[0:00]Morning everyone. >> Honored to be joined today by whip
[0:10]Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar as we prepare to depart for the August district work period. The Trump
[0:21]administration and House Republicans have been a complete and total failure. These MAGA extremists promised that they were going to lower
[0:32]costs in the United States of America. In fact, they promised the American people that cost would go down on day one. But costs haven't gone down. They are on
[0:44]the way up. Inflation is up. It's the quality of life of everyday
[0:51]Americans that is deteriorating. And Donald Trump and House Republicans are making things worse. The one big
[1:02]ugly bill will rip away health care from millions of Americans. Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Community-based health
[1:12]clinics will be unable to operate. And as a result of the inability of everyday Americans to get the medical
[1:21]care that they need, people will die. This is a direct result of action taken
[1:31]by Donald Trump and House Republicans connected to the one big ugly bill. It's extraordinary that as we prepare to leave for the
[1:41]August district work period, what House Republicans can point to is a toxic and extreme Republican budget
[1:51]that will cause millions of Americans to be broke, sick, and hungry. That's the legislative accomplishment
[2:03]of House Republicans. And all of this was done to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks.
[2:14]The one big ugly bill is deeply unpopular. Donald Trump is deeply unpopular and House Republicans
[2:26]haven't done a damn thing to make life more affordable for the American people. During the August district work period, House Democrats
[2:36]will hold events all across the country talking about our efforts to build an affordable
[2:46]economy that lowers the high cost of living in the United States of America. to protect the health care of the American people and to combat the culture of corruption
[2:58]that exists in this town that undermines the ability to have a government of the people, by
[3:07]the people, and for the people. We're looking forward to holding town hall meetings across the country
[3:19]at the same time that Republicans will continue to run away from town hall meetings. But we will fill the void that they are
[3:28]leaving and engage aggressively with the American people all in service of building a country where everyone can
[3:40]experience the American dream. It's now my honor to yield to our whip, the Honorable Katherryn Clark. >> Thank you, Mr. Leader. I am deeply
[3:50]grateful for your leadership over these last six chaotic months. Um, and what a fitting end to these six months of
[4:01]Republican control in Washington. instead of doing their jobs, instead of standing up for kids, for families, instead of standing on the side of
[4:13]transparency and accountability, Republicans are running away. All to avoid the release of the Ebstein client
[4:23]list. All to cover up for pedophiles. In this hollowedout version of the Republican party, they knock down people
[4:34]who work hard for a living. Their signature bill, the big ugly bill, kicked 15 million Americans off their
[4:44]health insurance, takes food from 16 million kids, raises energy bills, shuts down hospitals, denies veterans their benefits.
[4:56]They run up the debt to give tax breaks to billionaires and they run out of town to hide sex crimes for the rich and
[5:06]famous. Well, Americans are sick of a system that looks at people who follow the rules and actually work for a living
[5:17]and puts them last. Right now, 60% of American households say they can't afford the basics.
