- 5 months ago
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) held a press briefing on Tuesday.
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00:00All right, heads up, heads up.
00:09Good afternoon, everyone.
00:10Good afternoon.
00:12House Democrats had a very active August district work period.
00:17We held more than a thousand different events all across the country,
00:23interacting with everyday Americans who we are privileged to represent.
00:28We talked about the economy, we talked about health care,
00:33and we talked about cleaning up corruption here in Washington, D.C.
00:39In this great country, America has become far too expensive.
00:45The cost of living is way too high.
00:48Donald Trump and House Republicans repeatedly promised to lower the high cost of living on day one.
00:55They have failed.
00:55The costs aren't going down.
00:59They are going up.
01:00Inflation is going up.
01:04Electricity bills are skyrocketing.
01:08Everyday Americans are being hit with increased health care premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and prescription drug prices.
01:18Housing costs have not gone down.
01:23They continue to go up.
01:26America is too expensive.
01:29The one big ugly bill remains deeply unpopular.
01:34In town hall meeting after town hall meeting, House Republicans were unable to defend their signature so-called legislative accomplishment.
01:48Because it turns out that ripping health care away from millions of Americans, ending Medicaid as we know it, closing hospitals, shutting down nursing homes, forcing community-based health clinics to shutter their doors,
02:07and failing to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, and failing to strengthen the Affordable Care Act are all deeply unpopular.
02:13With Democrats, independents, and Republicans, House Democrats have a simple message for the American people.
02:25We're going to fight hard to lower the high cost of living, we're going to fight hard to fix our broken health care system, and we're going to fight hard to clean up corruption,
02:41so we can deliver a country of the people, by the people, and for the people, as opposed to the type of country that we're seeing under Republican complete control of government,
02:57which is a country of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires.
03:04That's what the Republican one big ugly bill was all about.
03:07They passed legislation that hurts everyday Americans in order to reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks.
03:19Our message to the American people is clear.
03:23You deserve better.
03:27Questions?
03:29Mr. Leader.
03:29Thank you, Mr. Leader.
03:31With the government funding deadline coming up,
03:33First of all, how closely are you aligned with Chuck Schumer?
03:38You had different strategies last time around.
03:40And can you imagine any scenario in which Democrats support a clean CR?
03:46House Democrats and Senate Democrats are working closely together.
03:50I speak with Leader Schumer regularly, and we will continue to remain in close touch.
03:55We have all been very clear that we are willing to find bipartisan common ground in order to pass a spending bill,
04:06avoid a reckless Republican government shutdown,
04:09and meet the needs of the American people.
04:12But that spending bill has to be both bipartisan,
04:17a product of negotiation,
04:19and it's got to serve the interests of the American people in terms of their health, safety, national security, and economic well-being.
04:28The ball is in the court of the Trump administration and Republicans,
04:34because if they continue to proceed down the lane of trying to jam a partisan bill down the throats of the American people
04:46without working with Democrats in the House or the Senate,
04:52our position will be the same as it was in March.
04:57We will not support a partisan spending bill put forward by Republicans that hurts everyday Americans.
05:06So a clean CR is off the table?
05:08Clean CR is one of the things that will be the subject of any Four Corners negotiation,
05:15but there has been no Four Corners negotiation.
05:19Welcome back, Mr. Leader.
05:22The Speaker said the two of you spoke recently about government funding here.
05:26From a policy perspective, what is your red line?
05:31We had an opening conversation last week
05:35about the importance of trying to find common ground where possible
05:40in order to meet the needs of the American people.
05:43But in that conversation, I also made clear
05:46we're not going to support partisan funding legislation.
05:51Period. Full stop.
05:54We're not going to find ourselves in a situation
05:58where Republicans at the 11th hour
06:01present a partisan spending bill
06:04that hurts everyday Americans,
06:06hurts children, hurts veterans,
06:09hurts seniors,
06:10and hurts
06:11the very people
06:13who this government should be helping.
06:17And then Republicans expect
06:19that we are just going to fall in line
06:22like they do all the time
06:23to Donald Trump's extreme agenda.
06:26That's not happening.
06:27We've been very open and honest about that
06:30publicly
06:31and in our private conversations.
06:33Did you ask for the D.C.
06:34to be free of the National Guard?
06:36Did you ask for Obama to be a subsidy?
