Becky Quick Challenges Hakeem Jeffries Over Shutdown Stalemate and Party Spending Push

CNBC’s Squawk Box co-anchor Becky Quick confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday, pressing him over the ongoing federal shutdown and the Democrats’ continued demands for more than a trillion dollars in additional government spending — including expanded health coverage for non-citizens.

Quick’s pointed exchange with Jeffries quickly gained attention for its blunt tone and the lawmaker’s visible discomfort as she challenged his explanations.

“What you’re asking Republicans to do right now — when they control the White House, the Senate, and the House — is effectively what Democrats couldn’t accomplish when they held the same power,” Quick said.

She went on to highlight how Democrats had already set the current funding expiration in motion when they were in control of Congress and the presidency. “The three-year setup for the expiration of these credits was intentional,” she continued. “You couldn’t extend them beyond that at the time, and now you’re asking Republicans to do what your own party didn’t do when you had full authority to do it.”

Jeffries appeared momentarily flustered by the critique, responding, “Uh, it’s not a setup beyond what we could do,” before pivoting to broader talking points about “protecting working families” and “investing in healthcare affordability.”

The interview came as pressure continues to mount on both parties to resolve the weeks-long government shutdown.

Union Leaders Break With Democrats Over Shutdown

Amid the stalemate, the largest federal employee union in the country — a longtime ally of the Democratic Party — publicly called out lawmakers and urged them to reopen the government without delay.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), issued a statement Monday demanding that Democrats and Republicans put aside partisan battles and approve a clean funding bill.

“This week, Congress pushed our nation into the fourth week of a full government shutdown — an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together,” Kelley wrote. He noted that Congress — not the president — controls the federal budget and bears responsibility for the closure.

“Both political parties have made their point,” he said, “and still there is no clear end in sight.”

Kelley’s message was unequivocal: “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

The AFGE represents roughly 820,000 federal and D.C. government employees across numerous agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture.

Workers Caught in the Middle

Kelley emphasized that the government’s closure was not a partisan inconvenience but a personal and financial crisis for hundreds of thousands of public servants.

“As president of the American Federation of Government Employees, I represent over 800,000 federal and D.C. government workers who serve with pride and professionalism,” he said. “They ensure our skies are safe, our veterans receive care, our borders are protected, and our food is inspected.”

He continued: “These are patriotic Americans — parents, caregivers, and veterans — being forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas, and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable.”

Kelley pointed to stories from across the nation — a nurse in San Antonio, a TSA officer in Atlanta, and a food safety inspector in Iowa — each trying to keep the country running while their own households face financial uncertainty.

“This shutdown is testing the faith of Americans who believe in service to their country,” he warned. “Our leaders must put aside politics and get back to governing. A strong America requires a functioning government — one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time.”

Union’s Three Key Demands

In his statement, Kelley laid out three concrete actions for Congress to take immediately:

1. Reopen the government under a clean continuing resolution, allowing lawmakers to debate other policy issues later.

2. Guarantee full back pay for all employees who have been furloughed or forced to work without compensation.

3. Work together across party lines to create a long-term budget process that addresses rising costs and prevents future shutdowns.

Kelley’s break with Democratic leadership marks a growing frustration among public sector workers and voters who see the prolonged shutdown as a failure of leadership on both sides of the aisle.

Meanwhile, lawmakers continue to trade blame. Republicans accuse Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of prolonging the closure to force through unrelated spending demands, while Democrats insist that the GOP’s proposed funding plan lacks necessary social safety net provisions.

As the impasse drags into another week, millions of Americans are watching from the sidelines — waiting for Washington to reopen the government and restore a sense of stability.