[5:28]Most parents, 54% say they will have to skip on groceries to afford school supplies this fall. You
[5:39]deserve better. Your family deserves better. And over the next six weeks, House Democrats will fan out across the
[5:49]country listening to our neighbors, listening to our constituents, and we are going to make sure that Americans
[5:58]know it does not have to be this way. We can fight corruption. We can lower the cost of child care. We can make health
[6:10]care and housing more affordable. We can build an economy that rewards the people who make it run, not the corporations
[6:20]who exploit them. We can have a Congress that prioritizes kids and families. This is the wealthiest nation in the
[6:32]history of the world. There is enough for everybody, not just to get by, but get ahead. If we give the American
[6:42]people the fair shot at success that they deserve, and there is no one who we'd rather be in this fight with giving
[6:53]people the fair shot making an affordable economy in this country than our chairman Pete Aguular. >> Thank you, Whip Clark, Leader Jeff, for
[7:04]your friendship, but for your leadership of this Democratic caucus as well. Uh this Republican majority is nothing short of a disgrace. They've spent the
[7:15]last six months lining the pockets of billionaires and wealthy corporations who are already raking in record profits. They've prevented Democrats
[7:25]from rolling back reckless tariffs that are driving the price increases that we see under Donald Trump's watch. They're closing nursing homes, forcing
[7:35]grandma and grandpa to fend for themselves while making the purchase of a new private jet fully taxdeductible. It's just cartoonish levels of
[7:44]corruption. Rural hospitals are already closing down because Republicans pushed through the largest cut to Medicaid in the history of the country. They've
[7:54]completely broken the bipartisan appropriations process and are leading us toward a government shutdown that will hurt hardworking Americans. We were elected by our constituents to solve
[8:05]problems and to get things done. But at every turn, the Republicans are choosing partisanship and division and chaos. Now, they're fighting amongst themselves
[8:15]about how they should hide President Trump's involvement in the Epstein files. Over the next few weeks, House Democrats are going everywhere to talk about the devastating impacts of the
[8:26]Republican cuts to Medicaid and their inability to focus on the most pressing challenges that the American people face. Republicans are too scared to face their own voters and will probably spend
[8:38]the August recess on the run. Turn over to Leader Jeff. >> Thank you, Pete. Questions? >> Good morning. Senate Republicans seem to
[8:49]be torn about staying in session about new nominees and also going back to sell the big beautiful bill from their perspective. Would it help Democrats if they were to stay in session so they
[9:00]couldn't sell and market that piece of leg piece of legislation? >> That's a decision uh for the Senate Republicans to make. As Chair Aguilar just indicated, as Katherryn Clark has
[9:11]indicated, Republicans are on the run. They have nothing good to sell to the American people. The one big ugly bill hurts everyday
[9:22]Americans to reward billionaires and wealthy corporations with massive tax breaks. It is deeply unpopular and that is why it's our expectation
[9:33]that during the August district work period, you're going to see House Republicans and Senate Republicans running away from the American people
[9:41]because they are running scared. >> That's um when you come back in September, you're going to have the the shutdown fight that'll consume most of the oxygen here. You said earlier in the
[9:53]week that if it's a partisan Republican bill, House Democrats will be united against it. Um, you didn't mention the Senate. Do you have faith that uh that Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats will hold the line given that they did not do
[10:05]so in March? We had a very productive meeting with Senate Democrats yesterday and I'm confident that the only path
[10:13]forward is for Republicans to work with Democrats to pass an appropriations bill that meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their
[10:24]safety, and their economic well-being. A partisan spending bill is dead on arrival. These are all too appropriate.
[10:42]>> Listen, the House Republicans and and the Senate Republicans have a choice to make. Uh it doesn't matter whether they in the Senate stay in session or go
[10:54]home. They cannot hide from the destruction that they have caused. We are looking at with this largest cut to
[11:03]Medicaid in our country's history, not only will it have an impact on people who get their insurance through
[11:12]Medicaid, which is 40% of the children in this country. But there are now estimates that it will cause a almost
[11:23]70% rise in insurance premiums for a family of four that makes $90,000.
[11:34]70% increase in insurance. As the leader said, this was an administration that promised to lower costs on day one. and they cannot get
[11:45]away from the fact that they have made a terrible deal that goes against families in this country. And so we are going to
[11:55]be out there over the next six weeks not only putting forth the high contrast of the disaster they are bringing down on
[12:06]family budgets across this country. But what we can do together to change the system so that it isn't rigged against
[12:17]families who work for a living. the 99.9% of us who don't benefit under the big ugly bill.
