In a truly surprising and welcome political development, former President Donald Trump has cancelled his scheduled meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He has similarly scrapped his upcoming breakfast with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. That made this meeting all the more special, as our members were there to strategize around an important stopgap bill. We need to pass it before September 30 to avoid a government shutdown. The cancellation comes amidst heightened tensions surrounding healthcare policies, particularly the expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits.
Democrats’ muscled effort to make these expanded tax credits permanent. These credits continue to be one of their most effective tools in limiting premium hikes associated with Obamacare. Expiration of these credits would increase healthcare costs for millions of Americans. As New Yorkers, Schumer and Jeffries are well-positioned to focus attention on the deepening crisis of rising costs. They attribute these hikes to their so-called Republican healthcare crisis.
Trump’s announcement that he was pulling out of the meeting came in a post on Truth Social. He specifically called out Democrats’ attempts to fund “Radical Left Views and Policies” through health care. He lauded the demands coming from the Democratic leaders as “unserious and ridiculous.” He had an impressive openness to negotiate if they came with good faith, credible proposals. He reiterated the importance of working together across the aisle to avoid repeating any past government shutdowns.
“The Democrats in Congress seem to have totally lost their way.” – Donald Trump
Schumer and Jeffries only announced the meeting on Tuesday morning. Given that Trump declared the talks futile because he was convinced the Democrats weren’t serious, of course it didn’t work. He challenged Democratic leaders to adopt his terms. He showed them that they can keep moving in the right direction and improve if they want to go there.
“I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter. To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court.” – Donald Trump
With the clock ticking down to pass the stopgap bill, this fight carries enormous implications. A government shutdown would suspend or severely hinder many vital federal services and programs, adding to already strained conditions for millions of Americans. The political face-off over healthcare policy further muddles the negotiations. Here’s the kicker — both parties know that public health concerns are enormous political motivators with voters.