Jeffries having 'conversations' with Mamdani, but no endorsement
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has not endorsed New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race with the election less than three weeks away, but says he plans to "have more to say about the mayor's race" in the next week.
"I expect to have a conversation with him at some point this week in advance of early voting, which begins next weekend in New York City. And we'll certainly have more to say about the mayor's race and about our Democratic nominee prior to early voting beginning," Jeffries told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
"We've had very good conversations over the last few months in advance of the government shutting down, that were forward-looking, that were community-based, that were focused on, in particular, his efforts to make New York City more affordable," Jeffries added when asked why he had still not made an endorsement. "That's the right issue to focus on. It's why he decisively won the primary. And I look forward to continuing that conversation next week."
Jeffries also responded to the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 19th day, underscoring that Republicans must come to the table and make a bipartisan deal with Democrats.
"We have repeatedly and publicly and privately made clear to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that we will sit down with them any time, any place, with anyone, either at the Capitol or back at the Oval Office, to reopen the government, find a bipartisan path toward enacting a spending agreement that actually improves the quality of life of the American people, while at the same time decisively addressing the Republican health care crisis," Jeffries said.
Asked about Senate Majority Leader John Thune's offer to have a vote on extending ACA health care subsidies if the government is reopened first, Jeffries rejected the idea of voting to extend the budget short-term without a broader deal.
"I think what we've said is that we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill, which is the bill that they continue to bring before the Senate, and that emerged from the House, if that bill guts the health care of the American people," Jeffries said. "There have been votes on the Affordable Care Act tax credits in both the House and the Senate throughout the year. And Republicans have repeatedly voted against extending those tax credits because they care more about George Santos and freeing him than they do about providing health care to everyday Americans."
