The demands from Democrats in their counterproposal show that the government shutdown was never about health care, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said during an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday.
“I don’t think you can believe a thing that comes out of Chuck Schumer’s mouth. This whole thing about ‘this is about health care’ — you already know this, Matt. If it was about health care, why did they file a counter offer in writing in the Senate that is 68 pages long?” he asked, noting that Democrats demanded $1.5 trillion in additional spending.
Emmer noted that one and a half pages referenced the health care issue Democrats claim to be the basis of the shutdown.
“Fact of the matter is, it is the Affordable Care Act that has caused the problem,” he said, pointing out that Schumer and Democrats brought that to the American people — not Republicans.
“It’s not affordable. Since they created this law of the land, insurance premiums for families across this country are up 80 percent. And now, what do they want to do? They’re telling you this is about trying to extend those temporary tax credits that were created during COVID, which they’re telling us now, Democrats had it expiring at the end of December, because they were only supposed to be temporary because of the extraordinary measures they claim they had to take during COVID in the pandemic,” he said, noting that Democrats are now saying that if those are not renewed, “that somehow the whole system is going to collapse.”
“People who are listening should recognize this is a further condemnation by the Democrats themselves, and an admission that their Affordable Care Act has actually made health care unaffordable in this country,” Emmer observed.
He slammed Schumer’s “theatrics.”
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“He’s up there saying, ‘We’re prepared to get Republicans to reopen this government, but we need a one year extension of the temporary enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act.’ By the way, something just one month ago, Hakeem Jeffries called a quote ‘non starter.’ Jeffries is a clown. He’s now flip-flopped and he says he supports Schumer,” Emmer said.
At the end of the day, Emmer said this is a big political game to the Democrats — a game where no one is a winner and the American people are the loser.
“You want to know how disingenuous, dishonest they are?” he asked. “Late yesterday afternoon, the Senate brought up a bill again to pay federal employees like air traffic controllers, military, and border patrol agents. But guess what, Matt, for a second time, Democrats are the ones that voted it down.”
Breitbart News Saturday airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
