House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is taking aim at Republicans over America’s high cost of living, saying Democrats are focused on lowering costs while Republicans are “running scared.”
Jeffries says the American people will ultimately have the last word as concerns over prices and household expenses remain a major political issue. His remarks also put the spotlight on the broader debate over President Donald Trump, Republicans and the cost-of-living crisis in the United States.
Watch the full report for Hakeem Jeffries’ remarks, the Democratic attack on Trump and Republicans, and the ongoing U.S. cost-of-living debate.
#HakeemJeffries #DonaldTrump #Trump #Republicans #Democrats #CostOfLiving #CostOfLivingCrisis #USPolitics #AmericanPolitics #GOP #HouseDemocrats #TrumpNews #USNews #Inflation #RisingCosts
Also Read
Biden Meets with New House Speaker Johnson and Democratic Leader Jeffries :: https://www.oneindia.com/international/biden-meets-with-new-house-speaker-johnson-and-democratic-leader-jeffries-gen-3668815.html?ref=DMDesc
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Jeffries says the American people will ultimately have the last word as concerns over prices and household expenses remain a major political issue. His remarks also put the spotlight on the broader debate over President Donald Trump, Republicans and the cost-of-living crisis in the United States.
Watch the full report for Hakeem Jeffries’ remarks, the Democratic attack on Trump and Republicans, and the ongoing U.S. cost-of-living debate.
#HakeemJeffries #DonaldTrump #Trump #Republicans #Democrats #CostOfLiving #CostOfLivingCrisis #USPolitics #AmericanPolitics #GOP #HouseDemocrats #TrumpNews #USNews #Inflation #RisingCosts
Also Read
Biden Meets with New House Speaker Johnson and Democratic Leader Jeffries :: https://www.oneindia.com/international/biden-meets-with-new-house-speaker-johnson-and-democratic-leader-jeffries-gen-3668815.html?ref=DMDesc
~HT.318~ED.464~PR.462~VG.HM~
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NewsTranscript
00:00that has skyrocketed gas prices, skyrocketed food prices, and skyrocketed diesel prices
00:06on the American people in the Midwest and beyond. Six weeks until Judgment Day,
00:15House Democrats are running toward the finish line and Republicans are running scared.
00:22It's about six weeks until Judgment Day. Democrats are running toward the finish line,
00:29Republicans are running scared all across the country. The American people know that the Trump
00:36Republican economy has been a complete and total failure and that Democrats are on their side.
00:44Democrats are committed to driving down the high cost of living. Democrats are committed to making
00:50sure that health care is affordable for every single American, and Democrats are committed to
00:57ending this reckless war of choice in Iran that has skyrocketed gas prices, skyrocketed food prices,
01:06and skyrocketed diesel prices on the American people in the Midwest and beyond. Six weeks until Judgment Day,
01:19House Democrats are running toward the finish line, and Republicans are running scared. Questions?
01:27Thank you, Mr. Leader. What specifically should President Trump refuse to concede to President Xi tomorrow,
01:34and what would you need to see from this summit to believe it to be a success for the American
01:39people?
01:39We don't see conflict with China, but we are in a strategic competition in all of the different areas,
01:47and we should make sure that President Trump understands who our adversaries are across the world
01:55and who our allies have been. Taiwan is an ally, and hopefully Donald Trump is not going to
02:04give up Taiwanese autonomy or sovereignty or territorial integrity in ways that would be inconsistent
02:17with what past presidents, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, have done.
02:22Good afternoon.
02:24Maybe your opposition to this intercollegiate athletics bill in the Senate,
02:28and I know some members of the CBC have had a lot of resistance to this,
02:32but also specifically last December when they pulled a different sports bill off the floor here,
02:38you characterized that as the Lane Kiffin Protection Act.
02:42There are some who say we want to get, you know, so Lane Kiffin,
02:45or Lane Kiffin's over where we can't skip from school to school.
02:48Is there something that could sweeten that if they were to put some restrictions in that,
02:52and there's an amendment that might be in play in the Senate on that specific issue?
02:54Well, I continue to support the position that has been articulated by the Congressional Black Caucus
03:01and by the NAACP relative to anything related to the collegiate sports legislation
03:09moving its way through the Senate or eventually coming to the House.
03:13What I can also say is that as I travel the country,
03:16what the American people are particularly focused on right now
03:19is the fact that the cost of living is way too high.
03:23Life is too expensive.
