Top Dem calls on GOP to 'abandon pro-Putin wing of party' ahead of possible shutdown

In their refusal to support a bipartisan package that would include aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, right-wing Republican lawmakers continue to show their loyalty to ex-President Donald Trump, who has not shied away from publicly displaying allyship to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) determines whether he will negotiate with Democrats on government spending or bow to a group of his Republican colleagues — a government shutdown is on the horizon, and the Louisiana lawmaker is at risk of alienation from the far-right House Freedom Caucus if he chooses the former.

Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, February 26, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, "Shutting down the government is harmful to the country, and it never produces positive outcomes on either policy or politics. What's more, a shutdown this week is entirely avoidable."

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Still, some GOP lawmakers remain unmoved.

Axios' Andrew Solender reports on Tuesday, February 27, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in a letter to House Democrats notifying them of "'a few outstanding issues that remain unresolved' in government funding negotiations."

The Democratic leader wrote, "As Congress comes back into session tomorrow, we continue to offer our Republican colleagues a bipartisan path forward," Jeffries wrote. "First, the comprehensive national security legislation advanced by the Senate on a bipartisan basis should be brought to the floor for an up or down vote. It is critically important that we support our Democratic allies in Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific, while providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and others in war zones throughout the world. House Democrats will always put America's national security interests first. We call upon our Republican colleagues to join us and abandon the growing Pro-Putin wing of their party.

Jeffries added, "We continue to maintain that extreme, partisan policy riders have no place in a bipartisan spending agreement. Under no circumstances is a partial or complete government shutdown acceptable. We are ready to work around the clock to avoid one.

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The New York lawmaker also emphasized, "It is time for House Republicans to get serious about addressing the challenges we confront at the border and stop the political stunts. We are prepared to fix our broken immigration system in a bipartisan, comprehensive manner that substantially enhances security at the Southern border and provides legal pathways for Dreamers, farmworkers and other immigrants who are ready to contribute to America's economic growth."