During an appearance on MSNBC early Thursday morning, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for keeping the House from conducting business during the government shutdown \u2014 but was pressed on why he and most Democrats helped save Johnson\u2019s speakership more than a year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After emphasizing to Way Too Early host Ali Vitali that he intends to hold Republicans accountable for blocking an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies \u2014 the central issue of the shutdown \u2014 Vitali questioned Jeffries about his current relationship with the Republican speaker, Raw Story reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was irresponsible for Mike Johnson to keep House Republicans on a taxpayer-funded vacation for more than seven weeks and to castrate, you know, the House of Representatives as it relates to his majority. At the end of the day, we\u2019re a separate and coequal branch of government,\u201d Jeffries said about Johnson\u2019s decision to adjourn the House during the longest government shutdown in modern history, which ended Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe problem with House Republicans is that they continue to function like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trump cartel, as opposed to what Democrats will do, which is serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that point, Vitali noted that some Democrats voted to keep Johnson as Speaker when many Republicans were opposed to keeping him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder if, given that you regret the way that the caucus acted when his job was in jeopardy?\u201d the host asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a short pause, Jeffries replied: \u201cNo, I think that every moment calls for the best possible decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the time, Joe Biden was the president, Senate Democrats were in the majority,\u201d he offered. \u201cWe had a responsibility to continue to move forward, particularly in that instance where we needed to fund our ally, Ukraine. That\u2019s in a war defending not just their territorial integrity, but also principles of democracy and freedom and truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ukraine isn\u2019t a formal \u201cally\u201d of the U.S., and historically, the country has been one of the most corrupt in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The House of Representatives on Wednesday evening approved a spending package to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, despite opposition from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and most House Democrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lawmakers voted 222 to 209 to reopen the government, with six Democrats breaking ranks to support the measure. The White House said President Donald Trump will promptly sign the bill into law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n