US House minority leader vows to continue fight over rising health care costs

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday accused Republicans of driving up health care costs for millions of Americans by refusing to extend key tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

“Now, because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits, tens of millions of Americans are about to dramatically experience increases in their premiums, copays and deductibles,” Jeffries told reporters at the Capitol.

“House Democrats are going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and fighting to lower the high cost of living, fix our broken health care system that Republicans are decimating,” he said.

Jeffries also said he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have demanded a meeting with President Donald Trump, urging him to help end the 41-day government shutdown — the longest in US history.

“He needs to get off the sidelines and get in the game, because until he does this, government will remain shut down,” Jeffries said.

Despite touting himself as a “dealmaker,” Trump has been largely resistant to efforts to negotiate a deal to end the shutdown.

Jeffries’ remarks came amid news that several Democratic senators had broken ranks to support a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government, one that would notably not include ACA tax credits, something the party had been insisting on for weeks.