Jeffries’ remarks come ahead of planned vote to end 42-day shutdown

Democrats will try to pair a three-year extension of the expiration of Obamacare subsidies with spending legislation that appears poised to end the current government shutdown.

Jeffries and a handful of other Democrats said at a news conference Tuesday that the latest effort would be submitted as an amendment.

“Before the Rules Committee tonight, House Democrats will give Republicans another opportunity to expand the Affordable Care Act tax credits by introducing an amendment that will extend these tax credits for a period of three years,” Jeffries said.

Screaming match breaks out between HAKEEM JEFFRIES and MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES

Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Democrat of New York, during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S., Monday, November 10, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Republicans have created a health care crisis across America. Now you have the opportunity to take action by working with Democrats before the Rules Committee tonight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit,” he continued.

Democrats also introduced several other amendments, including a ban on mass layoffs of federal workers through 2029, a ban on cuts to Medicaid or Medicare, a restriction on cuts to several federal welfare programs and much more.

It is almost certain that these amendments will fail.

The government entered a 42-day shutdown on Oct. 1 when Democrats rejected a Republican-led short-term spending bill over unrelated health care demands. Democrats led by Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have asked Congress to first consider extending temporary COVID-era Obamacare subsidies that lawmakers passed in 2021 as an emergency response to the pandemic.

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U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a press conference following the weekly Senate Democratic Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol June 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Now that these subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, Democrats have sounded the alarm that their expiration could force millions of Americans to pay significantly higher health care premiums overnight.

The Republicans rejected these demands out of hand and now appear ready to reopen the government without having made the slightest concession on subsidies.

The short-term spending bill before the House would extend government funding until January 30, 2026 and advance three of the twelve annual spending bills. It also prohibits the Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs of federal personnel until January 30.

DEMOCRATS, LEFT EMPTY-HANDED DURING SHUTDOWN, TURN FURRY AGAINST SCHUMER

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to members of the media as he arrives at a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee at the U.S. Capitol November 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Eric Lee/Getty)

At Tuesday’s press conference, Democrats presented their position on Obamacare subsidies as a long-standing priority on health care issues.

“Democrats fought Republicans in a long struggle to provide health care to Americans. We fought Republicans when we created Medicare, when we created Medicaid, when we created the Affordable Care Act, and we are not going to give up that fight,” said Rep. Teresa Fernández.

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The House of Representatives is expected to consider the spending package Wednesday evening as lawmakers rush back to Washington, D.C., from across the country.