BURSTHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has been acting more “enlightened” in recent weeks after the ardent MAGA supporter broke with her party on the Epstein file discharge petition and the expiring federal health care subsidies.
“It does seem to many of us that she’s had a surprisingly enlightened few weeks in terms of her perspective on both the Epstein files” and the ObamaCare subsidies, Jeffries said Monday on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports.”
Jeffries accused Republicans of remaining “on vacation all across the country” to avoid swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), which would give Democrats — and a handful of likeminded Republicans — the votes they need to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.
Greene is one of only four GOP House members to sign onto that discharge petition, joining Democrats.
“And at the same period of time, Republicans have no interest — zero interest — in trying to address the health care crisis that they visited upon the American people, even though you’ve got Republicans now, most prominently Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s making clear this is not a made-up crisis. It’s a real thing,” the New York Democrat added.
Last week, Greene made news when she broke with her party over opposing letting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expire, an issue at the core of the shutdown standoff between Republicans and Democrats.
She said in a lengthy post on the social platform X that she was “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double if the ACA tax credits lapse and blasted GOP leaders for failing to find a solution to an issue that could affect millions of Americans, including her adult children.
“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” Greene wrote in the post.
“Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!” the Georgia Republican added at the time.
In an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill” last week, Greene doubled down on her outspoken approach, saying she has faced more pressure over her support for the Epstein file discharge petition than any other issue.
“My signature is on that discharge petition, and there has not been another issue where I have ever received more pressure than that one, and I’m pretty much shocked by it. I can’t imagine — I’ve never understood how this is an issue,” Greene told host Blake Burman.
“I think when it comes to women being raped, especially when they were 14 years old, that’s pretty black and white,” she added, referring to Epstein’s alleged crimes.