00:00Mr. Snyder.
00:01Thank you, and Mr. Secretary, thank you for your patience staying here.
00:05I actually want to give you a chance to correct the record on something you said.
00:09You earlier commented somewhat offhandedly that the conflict with Iran had ended.
00:14Do you truly believe that we are no longer in conflict with Iran
00:17and that they are no longer a threat to Israel or allies in the Gulf,
00:20that their nuclear program has been destroyed,
00:21that they no longer have a ballistic missile program and drone program
00:25threatening its neighbors in the region,
00:27and that they will no longer sponsor terrorism in the region and around the world?
00:31So are you saying you're in agreement with the President's decision to be...
00:36You said the conflict was over.
00:38I'm asking, do you believe the conflict's over and everything's copacetic?
00:41The conflict is on pause.
00:42So everything's good with Iran now?
00:44No, don't be absurd.
00:46I'm asking you to clarify.
00:49As the President said yesterday, unless an American life is lost,
00:54he does not believe that he will have to restart the kinetic asset.
00:57Okay, so you're...
00:59I'm reclaiming my time, and I'm just trying to help you clear the record.
01:02I'm reclaiming my time, Mr. Secretary.
01:04Can you promise, because this is your jurisdiction,
01:08that you and the Trump administration are not considering lifting sanctions on Iran
01:12as a concession towards opening the Straits of Hormuz?
01:15We've made it clear that the Straits of Hormuz,
01:19that the blockade is the only thing that will be lifted to reopen the Straits.
01:24So no sanctions relief whatsoever?
01:25I'm not part of the negotiating team, but I am told by the negotiating team,
01:29and I strongly believe that it will be...
01:34the blockade will be lifted.
01:35Okay, and I'm just going to reclaim, because there's a lot of things I want to cover.
01:38There is...
01:38My hope is you'll keep Congress informed of any such considerations if they do come up.
01:43Also, in your opening remarks, Mr. Secretary,
01:45you said Americans have more money in their pockets.
01:47That's not what I'm hearing from my constituents.
01:49Are you saying the overall cost of living is lower today
01:52than it was 16 months ago when you came into office?
01:54Because what I'm hearing from my constituents
01:56is that the cost of groceries are up.
01:58For example, beef, coffee, tomatoes are at record or near-record highs.
02:02The cost of housing is up.
02:04And for too many, the American dream of buying a home is out of reach.
02:07I'll let you answer.
02:08Health care premiums continue to rise,
02:09and millions of Americans have either already lost
02:11or expect to lose their health insurance altogether
02:14because of H.R. 1, the bill you so joyously celebrate.
02:17Energy costs, gas for our cars, electricity for our homes,
02:20are all rising through the roof.
02:21And family care, child care, and elder care is prohibitively costly.
02:27Are you saying that cost of living is lower today than it was a year ago?
02:30I am saying that we are much closer to the Fed's target rate of 2% on core inflation
02:36than we were when President Trump came into office.
02:39We are at 2.8%, and you can list off the most expensive groceries
02:43that have had the biggest price increases.
02:46I think you're just out of touch with what American families are facing.
02:49As my colleague noted, I'm reclaiming my time.
02:52You reclaim your time.
02:53Tariffs are a tax on American families.
02:54This is my time, Mr. Secretary.
02:56This is my time.
02:58I will speak.
02:582.5%.
03:00Higher grocery prices are taxes on American families.
03:03Higher gas and electricity prices are taxes on American families.
03:04You Democrats should know.
03:05No wonder so many people are leaving Illinois.
03:08Why don't you come see me in South Carolina?
03:10They're not leaving.
03:11They're coming to Illinois.
03:12Just a simple question, Mr. Secretary.
03:13You're saying Illinois doesn't have net outbound migration?
03:15All right, let me take it to a different topic,
03:17and I know you don't want to address it,
03:19but my constituents are outraged
03:21and want me to talk to you about
03:22the absurd illegal self-dealing settlement
03:24between President Trump and his family
03:25with the Justice Department
03:27and the IRS over which you have jurisdiction.
03:29The administration apparently believes
03:31that there should be two systems of justice,
03:33two sets of laws,
03:34one for the president and his family
03:36and his rich friends like you,
03:37and one for the rest of us.
03:38Nothing demonstrates this more than the so-called settlement
03:41with its slush fund for insurrectionists
03:43and tax immunity for the president and his family.
03:45Mr. Secretary, simple question.
03:47Do you believe that there should be
03:49only one legal system in this country
03:50and that no one, even the president,
03:52should be above the law?
03:53I believe that no one is above the law,
03:55but you all have put the president beneath the law
03:57and you have weaponized the system against him,
04:00whether it is the leak of his taxpayer records.
04:03His taxes should never be leaked.
04:04No taxpayer's information should be leaked.
04:06I agree with you on that.
04:07But note, let me ask you a separate question.
04:10Would you like to apologize to the president right now
04:12on behalf of the...
04:14I have nothing to apologize to this president for.
04:16His taxes should not have been leaked,
04:17but it was leaked by a contractor.
04:18And you keep trying to dissemble here
04:21and avoid the questions.
04:23Do you believe that all Americans
04:25should pay the taxes they owe
04:27and not admit penny more?
04:29100%.
04:29Yes or no?
04:30All right.
04:30So do you think it applies to the president of the United States
04:33irrespective of whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican?
04:36Yes.
04:37Okay.
04:37So we agree on this
04:39and we should have a tax system that is fair
04:40and it should be applied fairly to all people.
04:43But I can tell you that my constituents are outraged
04:46by the agreement the president made with himself
04:49and his own Justice Department
04:50that excluded him from ever having an audit over his taxes.
04:55No one should be targeted by the administration.
05:00Whoever is in the White House,
05:03no one should be targeted by the administration.
05:05Whoever is in the White House,
05:06their taxes should be paid
05:07and they should be confident
05:09that that information will be kept confidential
05:11with the IRS
05:12and not used to target them,
05:14their families or their business.
05:15Couldn't agree more.
05:16Couldn't agree more.
05:17Mr. Yaakam.
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