Jeffries pushes back on divisions with Senate Democrats

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tussled with reporters Friday, pushing back against the notion that the Democratic Party is fractured as some Senate Democrats, including their leader, were on the cusp of joining Republicans to avert a government shutdown.

“Is it time for new leadership in the Senate?” a reporter asked.

“Next question,” Jeffries answered, notably withholding his public support for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“There are some colleagues of yours here in the House that are feeling betrayed. Is that what you’re feeling right now?” another reporter asked.

“The vote hasn’t happened yet,” Jeffries said.

“Have you lost confidence in him — since you guys see this so differently?” a reporter asked.

“Next question,” Jeffries repeated, dismissing the biting query.

“None of you are willing to say at this point that you have confidence in Chuck Schumer as leader?” Rachael Bade, an ABC News contributor and Politico’s Capitol bureau chief and senior Washington columnist, asked.

“You keep engaging in these parlor games because you want to take the focus off the American people,” Jeffries dodged.

It was a common strategy from Jeffries, who repeatedly rejected attempts from reporters to learn more about the divisions between House Democrats and Schumer, who announced Thursday that he would vote to keep the government open.

Schumer’s announcement has been met with full-throated criticism from House Democrats, who were powerless to block Republicans from passing the measure earlier this week.

“House Democrats are here. We’re ready to pass a four week spending bill that keeps the government open and will allow the House and the Senate to negotiate an actual agreement that meets the needs of the American people,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. “But we do not support a bill that is designed to hurt the American people that Donald Trump and far right extremist Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of everyday Americans.”

Jeffries continued to push for a month-long stop-gap measure, holding out hope that Senate Democrats will stop the bill from passing and appropriators will reconvene bipartisan negotiations.

“We’ll see what happens over in the Senate, there are still undecided and undeclared senators, and we anxiously await that vote,” Jeffries said.

As the caucus melts down internally over Schumer’s decision, House Democratic leaders returned to the Capitol fired up Friday morning following their caucus retreat in Leesburg, Virginia this week.

“What the American people need to know is that House Democrats are willing to work in a bipartisan way to keep government open for 30 days,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said. “That’s all we want. That’s our solution.”

While Schumer’s influence over his caucus remains to be seen ahead of the planned vote this afternoon, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark also dismissed the so-called “parlor game” dividing the Democratic Party — and downplayed Schumer’s national celebrity and influence – even though he’s served in the Senate for a quarter century and been the party leader since 2017.

“Most American people, they can’t name us. They don’t know who Chuck Schumer is, but they do know what this administration and Elon Musk and the GOP are planning for them,” Clark, D-Mass., said.

When asked if he’s afraid to say if he has confidence in Schumer, Jeffries grew defensive if not outright angry.

“Do not characterize my remarks. I am not afraid about anything, anything. I was very clear that we look forward to working with every single one of our Senate Democratic colleagues, every single one of them to push back against the Trump administration,” Jeffries said on-camera, leaving the newser in a gaggle with reporters.

“Do you think this is what the American people care about right?” Jeffries quipped, when pressed again on his confidence in Schumer.