Latest / THE DAILY BRIEF / Showing up would be the first step_ Dem Rep. criticizes GOPs absence from D.C.

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Showing up would be the first step_ Dem Rep. criticizes GOPs absence from D.C. · THE DAILY BRIEF

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  Speaker 1: Joining us now a Democratic Congressman from Maryland, Glenn Ivy,
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  Speaker 1: who represents about sixty five thousand federal workers. CONGRESSOM welcome
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  Speaker 1: you just sort of aoc there. Do you agree with
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  Speaker 1: her that Democrats are looking for a long term solution,
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  Speaker 1: they don't want any kind of a quick band aid fix.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think her political analysis is right there for sure,
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  Speaker 2: and a couple points. In addition, keep in mind that
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  Speaker 2: when it came to extending the tax cuts for the
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  Speaker 2: wealthiest Americans, the House Republicans and the Senate Republicans had
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  Speaker 2: no problem extending those permanently, whereas here we can't even
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  Speaker 2: get them to extend the ACA tax credits that would
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  Speaker 2: help Americans across the board with respect to maintaining healthcare coverage.
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  Speaker 2: So I think that's definitely a problem. The other part, too,
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  Speaker 2: is a practical one. You know, for companies that are
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  Speaker 2: having to sort through this, a one year extension doesn't
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  Speaker 2: fix their problem figuring out what the environment's going to be,
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  Speaker 2: especially when you layer on top of that trillion dollars
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  Speaker 2: in cuts to Medicaid, the biggest in the history of
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  Speaker 2: the country. So if you push, if you kick the
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  Speaker 2: can down the road. Another year, which is what they
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  Speaker 2: did with the Medicaid cuts or tried to. The business
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  Speaker 2: community is not going to wait until the eleventh or
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  Speaker 2: they're going to start making moves with respect to that,
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  Speaker 2: just like they already are.
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  Speaker 3: That's why some of.
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  Speaker 2: These hospitals, for example, are already starting to close or
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  Speaker 2: wind down. So it doesn't fix the problem. I know,
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  Speaker 2: politically it might help the House Republicans and the Senate Republicans,
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  Speaker 2: but as far as Americans out there figuring out what
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  Speaker 2: their healthcare coverage is going to be and how much
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  Speaker 2: it's going to cost, it doesn't fix the problem for them.
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  Speaker 1: So it seems like Democrats are very united on this.
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  Speaker 1: They're digging in their heels. But is there anything, and
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  Speaker 1: if so, what would it be that would persuade Democrats
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  Speaker 1: to say, you know, it's the right time we're going
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  Speaker 1: to try to negotiate reopening the government now. Is there
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  Speaker 1: something Republicans could offer to get you there?
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  Speaker 3: I mean, showing up would be the first step.
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  Speaker 2: You know, we can't even get these guys to come
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  Speaker 2: back to town.
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  Speaker 3: I did a little count the other day.
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  Speaker 2: Speaker Johnson has had the House Republicans here for eight
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  Speaker 2: days only since July twenty fifth. Think about that, they've
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  Speaker 2: only been here for eight days. We can't get them
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  Speaker 2: to come back. I think they've been gone since they
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  Speaker 2: passed the DOA bill that they sent over to the
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  Speaker 2: Senate that they knew wasn't going to go anywhere. That's
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  Speaker 2: going up on. I think that was September nineteenth, if
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  Speaker 2: I recall correctly. So you know, in the time that
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  Speaker 2: we've been waiting for them to come back to town,
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  Speaker 2: we probably could have made a lot of headway if
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  Speaker 2: we had actual negotiations going on to try and workout
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  Speaker 2: an approach to resolving this. But he's you know, they're
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  Speaker 2: hiding out, they're on vacation, they're playing golf. I don't
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  Speaker 2: know what they're doing, but they're certainly not doing their
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  Speaker 2: jobs here in Washington.
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  Speaker 1: No one has told me, and I hadn't figured out
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  Speaker 1: eight days since July that's long just checking. Congress is
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  Speaker 1: still getting paid, right no matter what.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, although you know they're not going to pay federal
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  Speaker 2: government employees, but you know who've been furloughed in the like,
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  Speaker 2: But they're paying themselves. But they're the one group, the
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  Speaker 2: House Republicans, they're the one group that's not doing their
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  Speaker 2: jobs and refusing to do their jobs. If anybody doesn't
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  Speaker 2: get paid, it's the House Republicans.
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  Speaker 1: So c Span has announced Speaker Mike Johnson and MINOI
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  Speaker 1: leader Hakem Jeffries are going to debate each other on
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  Speaker 1: the network. But Speaker Johnson appear to add a bit
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  Speaker 1: of a stipulation on Fox News take a listen, I'll
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  Speaker 1: debate Hakeem Jefferies anywhere anytime, as soon as we get
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  Speaker 1: the government open. Oh yeah, that was it. As soon
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  Speaker 1: as we get the government open. So would the American
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  Speaker 1: people benefit seeing these two leaders debate in the current
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  Speaker 1: moment we're in or would it just be more finger
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  Speaker 1: pointing and blaming the other party?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, and yes probably, But I think it's important for
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  Speaker 2: the American people to see and decide for themselves. And
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  Speaker 2: you know why, you can't debate your position until the
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  Speaker 2: government opens, In other words, until the decision has already
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  Speaker 2: been made.
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  Speaker 3: That doesn't mean make any sense. And you know he
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  Speaker 3: knows it doesn't make any sense.
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  Speaker 2: I think the bottom line is they know they really
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  Speaker 2: don't have a leg to stand on with respect to
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  Speaker 2: what they've done with the healthcare cuts that they've made,
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  Speaker 2: and the impact that's going to have. Millions of Americans
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  Speaker 2: are going to be negatively impacted. In fact, they might
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  Speaker 2: lose their healthcare coverage entirely. And he knows that, and
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  Speaker 2: he doesn't want to have to stand in front of
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  Speaker 2: the American people and acknowledge that, so he'll keep ducking.
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  Speaker 2: I guess they'll stay out of town as long as
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  Speaker 2: they can, but sooner or later they're going to have
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  Speaker 2: to come back here and.
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  Speaker 3: Do their job.
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  Speaker 1: You represent about sixty five thousand federal workers. What are
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  Speaker 1: they telling you and the way this has been impacting
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  Speaker 1: them with the furloughs and the RAFs.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I just had a group come in a little
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  Speaker 2: earlier today actually, and the impact is significant.
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  Speaker 3: It's very damaging.
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  Speaker 2: People are you know, the paychecks are are stopping their
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  Speaker 2: bank accounts. They're having to tap into savings and the like,
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  Speaker 2: sometimes retirement accounts.
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  Speaker 3: So it's tough.
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  Speaker 2: But to a person so far, to my surprise, they
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  Speaker 2: are all, hey, stay strong, we understand the magnitude of
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  Speaker 2: this moment.
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  Speaker 3: We understand how big this fight is.
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  Speaker 2: We understand how many folks like us need to have
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  Speaker 2: healthcare coverage.
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  Speaker 3: You're fighting the right fight. Stay strong, and we
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  Speaker 1: Will Congers and Glenn Ivy thank you so much for
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  Speaker 1: your time.