[12:28]>> Mike, I think the question for Republicans uh here in Washington DC is what's your plan? You control everything uh the House, the Senate, uh and the
[12:38]presidency. Uh what's your strategy right now? They can't even agree amongst themselves. Senate is marking up to one set of numbers different than the president's budget request. the House is
[12:50]completely, you know, out in right field doing their own thing um with marking up bills that have no basis will be no basis for law. Uh just, you know,
[13:01]twiddling thumbs wasting time. Uh Tom Cole and Speaker Johnson uh have no path and no plan to meaningfully pass bills with bipartisan support. So, if that
[13:11]continues to be their posture, um then we're in for a long September. Uh our hope uh is that Republicans work with us in a bipartisan way as we have always
[13:22]done to fund government. Uh unless and until that happens, uh we're going to be in the in the same spot. We hope that uh that they don't listen to Rusbot and uh
[13:33]and tune out bipartisanship. We think that there should be more bipartisanship. uh there haven't been any House Republicans to my knowledge who have disavowed those statements that the appropriations process should be
[13:44]more partisan which was his comment. So uh until that changes uh we're going to be in a position where uh where they own everything that is is happening in
[13:53]September if we lead toward a shutdown. >> Thank you, Mr. Leader. It's clear that you all will be talking about how unpopular the reconciliation bill is, how vast the provisions are, but do you
[14:05]also think that it's important for you all to prevent to present u a vision of what a Democratic majority would look like? Are there any policy proposals? Are there any um agenda items that you
[14:16]will also pair with the criticisms of the bill to offer a contrast to the American people of what it would look like if they gave you all the gables back? We plan to spend a lot of time
[14:26]talking about our affirmative vision for making life more affordable for the American people, for building an economy that actually works for everyday
[14:36]Americans. We believe in this country that when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live the good life.
[14:47]Good paying job, good housing, good health care, a good education for your children, and a good retirement. That means that Republicans need to keep
[14:56]their hands off of Social Security and Medicare. That's not too much to ask. This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. That when you work hard and you
[15:08]play by the rules, you can live the good life and experience the American dream. That's our vision for the type of country that we should be fighting hard
[15:18]to bring about. America is too expensive and we need to make our country more affordable for hardworking American
[15:29]taxpayers. Mr. Leader, what concern do you have that the conversation about Jeffrey Epste, which has really dominated the Hill for the last two weeks, might overtake the messaging that you all are
[15:40]attempting to bring about the effects this bill would happen would have on the American people. I mean, already we saw today you were all talking about going out and talking to the American public, but at the same time, Congresswoman Clark made sure to start her remarks
[15:52]with conversation about Jeffrey Epste. How do you balance that messaging? Well, I'll yield to Whip Clark and Chair Aguilar, but the reality is that it's
[16:00]all connected from the standpoint of Donald Trump, his administration, and House Republicans have delivered nothing more than a government of the
[16:12]billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. They've passed massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors.
[16:23]And in the context of this Jeffrey Epstein scandal and their refusal to share information to the American people
[16:33]despite promising to do so, one must ponder the question, what are they hiding from the American people? And
[16:42]what billionaires, what well-connected donors, what elite people are they trying to protect?
[16:52]Why haven't Republicans released the Epstein files to the American people? It's reasonable to conclude that Republicans
[17:02]are continuing to protect the lifestyles of the rich and shameless, even if that includes pedophiles.
[17:13]That's a conclusion that if this continues, one may necessarily be compelled to reach. So, it's all connected.
[17:24]Democrats are fighting to make life more affordable for the American people, to improve the quality of life for working families, middle class folks, all those who aspire to be part of the middle
[17:36]class. Hardworking American families, older Americans, our veterans, our families, the men and women of organized labor. This is what drives Democrats.
[17:48]But Republicans are focused on their billionaire donors. That was the centerpiece of the one big
[17:57]ugly bill and it's what explains Republican refusal to release the Epstein files. Yeah.
[18:07]>> Yeah. I started my comments with that today because that is why they're running home today because they don't want to answer a fundamental question
[18:17]that their own base is asking them. You promised us transparency around these files. Now you are hiding them. And it
[18:27]all relates back to the same thing. Everything that House Republicans have done, everything this administration has
[18:36]done since Donald Trump took office is in defense of the elites. And who is paying the price for it? Whether it's with soaring debt, soaring insurance
[18:48]costs, denial of veterans benefits, taking away food, school lunch programs, food, meals on wheels for our seniors.
[18:57]It's the American people. So the jig is up here and this case, the Epstein case has helped their own base
[19:08]see what's going on. that this is a conj job that they were never the center of the work that they are going to do here.
