Jeffries, Schumer Face Backlash as Democrats Prolong Government Shutdown

CNBC’s Squawk Box co-anchor Becky Quick confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) over his party’s role in keeping the federal government shuttered — even as Democrats continue demanding over a trillion dollars in new spending, including taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants.

Quick pressed Jeffries on Monday, highlighting the hypocrisy of Democrats blaming Republicans for a situation of their own making. “What you’re asking the Republicans to do right now when they control the White House, the Senate and the House is effectively what the Democrats could not do when they controlled all three heads of government themselves,” she said.

Jeffries, visibly uncomfortable, offered no clear defense. Quick continued, “The three-year setup for the expiration of these credits was intentionally put in. It was put in when you controlled the White House, the House and the Senate. You couldn’t get it passed for longer.”

She added, “This is a setup kind of your own creation that you all couldn’t extend beyond that. Now you want the Republicans to do something you didn’t do when you were in power?”

“Uh, it’s not a setup beyond what we could do,” Jeffries muttered in response — a moment that quickly made the rounds online.

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Federal Workers’ Union Turns on Democrats

In a surprising rebuke, the largest federal employee union — a long-time Democratic ally — publicly blasted party leaders this week, demanding they cooperate with Republicans and reopen the government.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley issued a scathing statement Monday calling the ongoing shutdown “an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together.”

He made it clear that Congress, not President Donald Trump, is responsible for the stalemate:

“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight.”

Kelley urged Democrats to follow Republicans’ example by voting for a clean continuing resolution to restore operations immediately.

“Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” he wrote. “No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

The AFGE represents over 820,000 federal and D.C. government employees — from air traffic controllers to USDA food inspectors. Kelley praised their dedication while condemning Washington’s dysfunction.

“They ensure our skies are safe, our veterans receive care, our borders are protected, and our food is inspected. They come from every political background and every corner of this nation. What unites them is a simple belief: that service to country is honorable work.”

He underscored the human toll of the shutdown:

“The Army nurse in San Antonio, the TSA officer in Atlanta, the USDA food safety inspector in Iowa, and hundreds of thousands more like them are being asked to keep our country running without the paychecks that keep their own households afloat. These are patriotic Americans — parents, caregivers, and veterans — forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas, and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable.”

Kelley concluded with a clear set of demands:

1. Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger policy issues.
2. Guarantee back pay for every affected worker.
3. Pursue bipartisan cooperation to fix the nation’s broken budget process and address rising costs.

Democrats Under Fire

The message from both the media and organized labor is unmistakable: Democrats, led by Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are facing growing frustration from their own base for perpetuating a shutdown that’s hurting ordinary Americans.

As President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans push for fiscal responsibility and border security, Democrats appear increasingly isolated — defending excessive spending and political brinkmanship instead of governing responsibly.