[0:03]Good morning. Grateful to be joined today by DC Chair Susan Delben and the vice chair Ted Lou. Uh at the DC C
[0:14]today, we had a productive caucus meeting uh across the street. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. We're 6 months into this Trump
[0:24]administration and prices are rising because of reckless tariffs. Inflation is still too high and now health care costs are going to skyrocket.
[0:34]For the 24 million Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act, health insurance will go up by as much as 75%. And these price hikes don't even include the tax credits that Republicans are
[0:45]going to let expire. So even more Americans are going to see higher costs and could lose their healthcare coverage. Democrats have been warning about the dangers of the
[0:57]Republican cuts to Medicaid leading to higher prices for everyone. The American people were told that Donald Trump and Republicans were going to turn the economy around and
[1:07]prioritize families. But that couldn't be further from the truth. They've spent the last six months putting more money in billionaires
[1:17]pockets and cutting health care. But they did make private jets taxdeductible. So there's that. They're even shielding Jeffrey Epstein and his
[1:27]associates, including the president of the United States, from accountability, despite promising for years to release the files that implicate those involved. At a time when family budgets are
[1:39]stretched thin, Republicans are only prioritizing the needs of billionaires. It's not just bad policy that will make the economy worse. It's a slap in the
[1:48]face to working people who voted to bring down costs. Now introduce Vice Chair Ted Lu. >> Thank you, Chair Magguire.
[1:59]This morning, I went on this interesting website called Housereublicanprice hikes.com. And if you go on that website, you can see the increases in grocery prices
[2:10]starting from the beginning of this year. Beef prices, for example, are at an all-time high. Donald Trump promised that he was going to lower inflation on day one. He lied. Inflation has
[2:22]continuously increased. The most recent report has inflation increasing above expectations to 2.7%. Core CPI increased even more to 2.9%.
[2:34]And what are congressional Republicans doing? Nothing. In fact, it's even worse than that. They are actually ending this week early because they're afraid to
[2:45]cast votes on the Jeffrey Epstein issue. The rules committee is not meeting because they're afraid to cast votes to release the Epstein files. So, you've
[2:56]got this Epstein issue affecting congressional operations and making sure that the congressional Republicans don't work on trying to lower costs. So, this
[3:07]is an epic cover up, right? This is a cover up of epic proportions where you've got the majority party literally having us leave Congress early and not
[3:18]having the rules committee meet because they don't want to deal with releasing the Epstein files. We should release the Epstein files. It is what Donald Trump campaigned on. It's
[3:28]what Attorney General Pam Bondi talked about this February when she said the Epstein client list was quote sitting on her desk right now. Why don't we have that client list? And these are the
[3:39]questions the American people keep asking. And the story is not going to go away because at core, this is an issue about underage women who were sexually abused and assaulted. Attorney General Pam Bondi should not be protecting
[3:51]Jeffrey Epstein's legacy, nor his clients, nor should congressional Republicans be doing the same. With that, it is my honor to introduce our
[4:00]amazing field general for the DC, Congresswoman Susan Delben. She's done a fantastic job and she's going to discuss
[4:08]what we talked about this morning. >> Thanks, Vice Chair Lou and uh Chairman Aguular. Good morning, everyone. Um this morning in caucus, we presented how
[4:20]we're holding House Republicans accountable for their disastrous agenda and our path to retake the majority. We hear over and over and over again from people back home that the top issue for
[4:31]them is affordability and lowering costs. Lowering costs for everyday goods. By all accounts, Republicans have failed miserably in the time that
[4:41]they've had the trifecta. Prices are still rising. Whether it's housing, health insurance, premiums, or everyday food things like food and groceries,
[4:52]Republicans broke their promise to lower costs. Their big ugly law is just another broken promise. It rips coverage away from millions of people and will raise health care bills
[5:03]for everyone regardless of what kind of insurance that they have. And it takes food off the table from hungry families and children. It guts funding for rural
[5:15]hospitals and increases er weight times. Energy bills will go up for families across the country. Republicans did all of this to pay for tax breaks for the
[5:25]wealthiest few. Their agenda is cruel. It's extreme and an absolute dis disaster. And the American people agree. In poll after poll, we see that the
[5:36]Republicans bill is massively unpopular. The more people learn about it, the more they oppose it. The one lie Republicans keep telling themselves is that voters
[5:47]won't punish them in the midterms because the American people won't feel the pain of the cuts until after the election. Aside from the fact that this is exactly
[5:56]the kind of insincere political gamesmanship the public hates is also not true. In a matter of months, millions of people will see their health insurance costs go up by an average of
[6:07]75%. Rural hospitals are already announcing they'll close down and cut services. So no matter how many legislative games that Republicans try to play, there's no
[6:17]hiding from the facts. The big ugly law will devastate and will have devastating consequences that will absolutely be felt by working families. Republicans
[6:27]are poised to lose the majority next year, and they know it. You can tell by the way they're behaving. They avoid in-person town halls because they're
[6:37]afraid to face the public when they're when they have to talk about their big ugly bill. House Republicans are headed for the exits. We already have three rev vulnerable Republicans decide to retire
[6:48]or not run for reelection because they know they're not going to take the majority. And we and we know there are more with one foot out the door who may soon announce that they won't seek
[7:00]re-election. So, in these last six months, Republicans have broken promise after promise, feeding into a larger narrative that reminds everyone that they don't work for the American people.