[19:18]If you don't already have a lot of wealth and power, you are not getting uh
[19:26]any attention from this Republican party and they will sacrifice the working people of this country for
[19:36]the benefit of the billionaire class. They've done it in their big ugly bill and now they're doing it by running and hiding from their own campaign process a
[19:48]promise to reveal these files. That's why we are in the situation that we are in today. They are literally running
[19:58]away from the needs of the American people in order to protect the very wealthy. >> If I can get two things here. one, your
[20:09]reaction to Mike Lawler deciding to stay in Congress as opposed to the governor's race. Does that complicate New York 17? And as I looked back at your 100 day marks remarks, you promised a blueprint
[20:20]over the next 100 days as to what your agenda is. Is that going to be a single document? Have we seen that yet? What what what's that look like? We look forward to sharing those ideas with the
[20:31]American people, consistent with what I've talked about in terms of our focus on making life more affordable for everyday Americans and driving down the high cost of
[20:43]living, protecting their health care and social security and the things that matter and strengthening those things as we move forward. And we'll have a lot
[20:54]more to say about the actions that we would take as soon as we have the opportunity to govern in the majority around
[21:05]healthc care. We have a Medicaid and Medicare matters day of action. On July 30th, the 60th birthday of Medicare and Medicaid, we have a Social
[21:17]Security Day of action on a on August 14th. the 90th birthday of Social Security and we'll have a lot
[21:27]to say about our efforts to protect and strengthen Social Security. And then the following week, we have a cost of living week of action where we'll focus on what we as Democrats
[21:38]would do to make life more affordable for the American people and the fact that Republicans are actually making life more expensive.
[21:48]Health care will be more expensive for everyday Americans. If you are able to have health care, millions of people will be without
[21:59]health care. Tens of millions more are going to pay higher health care premiums, co-pays, and deductibles because of steps that
[22:09]the Republicans have taken in connection with the one big ugly bill. Utility costs are going up for the American
[22:19]people all across America because of steps taken that are toxic
[22:27]and extreme in nature by Republicans in connection with the one big ugly bill. The cost of groceries and goods is
[22:36]going up because of Donald Trump's reckless and random tariff policy that is imposing thousands
[22:47]of dollars of additional costs on the American people and that will continue. So there is a lot to talk about during the August district work period. And
[22:59]we will draw a clear contrast between our vision related to building an affordable economy and the Republican efforts to hurt
[23:11]everyday Americans while rewarding billionaires and wealthy corporations. >> Can I cler?
[23:18]>> Yeah. What? And I'll let uh Democrats in New York and California flipped seven seats
[23:29]in the last cycle. Four of those were in New York. We plan on flipping the fifth
[23:39]in 2026 and the 17th Congressional District will be a high priority whether the current incumbent seeks reelection or chooses
[23:50]not to do so. over the next few months. I >> I'll just say real briefly, I just I can't let the opportunity go. I feel bad
[23:58]for Mike Lawler and Zack Nun. They made a critical mistake when they thought about their future aspirations. They asked Donald Trump what he thought and
[24:09]he told them, "Sorry, you got to run." Um John James, Andy Bar declared for higher office and just went. Um the
[24:19]other two said, "Hey boss, what do you think?" And time and time again, that's the motto of House Republicans, which is if Donald Trump says jump, they say,
[24:28]"How high?" Uh that's the fundamental difference. As the leader mentioned, in New York and California, the last election, we picked up seats. We look forward to playing offense around the
[24:40]country. Um because the American people know exactly who House Republicans are protecting and who they are fighting for. They know that healthc care is on
[24:51]the ballot. Healthc care is at stake. The rich and powerful are protected. Uh that's what's going to be the fundamental difference next November. >> Thanks.
[25:02]>> Second, I want to ask about yesterday's appropriations meeting. Coming out of there, was there any sense that Democrats don't want to set red lines on appropriations yet like there were in March?
