House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries just gave one of the most embarrassing press conferences in recent memory. When asked about lessons learned from the last time Republicans did a giant tax scam in 2017, he lamented that Democrats couldn’t work with Republicans to give corporate CEOs the tax break they asked for.
Then, when pressed on what leverage Democrats have in these budget negotiations, Jeffries shrugged as if Republicans weren’t a broken, dysfunctional mess completely dependent on Democratic votes to govern. “I’m trying to figure out what leverage we actually have,” was his response. Well, fortunately, Democrats do have leverage, and we expect them to use it. Jeffries and Democratic Leadership must make this clear and lead their caucus into fighting formation. Here’s how:
- Whip a Hard “NO” on Any Weak Deal: No more mealy-mouthed “concern.” Every Democrat must vote NO on any bill that fails to meet these demands. No exceptions. No backroom deals. No bailing out Republican chaos.
- Publicly Draw Red Lines—No More Vague Statements: “We’d like a clean budget” is not a negotiating strategy. Leadership must make it crystal clear:
- No concrete guardrails to stop Musk? NO votes.
- Any cuts to core programs? NO votes.
- Any poison pills? NO votes.
- Use the Minority’s Bill Numbers to Force the Issue: House Democrats control bill numbers #11-20. They should use them strategically to introduce high-priority legislation and force discharge petitions. Discharge petitions make it harder for Republicans to dodge accountability— if they’re upset by what’s happening, sign your name and advance the bill.
Fill out the form (considering adding a personal message!) to email Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries now demanding he step up and fight.
The email to Rep. Jeffries:
Leader Jeffries,
Your recent press conference was a disappointment. When asked about the disastrous 2017 GOP tax scam, you lamented that Democrats couldn’t work with Republicans to cut corporate taxes. And when pressed on what leverage Democrats have in budget negotiations, you shrugged.
Let me be clear: Democrats do have leverage, and we expect you to use it. The Republican majority is in complete disarray, barely able to function without Democratic votes. It’s time to stop bailing them out and start setting clear red lines:
- Whip a hard NO on any weak deal. No more vague statements—every Democrat must vote NO on any bill that fails to meet progressive demands.
- Publicly define red lines and stick to them:
- No concrete guardrails to stop billionaires like Elon Musk? NO votes.
- Any cuts to core programs? NO votes.
- Any poison pills? NO votes.
- Use bill numbers strategically to introduce high-priority legislation and force Republicans to take public stances through discharge petitions.
Democrats have power in these negotiations, but only if they choose to use it. We are watching, and we expect bold leadership, not excuses.