Representative Jerry Nadler has guaranteed that it won’t be the Democrats who shut down the government over Obamacare payments. Speaking to CNN’s Kate Boulduan, the New York Democrat made it clear any shutdown would be “the Republicans’ decision because they have a majority in both houses.”
“They can pass a budget or a continuing resolution to keep the government open without a single democratic vote,” he added.
Nadler was responding to reports that President Trump won’t reimburse health insurers for covering low income people as a way of forcing Democrats to the negotiating table on health care. In response, Democrats are planning to tie that money to the government funding bill that needs to pass at the end of the month.
If Congress fails to pass a budget, the government would effectively shut down.
“The President is trying to blackmail the American people and the Democrats,” he said, adding that no offer of negotiation on healthcare has yet been made.
“If the president wants to improve the ACA, we’ve always said there are improvements to be made… we’re perfectly willing to negotiate that but that offer’s never been made.”
Nadler said the Republicans are “destroying” healthcare by “blowing up insurance for millions of Americans who need it.”
“We are not going to submit to blackmail,” he added.