[25:14]>> We've made very clear uh that a partisan spending bill that comes out of the House of Representatives will do so without
[25:23]Democratic support. and Senate Democrats have made clear that the only path forward to reaching an enlightened spending agreement uh is one that is
[25:34]arrived at in a bipartisan way because that is the path that Democrats are committed to in terms of meeting the needs of the American people related to their health, their safety, national
[25:45]security, and the economic well-being of everyday Americans. a partisan spending bill
[25:57]is dead on arrival in terms of securing significant Democratic support or any Democratic support
[26:07]in the House and I believe that that is the case in the Senate as well. Thank you, Mr. Leader. past comments
[26:16]from Mam Dani uh resurfaced in which he implies that you were Islamophobic uh towards him and he compared your words to those of segregationist George
[26:27]Wallace. What is your response to these comments and will they be a topic of discussion when you guys meet at the end of this month? >> Uh
[26:37]we responded uh in the article that you're making reference to. Uh and that response speaks for itself. Thank you, Mr. Leader. Um, just as you
[26:49]guys prepared to recess, the Committee on House Administration announced some new upgrades to member security, including an increase member allows, which I know is something you and the ranking member called for, do you feel
[26:59]these changes are sufficient? And because this is kind of a pilot program, do you believe they should be implemented long term? We arrived at an agreement that was bipartisan in nature
[27:11]uh that involved the highest levels of House Republican and Democratic leadership uh as well as the top leaders on the House administration's committee
[27:21]led by Joe Morelli on the Democratic side. Uh that is a substantial step in the right direction but will be in effect of course for the balance of this
[27:31]fiscal year. Conversations are ongoing in part based on the experiences that members on both sides of the aisle have when they're back home in their districts throughout
[27:43]the August district work period. Uh as to what work, what helped uh and what other areas perhaps are right for
[27:52]enhancement. >> Third row. Um, so I wanted to ask six months into Donald Trump's presidency, a lot of Democratic voters were upset with Democrats because they weren't fighting
[28:03]back enough. You know, at six months now, do you think Democrats are fighting back enough or do you think there's more for you guys to do? >> We continue to be in a more is more environment. That's more town hall
[28:14]meetings, more speeches, more rallies, more demonstrations, more sitins, more press conferences, speeches on the House floor, speeches on the Senate floor, site visits all across the country,
[28:25]steering and policy committee, hearings which have been taking place here at the capital and across the country. We're going to be in a more environment until
[28:36]we can end this national nightmare on behalf of the American people. Go back to this side. Is every member of the Democratic caucus fit mentally and physically to serve another term in
[28:46]Congress? And what role do you see yourself in playing in having conversations with members about retirement or their future here? uh that's not a discussion that we have had at the moment with individual members
[28:57]who are going to make decisions about their future and it's my expectation that those decisions will be based on what
[29:07]members conclude is in the best interests of the communities that they have been privileged to represent as well as themselves, their families uh
[29:18]and the values that they hold dear that we are in the middle of defending on behalf of the American people. What is interesting to me, as Chair Aguilar
[29:29]indicated, is that Republicans clearly are running scared and notwithstanding
[29:39]the desire of a member in New York or a member in Iowa to seek other office because they know that their prospects for reelection are grim
[29:51]given how disastrous things have been as a result of the Trump administration and the failures of House Republicans,
[30:01]they have been ordered by Donald Trump to seek re-election. In other words, Donald Trump has signed their political death sentence.
[30:13]And as has always been the case, they simply choose to bend the knee even when it's not in the best interest of their own political
[30:24]future. Republicans are running scared. Every single data point illustrates that reality, including the fact that
[30:36]Republicans are trying to gerrymander in the middle of the decade the Texas congressional map to try to undermine the ability for the nation to have free
[30:46]and fair elections. It's all because Republicans are running scared. They have been a complete and total disaster. and the American people will hold them
[30:57]accountable next November. >> Speaker Johnson today said he was disenchanted with Fed Chair Powell. Um, I wonder what you make of these comments and are you worried about President
[31:08]Trump setting a precedent if he does fire Fed Chair Powell? To the extent Donald Trump chooses to fire Chairman Powell, who has done a good job on behalf of the American people and
[31:19]function independently, which is what the Federal Reserve is designed to do in terms of monetary
[31:29]policy, Donald Trump will continue his efforts were he to fire Chairman Powell
[31:37]to crash the American economy. Leader Jeff, thank you. Uh, Fox News is reporting that Tulsi Gabbard declassified a House report that they
[31:47]say shows that uh, the Obama administration knew that there was no evidence that Putin was pressuring uh, that or he wanted to help elect Trump during the 2016 election, but pushed out
[31:59]that report anyway. What is your response to this? I >> I want to yield to Captain Pete on this, but is this what we're doing? Like millions of Americans
[32:10]have lost their health care as a result of actions taken by the Trump administration and House Republicans. Children, veterans, and seniors will go
[32:20]hungry as a result of actions taken by House Republicans and the Trump administration. Everyday Americans are being hurt. Republicans have passed this one big
[32:32]ugly bill that will cause everyday Americans to be broke, sick, or hungry. Republicans are on the run. They can't even get their act together as it
[32:42]relates to releasing the Epstein files that every single one of the top leaders of the Trump Justice Department and the Trump FBI and the Vice President and the
[32:54]president himself promised to release. Republicans are on the run. They have done grave damage to the American people.