03:24There are far too many people who are working hard, they're playing by the rules,
03:28they cannot thrive and they can barely survive.
03:32Like, people are stressed the hell out every time they have to go to the grocery store,
03:38every time they have to pay the rent or mortgage,
03:41and every time they have to put gas in the tank.
03:44Stress the hell out.
03:45That's unacceptable in this country.
03:48That's why Democrats are going to continue to keep our focus in a laser-like manner
03:56on fighting for an affordable America,
03:58on lowering the cost of groceries, gas, and housing,
04:02and certainly fighting to make health care affordable for every single American.
04:05But specifically on that coach issue.
04:07We'll deal, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it,
04:10but right now it's premature.
04:11The bill hasn't even passed the Senate, let alone come over to the House.
04:15And obviously, this is an issue that at the earliest,
04:19as House Democrats will deal with it in November or December, at the earliest.
04:24There is some reporting that the Trump administration is considering a diesel export ban.
04:30What would be your position on that?
04:32The problem as it relates to why diesel prices are sky high right now.
04:38It relates directly to Donald Trump's and the Republicans'
04:44reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.
04:48That's the cause of the problem.
04:49As it relates to high gas prices, high diesel prices, and high fertilizer prices,
04:56which in turn is increasing costs on everyday Americans,
05:01including as it relates to groceries and the food that they're struggling to put on their table.
05:07And so Republicans can try one gimmick after the other,
05:11but they refuse to deal with the source of the problem.
05:16Go tell Donald Trump to end that war in Iran that no one in America asked for in the first
05:23place.
05:24And as a matter of fact, the American people expected something different
05:28because Donald Trump and Republicans promised in November of 2024
05:34not to start endless wars in the Middle East, but to stop them.
05:39And then Donald Trump and Republicans in lockstep continuing to be nothing more than reckless rubber stamps
05:47for Donald Trump's extreme agenda.
05:49Donald Trump and Republicans started this reckless war of choice in Iran.
05:54And that is the reason for the high gas prices, the high diesel prices,
05:59and the high fertilizer prices that are suffocating farmers, people in the Midwest,
06:06and folks all across our great country.
06:11Mr. Leader, do you support a diesel ban?
06:14I haven't even evaluated it.
06:17I haven't seen the proposal coming from the Senate Republicans.
06:19What I can tell you is that Senate Republicans right now aren't really serious about actually solving the problem,
06:28because if they were, they would march right down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
06:34and tell their boss to end this war.
06:38Now, it's interesting to me that several of them who are in tight races
06:43and are on the verge of losing, including in places like Iowa or Michigan or Wisconsin,
06:53are all now starting to say the war needs to end.
06:58Where were these Republican sycophants over the last six-plus months
07:03when Democrats in lockstep have been fighting to end the war of choice in Iran
07:10precisely because it's not made our country safer,
07:16but it has made America and the American people economically weaker.
07:21That's the source of the problem.
07:23Let's deal with the source of the problem.
07:27Are there any Republican measures or ideas that you've heard from Republican to President Trump
07:32that you think you and other Democrats could support on the cost,
07:36or is it really just go through the end of the war?
07:38Well, we have an example of Democrats actually working together with Republicans in this Congress
07:45to do something about the housing affordability crisis,
07:48which is why we came together, led by Maxine Waters on the House side,
07:53working with French Hill,
07:55and Elizabeth Warren on the Senate side, working with Tim Scott.
07:59Evidence of what we as Democrats have said from the very beginning.
08:02And we're willing to sit down, have a conversation, talk to anyone, anytime, anyplace,
08:06if they are authentically committed to lowering the high cost of living.
08:11And where possible, finding common ground with people who we may otherwise disagree with,
08:17which is exactly what was done on the housing affordability bill.
08:21Thankfully, without the signature of Donald Trump is now law.
08:26But any of the ideas that are currently voting for, if you were to come back into session next week,
08:32is there anything that you can see that the President or Republicans have been talking about
08:35that you feel like Democrats can support in the short term?
08:38That's the problem. I'm here.
08:40Many House Democrats are here.
08:42The Senate is here.
08:44But House Republicans are nowhere to be found.
08:47They're on vacation.
08:50Another decision made by House Republican leaders to get out of town before sundown,
08:55as opposed to solving problems of importance to the American people.
09:00The number one problem being, how do we lower the high cost of living?