06:38We had a general conversation
06:39as it relates to meeting the needs
06:41of the American people
06:43in a bipartisan way
06:45with a focus on the areas
06:48of the economic well-being
06:50of the American people,
06:51the health of the American people,
06:54the public safety of the American people,
06:56and the national security of the American people.
06:58Those are the four issue areas
07:01that have been a constant source of discussion.
07:06Leader Jeffries.
07:08Go to the back first.
07:10Thank you, Leader Jeffries.
07:11Can you just tell us what you know
07:12about what will happen next
07:14when it comes to the Congress,
07:16the Trump's takeover
07:18of the federalization of the D.C. police,
07:22and what will happen moving forward here in Congress?
07:24Will Congress vote to extend that,
07:26and what conversations have you had?
07:27We have not had any conversation
07:30with the Trump administration
07:31about any possible extension
07:33to the expiration of the emergency powers.
07:37That's not an extension that I support.
07:40It's my expectation that this week,
07:42when we meet as House Democrats,
07:45both in caucus and during any whip conversations
07:48that we have,
07:50we'll explore that issue further.
07:53But there's been no effort
07:56by the Trump administration
07:57to justify any extension
08:00of the emergency powers
08:02that were probably
08:05the result of Donald Trump
08:09trying to figure out a way
08:12to change the topic,
08:14given his deep unpopularity,
08:17the failing of this administration
08:18to do a thing
08:19about lowering the high cost of living.
08:22And the fact that
08:23the one big ugly bill
08:25is incredibly unpopular,
08:27and Republicans have been unable
08:30to do anything
08:31during the August or sixth work period
08:33to reverse that reality.
08:36Thank you, Mr. Leader.
08:39Treasury Secretary Scott
08:40Bissett said over the weekend
08:42that President Trump
08:43is thinking about calling an emergency
08:46for, declaring a housing emergency
08:48to give him special powers
08:50to lower the cost of housing.
08:53As you mentioned,
08:54there's an affordability crisis there.
08:57He's used this emergency power on crime.
08:59You just talked about D.C. crime.
09:01We've seen it on immigration.
09:03We've seen it on tariffs and trade.
09:05What are your thoughts
09:06about the President
09:06using emergency powers
09:08to unilaterally take action
09:10on issues
09:10that Congress has felt to do so?
09:13And do you believe
09:14that the housing crisis
09:15is so severe
09:16that he should be using
09:17emergency powers to address it?
09:19It's not clear to me
09:20what emergency powers
09:21Donald Trump seeks to utilize
09:24or what his solution would be
09:27in terms of dealing with
09:28the housing unaffordability issue
09:31that is plaguing
09:32far too many Americans
09:33across the country.
09:35Donald Trump promised
09:36that he would lower housing costs
09:37on day one.
09:39Here's a suggestion
09:40for the Trump administration.
09:42Try to legislate.
09:43And maybe we can find
09:47common ground
09:48in order to get something done
09:49on behalf of the American people.
09:51The notion that Donald Trump
09:53and the administration
09:55would use emergency powers
09:56to address a housing crisis
09:58that has existed in this country
10:00since day one
10:01of his administration
10:02and he's done nothing about
10:03is a joke.
10:04And like many of the other efforts
10:09at utilizing emergency power
10:12including most recently
10:13the effort
10:14to use a so-called emergency
10:17to justify
10:18the Trump tariffs
10:19which are hurting
10:21everyday Americans
10:22it will ultimately
10:24be struck down
10:25in court.
10:26That's the reality
10:27of how Donald Trump
10:29has approached
10:30governing
10:31during his administration.
10:32the American people know it
10:34which is why he remains
10:35deeply unpopular
10:36at this point in time
10:38and why they are
10:40running scared
10:42because they have
10:43no track record
10:44of accomplishment
10:45to run on.
10:46Mr. Chairman
10:47over the recess
10:49you met with
10:50Zoran Mamdani
10:51why it was taking you
10:52so long to support him?
10:54What do you need to hear
10:55from him to get behind
10:56the nominee from your party?
10:57Stay tuned.
10:58Why can't you get
10:59what is it
11:00are you concerned about
11:01in politics?
11:02Stay tuned.
11:04The election is two months away.
11:06Several of Jeffrey Epstein's
11:07victims are on the Hill
11:08today and tomorrow.
11:09I'm just curious
11:10whether you're meeting
11:10with any of them
11:11and if so
11:11what you're trying
11:12to communicate to them.