[7:12]They work for the elite, the powerful, and the billionaires. It's a theme we hear on the ground day after day. And if House Republicans would take the time to
[7:21]listen to their constituents back home instead of only working and waiting for Donald Trump to tell them what to do, they would know. but instead they blindly follow his orders that are
[7:32]hurting our economy and hitting the American families in their pocketbooks. And that's why they'll lose the majority. House Democrats will hold
[7:42]every single vulnerable Republican accountable for their betrayal against their communities when they supported the big ugly bill. We have the better
[7:52]message. We have stronger candidates. And public sentiment is on our side. And next year we'll have the gavvels. Thank
[8:01]you. And I'll turn it back to chairman. >> Thank you. Chair do questions. >> Thank you. Um, House Oversight just
[8:14]approved a subpoena of Gain Maxwell. What are the main questions? What are the leading questions that you have for her? >> I'm not on the House oversight committee. I won't be. Yeah, I won't I
[8:25]won't be in those meetings. But let's let's let me let me tell you our position. Um Donald Trump and House Republicans want to protect the rich and
[8:34]the powerful. It's the basis of their one big ugly bill and it continues to be the theme when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. House Democrats want the truth
[8:45]to come out. Uh we're going to continue to support those efforts. Donald Trump and his son and his closest friends spent years fanning the flame of this
[8:55]theory. Um, and now we're holding them accountable. Um, do they want to protect the rich and the powerful? Uh, or do they want the truth? Those are the questions that the oversight committee hopefully will get to the bottom of.
[9:07]Nick, >> um, on redistricting, I mean for Congressman Del Benet, how much harder would it be for Democrats to retake the House if Republicans go ahead with redistricting in Texas? And then for
[9:17]that matter, do you want blue states to go ahead? >> Um, you know, Republicans are running scared and it's pretty clear uh that they know they can't win on their
[9:28]message um with voters. They're not listening to them. So, um they're trying to rig the system and they're going to try. They've brought this issue up in Texas. They shouldn't do it. They should
[9:38]be careful what they ask for because they will make Republicans more vulnerable, too. And we will compete in every single one of those districts. So, Republicans will lose their job if this
[9:48]is the path that they go down. And the American people are against it. They want to make sure that voter that that uh that it's not politicians trying
[10:00]to pick their voters, but voters actually get to pick their representatives. >> Let me let me add a California piece. I'll turn it over to the vice chair as
[10:09]well for his thoughts. Um uh it's our belief that we can't fight with one hand behind our backs. House Republicans passed this one big ugly bill to kick 17
[10:20]million people off of health insurance two weeks ago. And the first thing that they do uh after the celebratory high-fives at the White House is
[10:31]push forward redistricting efforts to hold on to power. It doesn't sound like a group that's very confident in the policy that they passed. Uh so they want
[10:40]to rig the system. Um there should be a response. We can't let Texas go unanswered. Uh and it's our belief that
[10:50]we should do whatever we can to protect democracy. Uh we shouldn't stand on the sidelines while Republicans unwind districts in order to consolidate power
[11:00]to give Donald Trump uh even more uh ability to threaten our democracy and set aside the rule of law. >> Thank you.