09:04This is part of the reason why, by every measure,
09:09the American people right now trust Democrats on the economy,
09:13trust Democrats to solve the inflationary challenges that we have,
09:17trust Democrats to lower the high cost of living.
09:20Of course, trust Democrats on health care,
09:23trust us on the war,
09:24trust us on the deficit,
09:26and even trust us on immigration.
09:28Because they know
09:30Donald Trump and his violent mass deportation machine
09:33has gone way too far
09:36in brutalizing and killing American citizens
09:39and violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families,
09:43as opposed to using taxpayer dollars
09:46to make life more affordable for the American people.
09:51Senator Sanders and Brett Kassar introduced the bill today
09:53to ban superintelligence and create an AI agency in the cabinet.
09:57What do you think of that legislation?
09:59And is this a policy that Democrats could get behind if you take the majority?
10:02I haven't had an opportunity to look at that legislation.
10:05There are a variety of different bills that are being put forward.
10:08The one thing I do know is that we should act urgently
10:10to promote safety as it relates to artificial intelligence.
10:15And the problem, again,
10:16is that Mike Johnson and the Republicans
10:19apparently believe there is no problem,
10:22even though industry leaders and stakeholders
10:24are saying there is a problem.
10:26And we need to figure out
10:28how to pace things
10:30or slow things down
10:32in order to promote the safety,
10:34the well-being,
10:36and, you know,
10:37the security of the American people,
10:40while at the same time recognizing
10:41that we're not going to allow
10:43the Chinese Communist Party to catch us,
10:47but at the same period of time,
10:49we can't allow this explosive technology
10:51to hurt us
10:53and hurt the American people.
10:55So, you know,
10:56we continue to receive ideas
10:59from a variety of people
11:01within the House Democratic Caucus.
11:02What is clear,
11:04progressive Democrats,
11:05new Dems,
11:06Blue Dogs,
11:07all at least agree
11:08that something should be urgently done.
11:11That's why I'm here right now,
11:12having conversations with others
11:14on a variety of issues
11:15to figure out
11:16how we can solve
11:17some of these problems
11:18for the American people
11:19and Republicans in the House
11:21nowhere to be found,
11:23even though we were scheduled
11:24to be in session this week
11:25and next week.
11:27Nowhere to be found
11:28because they have no interest.
11:30They don't give a damn,
11:31these Republicans.
11:33about making life better
11:34for the American people.
11:35Sorry.
11:36Thank you, Leader Jeffries.
11:38On Israel,
11:39there have been a number
11:40of bills introduced
11:41over the course of this Congress.
11:43Rep Ramirez has
11:44the Blocked the Bombs Act.
11:45Rep Kasten has
11:46the C-SPAC Compliance Act.
11:47Rep Nadler has a bill
11:49on sanctions in the West Bank.
11:50Should Democrats take
11:51the majority in November?
11:53Are there specific bills
11:54that you would see
11:55likely to come up
11:57for votes in the House
11:58next year?
11:58Well, what I have said
12:00and Catherine Clark,
12:03Pete Aguilar,
12:04and myself
12:04are all co-sponsors
12:07of the West Bank
12:10Violence Prevention Act,
12:12the legislation
12:12introduced by Jerry Nadler
12:15that I think
12:15now has broad support
12:17across the House
12:18Democratic Caucus family,
12:20is certainly
12:21a legislative step
12:22that should be considered
12:24in order to push back
12:25aggressively against
12:26the out-of-control
12:27settler violence
12:28in the West Bank
12:30that cannot continue.
12:33We have a whole host
12:34of other challenges
12:35that need to be resolved
12:36in the Middle East,
12:38and I believe
12:38they should be anchored
12:39in two different principles.
12:42One, we support,
12:44I support,
12:46Israel's right to exist
12:47as a Jewish
12:48and democratic state
12:49and support Israel's ability
12:51to live side-by-side
12:53in peace
12:55and prosperity
12:55with a Palestinian state.
12:59And we need to lean into
13:01the notion
13:02that creating
13:04a Palestinian state
13:06so that the Palestinian people
13:07can achieve
13:09the dignity
13:10and self-determination
13:11that they long deserve
13:14needs to be
13:15a twin priority.
13:17And I think
13:18that's a view
13:18broadly shared
13:20within the House
13:20Democratic Caucus.
13:22You led off
13:23by talking about
13:24the election.
13:25The political environment
13:26does look promising
13:27for Democrats,
13:27but Republicans
13:28have a cash advantage
13:29in some of these races.
