House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke with reporters Monday as lawmakers returned from their August recess for a week of key votes, including consideration of a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
The remarks come less than two months before November's midterm elections, where Democrats are seeking to win back the House majority they lost in 2024. Jeffries' press conference outlined the party's priorities heading into the final stretch of the congressional session.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic leaders have emphasized the need for a clean continuing resolution to keep government operations running while Congress works on longer-term spending agreements. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called for bipartisan cooperation on the stopgap measure, saying that avoiding a shutdown should not be a partisan issue.
Progressive advocacy groups have urged Democrats to use the spending debate to push for increased domestic investments. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has signaled it wants any temporary funding measure to include provisions addressing disaster relief and nutritional assistance programs.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said ahead of the recess that Democrats would hold Republicans accountable for any shutdown, arguing that fiscal brinkmanship harms American families regardless of political affiliation.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican leaders have insisted on passing traditional continuing resolutions without significant policy riders. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has maintained that temporary funding measures should be short-term and paired with spending cuts in future negotiations.
Conservative commentators have argued that Democrats are using shutdown politics to score electoral points ahead of November. Some Republican strategists suggest the party will benefit from drawing contrast on government spending and fiscal responsibility.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters that Republicans remain committed to securing border security provisions in any spending agreement, though he acknowledged that a short-term patch may be necessary given the timeline.
What the Numbers Show
The federal government faces a shutdown deadline of Sept. 30 at midnight if Congress fails to pass a funding measure. The current continuing resolution that has been keeping the government funded is set to expire.
Congress has passed 17 short-term spending bills since fiscal year 2022, reflecting ongoing disagreements between chambers over discretionary spending levels. The House has passed seven of its 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2027, while the Senate has not yet passed any.
Polling from the Pew Research Center shows that 61% of Americans say they disapprove of how Congress is handling its work, with government funding cited as a top concern among registered voters in multiple swing states.
The Bottom Line
Lawmakers have just days to reach agreement on a stopgap spending measure before the fiscal year ends. Both chambers must pass identical legislation and present it to President Trump for signature before the deadline.
The timing puts additional pressure on Congress during an election period when political incentives often diverge from governance priorities. Leadership in both parties has signaled they want to avoid a shutdown, though disagreements over spending levels and policy provisions remain unresolved.
What happens this week will set the agenda for September's final legislative work before lawmakers break again ahead of November elections. Any breakdown in negotiations could force emergency sessions or temporary funding gaps affecting federal operations.