Jeffries names surprise GOP ally during shutdown: "Three words — Marjorie Taylor Greene"

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries listed GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene arsenic an state connected the different broadside of the aisle during the longest authorities shutdown successful modern history, aft she spent weeks blasting her chap Republicans implicit their handling of wellness care. 

Hours earlier the House voted Wednesday to o.k. a Senate-passed backing bundle to extremity the shutdown, Jeffries was asked by "CBS Evening News" co-anchor John Dickerson if helium recovered immoderate Republican allies during the 43-day impasse. 

The Democratic person replied: "Three words — Marjorie Taylor Greene."

"She's been precise wide that this wellness attraction situation is not made up, it's real, Republicans person nary wellness attraction plan, and that Democrats are close successful warring to widen the Affordable Care Act taxation credits," Jeffries continued.

Health security played a cardinal relation successful the shutdown fight. Most Democrats refused to backmost immoderate woody to money the authorities that didn't see an hold of Biden-era taxation credits that expanded the subsidies disposable to Americans who bargain their security connected the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces. If the credits expire, galore radical who trust connected the taxation credits could spot their premiums double, according to KFF.

The struggle ended aft 8 members of the Senate Democratic caucus agreed to reopen the authorities successful speech for a committedness from Senate Majority Leader John Thune to clasp a abstracted ballot connected the taxation credits. Most Democrats voted against that deal, which passed successful some chambers this week.

Meanwhile, Greene — an often-pugnacious and arguable Georgia Republican who isn't shy astir criticizing Democrats — has repeatedly lashed retired against her party's leadership, accusing them of failing to travel up with a program to woody with the expiring subsidies.

"Not a azygous Republican successful enactment talked to america astir this oregon has fixed america a program to assistance Americans woody with their wellness security premiums DOUBLING," she wrote connected X past month successful a station that noted she's "not a fan" of the Affordable Care Act, besides known arsenic Obamacare.

Weeks later, she wrote: "Apparently I person to spell into a SCIF to find retired the Republican healthcare plan," referring to the unafraid facilities that authorities agencies usage to grip highly classified documents.

Greene has besides criticized Speaker Mike Johnson for keeping the House retired of league during the shutdown: "It's an embarrassment," she told "The View," and she pushed Republicans to absorption much connected addressing the outgo of surviving ("I spot Republicans losing the House if Americans are continuing to spell paycheck-to-paycheck," she told Semafor).

And she's suggested the Trump medication has focused excessively overmuch connected overseas argumentation successful caller months, starring President Trump to say: "I don't cognize what happened to Marjorie — bully woman, but I don't cognize what happened. She's mislaid her way, I think."

Over the people of the shutdown, Jeffries and different Democrats person regularly pointed to Greene, citing the hard-right lawmaker's comments connected wellness attraction to backmost up their ain views. It's an unusual alliance, conscionable nether 5 years aft House Democrats voted to instrumentality distant Greene's committee assignments implicit conspiratorial statements she made earlier joining Congress.

On Wednesday, Dickerson asked Jeffries however helium would've reacted if helium were told six months agone that he'd yet beryllium quoting Greene.

The New York Democrat responded: "I would person said, 'I person a span to merchantability you successful Brooklyn.'"