[33:05]And so when you have nothing to present that's affirmative to the American people, Republicans
[33:14]blame Barack Obama. It's laughable. and a spokesperson for President Obama
[33:24]released a statement that makes that clear. >> This is It's pathetic.
[33:35]It is pathetic. We have the head of intelligence just trying to worm her way back into the good graces of the White
[33:45]House. And why it is not just pathetic but so dangerous and wrongheaded is that the American people are waving their
[33:55]arms and saying we aren't making it in this country and everything that the GOP is doing is making it worse. It is
[34:06]stretching family budgets that are already stretched to the breaking point. They don't want to talk about how can we cap the cost of child care so people can
[34:17]afford to work and find child care so they can get to their jobs knowing their kids are in a quality program. How come we're not talking about ways to help
[34:27]people put that down payment together for a house? how we can build housing in a way that is productive and creates
[34:36]American jobs and drives down the costs. How come they're not talking about helping our veterans who we know rely on our food programs and rely on the VA?
[34:48]You cannot cut tens of thousands of people from the Veterans Administration and look veterans in the eye and say, "Thank you for your service." We owe
[34:59]them better. And this this incessant obsession with getting back in and staying in the good graces of the
[35:08]president has an incredible dangerous toll for American families. They are the ones that pay the price for these lies
[35:20]and for this fidelity not to the people of the United States but to one person which is Donald Trump.
[35:30]I'm confident that the American people see through this. If a judge rules in a position that Donald Trump disagrees with, they are corrupt. They
[35:41]are terrible. If they rule in a way that he likes, then it is the best decision ever. And
[35:50]his default is blame President Obama, blame Secretary Clinton, blame President Biden. It's been n and a half years since
[36:02]Barack Obama was in the White House. And is only as a distraction to more Jeffrey
[36:09]Epstein questions does Tulsi Gabbard throw a bone to Donald Trump. That's all this is about. It's a distraction to get
[36:19]back in his good graces after she was prevented from presenting um national security information to Capitol Hill and kept out of some of the
[36:30]most important rooms where decisions occur. And it's an effort by Donald Trump to distract from the issues of the
[36:40]day, which is what are House Republicans, what are Republicans in Congress doing going on an August recess, having to face their
[36:51]constituents, not having town halls, cutting health care, cutting food security, threatening nursing homes. That's what this is about. and every other effort is
[37:02]just a distraction by by Donald Trump to blame someone else. Trump administration is a malignant clown show. It's a malignant clown show
[37:14]and every single day they prove that point. Last question. Number of Democrat members uh met with Mahmud Khalil
[37:25]yesterday. Are you on board with them having those meetings? And are you concerned at all that Republicans going to weaponize this issue against Democrats in the midterms? >> I have not spoken to any of the members
[37:34]who've had that uh discussion with respect to the immigration issue. More broadly,
[37:45]we believe that we must continue to secure the border. We believe that we have a broken immigration system and it must be fixed
[37:56]in a comprehensive and bipartisan way. We also believe that this is a nation of immigrants. And as Democrats, we will continue to
[38:06]defend dreamers, farm workers, and hardworking immigrant families and push back against the aggressive
[38:18]overreach by the Trump administration that has been unleashed on the American people. Thank you. >> Thank you.