Hakeem Jeffries Accuses GOP Of Being 'Unable To Defend' Effects Of Big Beautiful Bill

During a press briefing on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) spoke about the Big Beautiful Bill.

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon everyone.

00:02Good afternoon.

00:04House Democrats had a very active August district work period.

00:08We held more than a thousand different events all across the country,

00:14interacting with everyday Americans who we are privileged to represent.

00:20We talked about the economy, we talked about health care,

00:24and we talked about cleaning up corruption here in Washington, D.C.

00:29In this great country, America has become far too expensive.

00:36The cost of living is way too high.

00:39Donald Trump and House Republicans repeatedly promised to lower the high cost of living on day one.

00:46They have failed.

00:48Costs aren't going down.

00:50They are going up.

00:52Inflation is going up.

00:55Electricity bills are skyrocketing.

01:00Everyday Americans are being hit with increased health care premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and prescription drug prices.

01:10Housing costs have not gone down.

01:14They continue to go up.

01:17America is too expensive.

01:20The one big ugly bill remains deeply unpopular.

01:26In town hall meeting after town hall meeting after town hall meeting,

01:31House Republicans were unable to defend their signature so-called legislative accomplishment.

01:41Because it turns out that ripping health care away from millions of Americans,

01:46ending Medicaid as we know it, closing hospitals, shutting down nursing homes,

01:52forcing community-based health clinics to shutter their doors,

01:58and failing to strengthen the Affordable Care Act are all deeply unpopular.

02:04With Democrats, Independents, and Republicans,

02:09House Democrats have a simple message for the American people.

02:16You deserve better.

02:19We're going to fight hard to lower the high cost of living.

02:23We're going to fight hard to fix a broken health care system.

02:28And we're going to fight hard to clean up corruption so we can deliver a country of the people, by the people, and for the people,

02:40as opposed to the type of country that we're seeing under Republican complete control of government,

02:48which is a country of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires.

02:55That's what the Republican one big ugly bill was all about.

02:59They passed legislation that hurts everyday Americans in order to reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks.

03:10Our message to the American people is clear.

03:15You deserve better.