House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he’s ready to publicly debate Speaker Mike Johnson as the federal government shutdown extends into its third week. Jeffries told reporters Tuesday he plans to schedule the event, responding to Johnson’s recent comments on C-SPAN that he would “love to sit down” with his Democratic counterpart.
The exchange follows weeks of partisan deadlock over government funding. Johnson has rejected Democratic calls to reopen bipartisan negotiations, saying the House’s current spending bill already extends funding temporarily at existing levels. “I don’t have anything to negotiate,” Johnson told reporters.
Jeffries and Democrats argue a broader deal is needed to end the shutdown and prevent further harm to federal services. Both leaders have appeared open to airing their differences publicly, with C-SPAN’s “CeaseFire” program offering to host the debate. The standoff underscores the divided Congress’s struggle to reach consensus on fiscal priorities as the shutdown’s economic effects deepen.
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