Washington, March 17 (IANS) House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a sharp attack on President Donald Trump and Republicans, accusing them of pushing policies that have raised costs for Americans while drawing the United States into a “reckless war of choice” against Iran.
“This is a very challenging moment for the United States of America as we deal with a President Donald Trump, and Republicans whose policies have done nothing but damage the quality of life of the American people,” Jeffries said at a news conference.
He argued that Republican policies had increased financial pressure on households across sectors. “They've made life more expensive for the American people, and it's affirmatively being done by toxic and extreme Republican policies,” he said, citing healthcare, fuel, housing, childcare, and food prices.
Jeffries pointed to recent legislation as a key factor. “It was Republicans who, in their one big, ugly bill, enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history,” he said, adding that hospitals and community health centres were closing and premiums were rising for “more than 20 million working-class Americans.”
Linking domestic economic concerns with foreign policy, Jeffries criticised US military action in the Middle East. “They've now gotten us into a reckless war of choice against Iran, and are spending billions of dollars to drop bombs in the Middle East, but can't find a dime to make life more affordable,” he said.
He questioned the administration’s strategy and preparedness. “The administration has not even made the case to the American people as to why we are spending billions of dollars and dropping bombs every day in Iran,” Jeffries said, adding there was “no plan, any objective, any exit strategy.”
Jeffries also warned of wider regional consequences, including instability in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route through which a significant portion of the world’s energy supplies pass. He said the administration “failed to prepare for Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz” and criticised the absence of evacuation planning for Americans in the region.
Addressing negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security, Jeffries said Democrats remained open to a bipartisan path but insisted reforms must be “bold… meaningful… transformational.” He accused Republicans of prioritising what he described as a “toxic deportation machine” over funding agencies such as FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard.
He also rejected the idea of additional funding for the conflict at this stage. “The notion that they would come up here and ask for additional money is beyond the pale at this moment,” Jeffries said, urging the administration to first justify its actions.
Jeffries further criticised Republican political priorities, accusing Trump of focusing on “voter suppression legislation” instead of addressing economic distress. “Housing doesn't matter, healthcare doesn't matter, grocery bills doesn't matter,” he said.
--IANS
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