Democrats’ shutdown rage erupts in call – “People are f**king pissed” – Axios

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Updated 22 hours ago – Politics & Policy

Democrats’ shutdown civil war spills out in private call

• By Andrew Solender

A private call of House Democrats devolved into a furious vent session Monday afternoon as lawmakers fumed about a group of Senate centrists cutting a deal with Republicans to end the shutdown.

Why it matters: Over a dozen House Democrats spoke on the call, with the vast majority slamming the deal, sources told Axios — a volume that reflects deep outrage between the two chambers.

• Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said the public is incensed at what they see as Democrats caving on the shutdown fight, telling her colleagues, “People are f**king pissed.”
• Nearly “everyone [was] strongly against” the deal, said one House Democrat who was on the call but spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a private discussion.

Between the lines: It’s not just a fight between the House and Senate, with a growing number of House Democrats urging their colleagues to stop training their fire on fellow party members.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) instructed members to keep the focus on health care and not on “a few individuals in the Senate,” according to three lawmakers who were on the call.
• Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), the leadership representative for members in battleground districts, similarly told her colleagues to focus their shutdown-related attacks on Republicans, not Democrats.

State of play: House Democrats and liberal grassroots groups erupted into rage Sunday after a group of eight Senate Democrats voted to advance a bill to reopen the government.

• The deal the Democratic centrists struck with Republicans includes the promise of a Senate vote next month on renewing expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
• But the bill would need 60 votes to pass, and the deal doesn’t guarantee a House vote, making it unlikely Democrats will actually succeed in securing an extension.

Zoom in: Roughly half of those who spoke on Monday’s call either directly criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or did so implicitly by agreeing with previous speakers who tore into him, sources said.

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that either the Senate leader “can’t control his caucus” or he “gave his blessing” to the deal.
• A Schumer spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yes, but: Despite the widespread anger towards the deal among progressive and moderate House Democrats, some of the party’s most centrist members are expressing openness to voting for it.

• Just as the caucus call was getting started, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a retiring centrist who has openly opposed his party’s shutdown strategy, signaled he is supportive of the Senate deal.
• “Congressman Golden’s position on using a government shutdown as a legislative strategy has been clear and has not changed,” a spokesperson told Axios, while stressing his support for extending ACA tax credits.
• Lee said on the call that she, personally, is undecided on the bill even as Jeffries has said he opposes it and vowed to fight it.

What’s next: Jeffries vowed to fight the deal in the House and floated the possibility of a discharge petition to force a vote on extending ACA tax credits, sources said.

 Editor’s Note: Stay tuned.. more coming on this… a DWD Editorial.

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