Jeffries accuses GOP leadership of allowing ‘extremists’ to halt House business
Cami Mondeaux
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House lawmakers were excused on recess earlier this week after a standoff between hard-line conservatives and GOP leadership stalled all legislation on the floor, prompting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to meet with several rank-and-file Republicans to iron out their frustrations.
The House is not scheduled to return to Capitol Hill until Monday evening as McCarthy continues to meet with members of his own party, with several pushing to renegotiate terms that secured McCarthy the speakership in January, a source familiar with the conversations told the Washington Examiner. The delay has elicited criticism from Democratic leaders, who say McCarthy is at risk of being overrun by “extremists.”
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“We stand ready to find common ground with the other side of the aisle if they can break from their extremists,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters on Thursday. “This is a very serious situation in that the extreme Republicans have stopped the House of Representatives from doing the business of the American people.”
The stalemate began on Tuesday when 12 Republicans tanked a bill from their own party that would restrict federal regulation of natural gas stoves, calling the move an act of defiance against House GOP leadership. The deadlock dragged on into Wednesday as the members met with McCarthy to air out their grievances, prompting the speaker to delay House business until the following week.
Much of the frustration stems from the debt ceiling deal between McCarthy and President Joe Biden, which several Republicans say was done in a way that violated agreements made in January during the speaker’s election. It remains unclear what agreements McCarthy may have breached because none of the provisions mentioned were written down or included in the House rules.
McCarthy said he would continue meeting with the group of frustrated lawmakers, noting he hopes to have the problem resolved before the House reconvenes next week.
“This week puts into clear focus the choices that the American people have in front of them in terms of which direction their government will go,” Jeffries said. “On the one side: Democrats. Team Reasonable, Team Normal, and Team Gets-Stuff-Done. On the other side: Republicans. Team Chaos, Team Dysfunction, and Team Extreme.”
However, Jeffries stopped short of placing the blame entirely on McCarthy’s shoulders. Instead, the minority leader called the stalemate a “difficult situation” for the speaker, acknowledging McCarthy is working the “dynamics out on his side of the aisle as best he can.”
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But Jeffries also emphasized the dysfunction must be dealt with by GOP leaders, indicating Democrats would not step in to help Republicans push through the stalemate. The Democratic leader said the party would assist in finding common ground and advancing bipartisan legislation if needed but noted there is no such proposed measure currently under consideration.
“There’s no legislation in front of us that we believe is enlightened and will advance the interests of the American people today. If that opportunity presents itself, we’ll explore the best path forward in conversation with members of the House Democratic Caucus,” Jeffries said. “And if that opportunity arises, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”