11:13I don't have a scheduled
11:14meeting with any
11:15of the victims
11:17but as House Democrats
11:19we will continue
11:21to support the effort
11:23to make sure
11:23that there is full
11:25and complete transparency
11:26that every single
11:29wrongdoer
11:30is held accountable.
11:32that the Trump
11:34administration
11:34is forced
11:36to stop
11:37hiding information
11:38from the families
11:40of the victims
11:41and from the American people.
11:45Thank you, Leader.
11:46Have you had
11:47any conversations
11:48about and would you support
11:49a ban on members
11:50of Congress
11:51trading stocks
11:52and other financial assets?
11:53I've answered
11:54that question
11:55multiple times
11:56and the answer is yes.
11:57Mr. Leader, thank you.
12:00This is a timely question.
12:02Boring but potentially important.
12:05The deadline
12:05for government funding
12:06falls on a Tuesday
12:07after a planned recess.
12:10In your discussions
12:11and in your way
12:12of going about this
12:13especially talking
12:14to Speaker Johnson
12:14is it the idea
12:16that you need a deal
12:17by that week
12:19before recess
12:19or are you operating
12:21with the September 30th deadline?
12:23Because it changes
12:24how the negotiations
12:24would work.
12:25Yeah, we are operating
12:26with that September 30th deadline.
12:28In my view,
12:29House Democrats
12:30led by Rosa DeLauro
12:31are ready,
12:33willing,
12:34and able
12:34to find a bipartisan
12:35path forward
12:36beginning today
12:39and there's more
12:40than enough time
12:41to reach an agreement
12:42that meets the needs
12:43of the American people.
12:45At the end of the day,
12:45Republicans
12:46are driving us
12:48on a path
12:49toward a government shutdown
12:50and that is
12:53quite unfortunate
12:54because shutdowns
12:56hurt the American people.
12:57At the same period of time,
12:59we are not simply
13:01going to sign off
13:02on a partisan Republican
13:04spending bill
13:05that hurts
13:06the American people
13:07and continues
13:08their effort
13:09to assault health care
13:11in the United States
13:13of America.
13:14The week prior
13:15to the September 30th deadline,
13:17I will certainly be here
13:19in Washington, D.C.
13:20It's the Congressional
13:21Black Caucus Foundation
13:22annual legislative conference
13:24and we are ready,
13:27willing,
13:28and able
13:28to sit down
13:30any time,
13:31any place
13:31to find
13:33a bipartisan path forward.
13:35Congressman Jerry Nadler
13:38in announcing
13:40his retirement
13:40referenced the example
13:42set with President Joe Biden
13:43and said that
13:45other members of Congress,
13:47some change could be good
13:48in the caucus.
13:49Do you believe
13:50that generational change
13:51is a good thing
13:52for your caucus?
13:53I think that generational change
13:54has been underway
13:55in the House Democratic Caucus
13:57for the last several years
13:59and it's something
14:00that every caucus member,
14:01regardless of which generation
14:03they find themselves in,
14:05has embraced what the record shows.
14:09Leadership,
14:11the rank and file members,
14:13to committee positions,
14:15and at all points in between.
14:18Congressman Jerry Nadler
14:19is a legend
14:20and I had the opportunity
14:22to speak with him
14:23yesterday
14:24and thank them
14:25for his service,
14:26friendship,
14:27and mentorship.
14:29He's been one of the leading
14:30voices for civil liberties,
14:33civil rights,
14:34and the Constitution
14:34in modern American history.
14:37And we look forward
14:39to continuing to serve
14:40with him over the next
14:4116 months
14:43and continuing to stand
14:46on his broad,
14:47legendary shelters.
14:50Four of your members
14:51have now said
14:52that they will not be
14:53taking APAC donations
14:55for their campaigns.
14:56I'm just wondering
14:56if you agree with that position.
14:57I'm going to continue
14:58to raise money
14:59in the way that
14:59I've been raising money
15:00since my arrival
15:03in the United States Congress.
15:04I'm proud of the fact
15:05that the average contribution
15:09to my re-election campaign
15:12is $28 a person.
15:17That's the average contribution.
15:19If you want to write
15:20about anything,
15:21write about that.
15:23Because it's lower
15:24than almost any other
15:25member of Congress
15:27in the country.
15:30And that's the way
15:31that I will continue
15:32to raise money.