13:31Many of your members
13:32have not fulfilled
13:33their DCCC dues.
13:35What's your message
13:35to your own caucus
13:36who haven't paid up
13:37their DTRIP dues?
13:38And would you support
13:39measures to ban members
13:41from seeking leadership
13:42if they weren't in compliance
13:44with their dues?
13:44Well, it's all hands
13:45on deck right now,
13:46and we continue
13:47to encourage
13:48every single member
13:49of the House Democratic Caucus
13:50to be as supportive
13:52as they can.
13:54Cycled to date,
13:55we've continued
13:56to narrowly
13:57out-raise
13:58our Republican
13:59counterparts,
14:01House Republicans
14:02versus
14:02House of Democrats.
14:04And we need
14:05to continue
14:05to keep that pace
14:06going forward.
14:08Now, we're going to have
14:09the resources necessary
14:10to win
14:12in a competitive environment,
14:13and certainly
14:14what Republicans
14:15are facing right now
14:16is a challenging environment.
14:17This is why
14:18they're running scared.
14:20And they want it
14:21both ways,
14:22these Republicans.
14:24Because for 10 years,
14:25Republicans
14:27have been more afraid
14:28of Donald Trump,
14:30their boss,
14:31than they have been
14:32of the American people
14:33for 10 years.
14:34And now,
14:35all of a sudden,
14:36they're waking up
14:37and they're understanding
14:39that Donald Trump
14:39is deeply unpopular,
14:42the Trump economy
14:43has been a failure,
14:44the Trump tariffs
14:45have been a disaster,
14:47and the war of choice
14:49has skyrocketed
14:50gas prices
14:51on everyday Americans.
14:53And so you have
14:54a handful of Republicans
14:55now pretending
14:56as if they want
14:58to create some distance
15:00between themselves
15:02and Donald Trump.
15:04And Republicans
15:05acting like
15:06they care about the voters.
15:08For 10 years,
15:08you haven't given a damn
15:09about what the voters think.
15:12because Republicans
15:13have simply
15:14bent the knee
15:15to Donald Trump.
15:17Now they want it
15:17both ways.
15:19On the one hand,
15:20they want
15:20Donald Trump's
15:22MAGA money.
15:24I mean,
15:25they're feeding
15:25at the trough
15:26of Donald Trump's
15:28MAGA money.
15:29It's the only thing
15:29they have left.
15:31And on the other hand,
15:32they want to pretend
15:32as if they're creating
15:33distance
15:34between Donald Trump
15:36and themselves.
15:39But ain't no such thing
15:40as halfway crooks.
15:43They're scared to death.
15:44They're scared to look.
15:45They're shook.
15:46These Republicans
15:47are running scared.
15:50And the American people
15:51will have the last word.
15:54Thank you,
15:55Mr. Leader.
15:55CNN is reporting
15:56that Democrat voters
15:57are unhappy
15:58with Democrat leadership,
15:59citing net approval
16:00is down 31 points,
16:02currently sitting at
16:02minus 12 points
16:03versus 2018,
16:05where it was up 19 points.
16:06Are you at all,
16:07Corey,
16:07is this an indication
16:08that Democrat leadership
16:10isn't far left
16:11enough on the base
16:12currently
16:12as they move
16:13toward social?
16:14No.
16:15We're focused
16:15on taking back
16:17control of the House
16:18and taking back
16:19control of the Senate.
16:20And by the way,
16:22you know,
16:23in January of 2025,
16:25the view was,
16:26it's finished,
16:27it's over
16:28for the Democratic Party.
16:30But many of us said
16:32then,
16:33news of our demise
16:34is greatly exaggerated.
16:36And at the end of the day,
16:38all of us
16:39are going to be judged
16:39by our ability
16:40to both push back
16:42against MAGA extremism
16:44and we've battled
16:45Republicans
16:46on every issue.
16:48Battled them
16:49on the tariffs.
16:49Battled them
16:50on the reckless
16:51war of choice.
16:52Battled them
16:53on the Medicaid cuts.
16:54Battled them
16:54on the Epstein cover-up.
16:56Battled them
16:57on ICE funding.
16:58Battled the Republicans
16:59on the unprecedented
17:00corruption
17:01they've unleashed
17:02on the American people
17:03and battled them
17:04on their one
17:05big,
17:06ugly bill.
