CNBC host asks Dem senator point-blank if her party is hoodwinking GOP over government shutdown demands

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire answered evasively on Thursday when “Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen asked her if Democrats were trying to take Republicans “to the cleaners” in negotiations over a short-term funding resolution.

President Donald Trump cancelled a meeting with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York on Tuesday over what he called “ridiculous” demands regarding the continuing resolution. Kernan questioned Shaheen about those demands after Shaheen urged Republicans to negotiate on the legislation.

“If we really are bluntly honest about it, are there other things… that Senator Schumer and Democrats want to load this up with?” Kernen asked. “You know, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile? Would it be possible just to get what you want? And if you did offer that, would there be some openings on the Republican side? Or is the problem, you know, is the problem that… some of your colleagues on the Democratic side are asking for too many things and they won’t, they won’t agree to whittle it just down to what you want?”

WATCH:

“I know that Sen. Johnson… doesn’t even want to do this. He thinks that there’s fraud and that, you know, there are some Republicans that just don’t want to do what you’re talking about, but others are ready to do it,” Kernen said. “They just don’t want to get, you know, taken, taken to the cleaners with a bunch of other things.”

Democrats have demanded over $1 trillion in funding for various priorities, including restoring funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which will shut down after its funding was clawed back in a rescissions package passed in July.

“Well, you know, I had a roundtable yesterday with a number of small business owners in New Hampshire who rely on those tax credits to help make sure their employees get health insurance and who themselves rely on it,” Shaheen responded, before digressing to discuss tariffs, prompting Kernen to press her about not answering the question directly.

“But you’re not answering…” Kernen said before Shaheen admitted, “I’m not answering your question because I think it’s a bigger I think it’s a bigger problem that you’re not acknowledging.”

Although the House passed a continuing resolution on Friday, efforts in the Senate have stalled, with a Democratic proposal failing to pass.

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