15:33In fact,
15:34that average contribution
15:35of $28 per person
15:37is lower than
15:38any of the nominees
15:40who are running for mayor
15:42in New York City.
15:44Any of them.
15:46Based on what was
15:47recently disclosed.
15:51Thank you, Mr. Leader.
15:52You said that
15:52you would be opposed
15:54to having an extension
15:55of the National Guard's
15:57presence here.
15:58Since the crackdown began,
15:59carjackings have dropped
16:0066%
16:01and robberies have dropped
16:02to 28%
16:03and violent crime
16:0415%.
16:05And you've been opposed
16:07to this since
16:08their presence here began.
16:10But are Democrats
16:11finding themselves
16:12on the wrong side
16:12of this issue at all
16:13with such reports?
16:15reports, you know,
16:16I mean,
16:16they're a bit beneficial.
16:20I had a very good conversation
16:21with the mayor
16:23of the District of Columbia.
16:24I'm going to continue
16:25to support her position.
16:28Every single area
16:29of criminal activity
16:31that you mentioned
16:32was on the way down
16:33prior to the arrival
16:35of the National Guard.
16:37I'm going to continue
16:38to personally support
16:39the Metropolitan Police Department
16:42of the District of Columbia.
16:43I'm going to support
16:44the Chicago Police Department,
16:46the New York Police Department,
16:48and police officers
16:50who protect and serve
16:52all across the country.
16:55And if those local
16:56police departments
16:57conclude that they want
16:59some support
17:00from the federal government,
17:02then I support
17:03that effort
17:05by those local
17:06police departments
17:06to partner
17:07with the federal government.
17:10It's as simple
17:11as that.
17:13Donald Trump
17:14is not going to get away
17:15with lecturing anybody
17:17about issues
17:19of law and order.
17:22His administration
17:23is the very definition
17:26of lawlessness
17:27and disorder.
17:28He promised
17:29to lower costs
17:30on day one.
17:31You know what he did
17:31on day one?
17:33He pardoned
17:36hundreds of violent felons
17:38who brutally beat
17:40police officers
17:41when attacking
17:44the Capitol
17:44on January 6th.
17:46That's the Donald Trump record.
17:49And no matter
17:50how much he wants
17:51to distract
17:52the American people
17:54away from what
17:54he himself
17:55has done,
17:57the reality is
17:59his administration
18:00is the definition
18:03of lawlessness
18:04and disorder.
18:05In every possible
18:07way,
18:09those are the facts.
18:12Back.
18:12Thank you,
18:13Leader Jeffries.
18:14Republicans
18:15on and off the hill
18:16have already started
18:17talks about
18:17a potential
18:18second reconciliation
18:19bill.
18:21Would something
18:21like that
18:22sour government
18:24funding talks
18:24further?
18:25And have Democrats
18:26already begun
18:26speaking about
18:27how you guys
18:27could possibly
18:28throw up any roadblocks
18:29or oppose that effort
18:30somehow?
18:30If we're going
18:31to go down
18:32the road
18:32of a second
18:33reconciliation bill,
18:34here's a suggestion.
18:35Cancel the health
18:36care cuts
18:37and save our hospitals.
18:39That should be
18:39the focus
18:40of a second
18:41reconciliation bill.
18:42It's something
18:43that Democrats
18:43will broadly support.
18:47Cancel the health
18:48care cuts
18:48and save our hospitals.
18:52Last question.
18:52Can I ask you
18:53about the pocket
18:53rescissions issue?
18:56The White House
18:57last week
18:57unilaterally
18:58canceled
18:58$4.9 billion
19:00in foreign aid
19:01and it doesn't
19:03look like
19:03Republicans
19:03in the Hill
19:04are doing
19:04anything about it
19:05but even
19:06the Senate
19:06Republican
19:06committee chair
19:08called it
19:10an unlawful act.
19:11What's your take?
19:12Is there anything
19:12Democrats can do?
19:13I think GAO
19:14is the only ones
19:14who can sue on it.
19:15It's an unlawful act
19:17by expectation
19:18that a court case
19:19will be brought
19:20against these
19:21so-called
19:22pocket rescissions
19:23which undermine
19:23the national security
19:25interests of the
19:26American people
19:26and ultimately
19:28as has been
19:29the case
19:29over and over
19:31and over again
19:32throughout the
19:32Trump administration
19:33the extremists
19:35will lose
19:36in federal court.
19:38Thank you, sir.
19:39Thank you, sir.
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