17:08We have to continue
17:09to battle them
17:10in every possible way
17:11in order to protect
17:13the American people
17:13and at the same
17:14period of time,
17:15continue to articulate
17:17a vision
17:18that connects us
17:20as Democrats
17:21with the American people
17:22on the issues
17:22that matter.
17:23And I think
17:25the reality is
17:27six weeks or so
17:28from the election,
17:30we see
17:31that
17:33the American people
17:35trust Democrats
17:36across the board
17:38on all the issues
17:40that matter,
17:41including the economy,
17:43including combating
17:44inflation,
17:45including lowering
17:46the high price
17:47of living,
17:47including the war,
17:49and including immigration.
17:50And the rest of it
17:51will speak for itself
17:52in terms of where
17:53we ultimately land.
17:54But personally,
17:55I'm not running
17:57a popularity contest.
18:00We're trying to run
18:01through the finish line
18:02and take back control
18:03of the House of Representatives.
18:04You mentioned
18:05the urgency of AI
18:07and regulating that.
18:09You've also obviously
18:10talked about day one,
18:11and, you know,
18:11the House of Democrats
18:12first-rate priorities
18:13is going to be the economy.
18:14So how do you balance that
18:15if there's nothing done
18:16on AI before the end
18:17of this Congress?
18:18How do you balance that
18:19if you guys are
18:19in the majority
18:20of the next Congress?
18:21Where does AI fall
18:22and where are
18:23the House of Democrats
18:24coming together
18:24on a unified proposal?
18:25You mentioned
18:26there a bunch of ideas
18:26of what the point
18:27do we expect
18:28you guys to have
18:29a unified plan?
18:30Well, we're committed
18:30to getting something done
18:32on AI safety now.
18:35We should be in session
18:37today, tomorrow,
18:39this week,
18:40and next week.
18:40It's extraordinary to me
18:42that Republicans
18:43have gotten out of town,
18:45raced out of town.
18:46I don't know why,
18:47because there's nothing
18:48that they can do
18:49between now
18:50and Election Day
18:51to reverse their fortunes.
18:52The Republican economy
18:54has been a disaster,
18:55and the American people
18:56know it.
18:56That's why Republicans
18:57are now running away
18:58from their own
18:59legislative track record
19:02and their own
19:03big, bold claims
19:04of some massive mandate
19:07last January
19:09that I said
19:11didn't exist.
19:12Didn't exist last January,
19:14didn't exist this January,
19:16and it certainly
19:16doesn't exist now.
19:18So, on AI safety,
19:20we should do something.
19:21We're committed
19:21to doing something
19:22now,
19:24and that's what
19:25should happen.
19:25And I'm thankful
19:26for the leadership
19:28of Ted Lieu,
19:29Val Fouchi,
19:30and Josh Gottheimer,
19:32who are part of
19:33the commission
19:35that we set up
19:36on AI
19:37to protect
19:38the best interests
19:39of the American people,
19:40and there will be
19:41some recommendations
19:42forthcoming,
19:43and then there are
19:44other members
19:44of Congress
19:45who are thought leaders
19:47in this area,
19:48including,
19:49you know,
19:49future chairs
19:50like Zoe Lofgren,
19:52of course,
19:53and Frank Pallone,
19:53as well as members
19:54of the Energy
19:55and Commerce Committee
19:56like Laurie Trahan.
20:00In light of
20:01Xi Jinping's
20:02visit this week,
20:03do you think
20:03that there's a need
20:04for the Select Committee
20:05on China
20:06if Democrats
20:07take back the House?
20:08Well, we'll have
20:08that conversation
20:09in the aftermath
20:10of the November
20:11general election,
20:12and we'll cross that bridge.
20:13When we get to it,
20:14there'll be a variety
20:14of different perspectives.
20:16I mean,
20:16what we have to do
20:17right now
20:17is continue to make
20:18our case
20:18to the American people
20:20that we're fighting
20:21for the principle
20:22in this country
20:24that when you work hard
20:25and play by the rules,
20:26you should be able to live
20:27a good life,
20:29an affordable life,
20:30and a comfortable life.
20:32And that's not happening
20:32right now in America
20:34because of failed
20:35Republican policies.
20:37The American people
20:38are drowning
20:40in the Trump economy.
20:42They've had enough,
20:45and that's why
20:46Republicans are heading
20:48toward electoral defeat
20:50in November.
20:52Thanks, everyone.
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