Home Republicans are working to make Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York Metropolis and a self-identified democratic socialist, a outstanding determine within the authorities shutdown battle from tons of of miles away.
Their argument is that Democratic members of Congress who’ve repeatedly rejected the GOP-crafted, Home-passed “clean” stopgap to fund the federal government by Nov. 21 are afraid of the progressives within the Democratic base — exemplified by Mamdani.
Democrats have known as on Republicans to barter with them on well being care, significantly the extension of enhanced ObamaCare subsidies that expire on the finish of the 12 months, earlier than voting for a stopgap to fund the federal government.
Mamdani, presently a New York State Meeting member, was the dominant matter in a Thursday press convention with Home Republican leaders and Republican members from New York.
“They know that they have to continue to act belligerently in order to gain the favor of the far left,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned Thursday, pointing to Mamdani being prone to win Tuesday’s mayoral election, calling him “a 34-year-old, unproven, untested socialist.”
“It’s the clearest sign yet that the Democrats’ radical Marxist wing is winning the battle for control of their party. Look at where the energy is,” Johnson mentioned, including that New York is a “bellwether for the rest of the nation.”
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) accused Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) of being “terrified” of the success of the “Marxist agenda in America’s largest city.”
“They have built their political survival on appeasing the far left, and now our entire country is being held hostage by it,” Tenney mentioned.
Jeffries endorsed Mamdani final week, the day earlier than early voting began within the race, after months of hypothesis — saying in a written assertion that he has “areas of principled disagreement” with Mamdani.
Schumer has not endorsed Mamdani. When requested if he would vote for Mamdani, he advised reporters on Tuesday: “Look, the bottom line is very simple. I have a good relationship with him, and we’re continuing to talk.”
As Republicans work to make Mamdani the face of the Democratic Celebration, whether or not the Democratic leaders endorse him or not has little bearing on the GOP’s shutdown messaging.
Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (R-La.) mentioned that Schumer and Jeffries “are scared to death of that far-left extremist, radical socialist Marxist movement in their own party starting in New York.”
“And because Mamdani has taken off there, it is affecting real people everywhere in America — devastating consequences,” Scalise mentioned, pointing to federal staff lacking paychecks.
