House Democrats, we know we’re on the right side of this fight, the right side of the American people, and we’re not going to support (a) partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people, and we’re going to continue the fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” he said at a press conference at the Capitol.

Jeffries defended his counterpart in the Senate, Minority Leader Schumer, who opposed the deal, but is still facing backlash within the party.

Asked Monday whether he believed Schumer is effective in his job and whether he should keep his role, Jeffries responded, “Yes and yes.”

He later said, “Listen, Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats over the last seven weeks have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people, and I’m not going to explain what a handful of Senate Democrats have decided to do. That’s their explanation to offer to the American people.”

Jeffries noted House Democrats would meet as a caucus Monday and expected to receive a presentation on the funding bill from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democratic appropriator in the House.