by Adam Pack and Andi Shae Napier
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries rejected calls for major U.S. airlines to support a pristine bill on Thursday and end the 30-day shutdowns.
Delta Air Lines called on Congress to “immediately pass a clear resolution to reopen the government” and ensure that air traffic controllers and TSA agents and other federal workers receive their paychecks. Although Delta and other air travel industry leaders have not mentioned either party by name, Republicans have consistently urged Democrats to support their pristine, continued resolution to open the government.
However, Jeffries told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he would not support the bipartisan Clean Continuation Resolution (CR) being considered in the Senate, arguing that the measure is a “biased Republican spending bill.”
“Is this your suggestion that the partisan GOP spending bill that has been rejected by the Senate 13 times and that is ruining the health care of the American people is a so-called clean, continuing resolution?” Jeffries told DCNF.
Pressed on how the measure significantly increases spending levels under Biden, Jeffries accused Republican leaders of being “cold, extremist liars.”
However, existing media outlets disagree with Jeffries’ claim that the House-passed budget bill is not a “clean” bill that is intended to last.
Especially The New York Times. released a fact check on Democrats’ claims that the Republicans’ proposal is not “clean”, stating that Jeffries “overused budget jargon”.
“I appreciate people across corporate America who have urged Congress to pass a bipartisan spending agreement,” Jeffries continued, referring to the many airlines calling for a pristine CR. “We’ve been saying the same thing over the last 30 days. We will meet over and over again with Republicans anytime, anywhere to reopen the government and pass a spending deal that actually meets the needs of the American people.”
Jeffries and almost all Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against the pristine spending bill that Republicans championed in mid-September. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and most of the Democratic caucus think similarly rejected that is, 13 times. Only three members of Schumer’s caucus did so crossed party lines supporting pure CR.
Airline management began to sound the alarm about the downtime influences on air travel, as government funding expires on the 30th day with no solution in sight.
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, joined Vice President J.D. Vance and other airline executives at a news conference Thursday where he urged Congress to adopt a positive view as the suspension of operations “puts stress on the economy.”
“It’s time to pass a clean CR. Use this as an opportunity to get into the room behind closed doors and negotiate hard on the really important issues that Americans want our politicians on both sides of the aisle to solve” – Kirby he said Thursday. “Let’s get a clean CR and let’s negotiate behind closed doors, without endangering American workers and the American economy.”
Delta Air Lines also called for open government, issuing a statement Thursday asking Congress to pay workers to do their jobs.
“Delta Air Lines is begging Congress to immediately pass a clear resolution to reopen the government so that our air traffic controllers, TSA and CBP officers responsible for the safety and efficiency of our national airspace can receive the paychecks they deserve,” the airline said in a statement. statement he said. “A system under load must be slowed down, reducing efficiency and causing delays for the millions of people who take to the skies every day.”
Many public sector unions have also joined Democrats’ call for a pristine CR and reopening the government. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents more than 1.3 million workers, urged the Senate to agree to a House-approved CR before the shutdown begins on October 1
“American workers are not a bargaining chip,” said Teamsters president Sean O’Brien sent on social media. “Senators should stop fooling around and pass the House-passed clean, short-term funding bill.”
O’Brien, who also spoke with Vance and Kirby outside the White House on Thursday, told reporters: “We have to think about the families that will suffer.”
“Think about when you have to tell your son or daughter that they can’t play sports because you don’t make money. Think about when you can’t pay your mortgage. Think about when you can’t pay your college tuition,” O’Brien said. “Put politics aside, come to the table, negotiate a deal, give clear feedback now, and then think about the problems you may face in the future.”
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest federal employee union with more than 800,000 members and a longtime ally of the Democratic Party, pushed On Tuesday, Democrats will vote on a pristine, continuing resolution.
“A strong America requires a functioning government – one that pays its bills, fulfills its obligations and treats its workers with respect while paying them on time,” AFGE National President Everett Kelly he said in a statement. “The path for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately with a clean, continuing resolution that allows for continued debate on the larger issues.”
– – –
Adam Pack and Andi Shae Napier are reporters for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Rep. Hakeem Jefferies” by Rep. Hakeem Jefferies.