[11:09]In 2018, Democrats flipped the House by 40 seats. One reason it was such a big number is because Republicans thought they were smart when they did
[11:20]gerrymander redistricting and made a bunch of Republican districts that were sort of Republican and they thought they could win. Well, they lost them all in that wave. So, Atlas Intel, one of the
[11:32]most accurate posters last term, came out with a new poll showing Democrats ahead plus 10 on the generic congressional ballot. So, I dare Republicans in Texas and Ohio to do
[11:44]redistricting. I dare you to take incumbent Republicans right now and make their seats less safe because we're going to flip them. >> Michael,
[11:54]>> thank you, Mr. Chair. It seems as though the trust deficit between Republicans and Democrats have widened even more since the March CR and
[12:04]they now that they passed the reconciliation bill decisions, you know, as a member of leadership and as an appropriator, I'm just curious your thoughts heading into recess. How are you feeling about the appropriations process? When you all come back, there
[12:16]won't be a lot of time to try to keep the government open. What are you how are you feeling about just where the appropriations process stands? The Senate hasn't passed many
[12:28]bills. The House has only taken up two bills. They were party line votes. Just kind of take a step back and and give me a state of play as we head into recess. >> Yeah, it's a pretty broken promise. It's
[12:37]a pretty broken system right now. Uh the appropriations process. Um uh I'm not going to lie, this is a place where and I think Kevin McCarthy, you know, kind of started to to break this process when
[12:48]he put uh Freedom Caucus members on on the committee. Uh he did that to try to become speaker um and to hold the gavl uh and we're suffering from that that consequence now. The committee's always
[13:00]been a place where reasonable people come together um disagree uh and then try to find some some common ground and and use um uh the the appropriations and
[13:11]budgeting process to find common ground to uh meet the needs of our constituents. Um that's uh we're we're struggling with that right now and in the room you see that um Rosa Delore is
[13:21]an amazing leader. Tom Cole has a lot of respect. Um but when you continue to give power to Donald Trump and Russ VA um who says the appropriations process
[13:32]should be uh less bipartisan uh you're really lifting up uh some pretty dangerous um actions and rhetoric and we're seeing that. So it isn't just
[13:41]about the recisions bill. It's about uh the do we have a process or not? Do we trust that the executive is going to spend the money uh that we allocate
[13:52]article one section 9 clause 7 uh no money but in consequence of of appropriations like do we stand behind that or or not and I think that's a question for our Republicans colleagues that they're going to have to mole uh
[14:03]this August and we hope that they come back and um feel a little differently than they have in the past. Appreciate the question, Ally. And then, >> are you concerned at all about the
[14:13]strength of Republican fundraising? And do your members need to do more in terms of giving dues or donating to front runners? >> Uh, look, I'll take the first try at that and then I'll let Chair Delane. We
[14:24]need to do everything we can um uh to gain the majority. Uh everything, every single member, every way, every possible uh opportunity we can uh to help the
[14:35]team. that's what this needs to be about. Uh, and I would even argue some of this redistricting, you know, discussion needs to be in that frame, too. I understand that people serve different communities and different
[14:46]constituencies. Um, if we have an opportunity um to to push back against some dangerous behavior that that Texas is doing, we should do it um with the single focus of making Hakeim Jeffrey
[14:57]speaker uh and protecting democracy and restoring some sanity back to this place. Um, so, uh, every member should be giving dues, helping out, helping a
[15:08]colleague, uh, doing town halls, doing town halls in in other districts, um, filling the the the need, uh, that exists, um, to drive our our message and
[15:19]to communicate, uh, that we stand for, uh, rural hospitals, we stand for people getting healthcare, uh, we stand for affordable living and an opportunity to
[15:29]to make a living and realize the American dream. Those are things that that we stand for as a party and um uh we need to focus every member's
[15:38]attention on on that. >> Um just add that um you know public sentiment is with us. I've been uh across the country talking to folks.
[15:48]Folks are outraged and um scared frankly about what's happened under this administration and Republicans who have
[15:57]just let it all happen. Um but they rewarded their biggest donors with a big big bill to tax breaks for the wealthiest and the well-connected and
[16:08]they saw a benefit from that. But we have grassroots support across the country strong. And when we have great candidates who are talking about the issues that matter on the ground, issues
[16:18]like lowering costs, um making sure that people have health care, um these are the issues that matter to folks in our
[16:27]districts and that's absolutely uh people are with us and that's absolutely why we'll take back the majority. >> Republicans are saying that your calls
[16:38]to bring out all the Epstein files are essentially disingenuous. Very uh energetic to have all the files now that the last four years of during the Biden
[16:49]administration those calls weren't there. Can you respond to that? >> I think that's false. Um Vice Chair Lou has been talking about this for a lot of years, so I'll let him speak, but uh
[17:00]this comes down to what are Republicans afraid of? Um what are what's in these documents that they're afraid of and why won't they call for uh the release of them? Uh Jeffrey Epstein was prosecuted
[17:12]under the Department of Justice uh under Donald Trump. Uh then he leaves the White House and his closest friends spend four years uh amplifying uh theories about the case. Uh put up or
[17:23]shut up, follow through or don't follow through. Um but uh that the American people want the truth to come out and Democrats are the ones leading the charge for that.
[17:33]Uh during the Biden administration, I talked about the Epstein files and I noted that Trump was all over the Epstein files that were already released. There's multiple pictures of
[17:44]Trump and Jeffrey Epste. There's multiple videos. There are bizarre quotes from Trump about Epstein. Uh there are plane logs of Trump on Epstein's plane. And now we know there's
[17:54]this creepy birthday card for no for that, didn't they? >> And guess what? I'm right and he was wrong. Because again, Trump is all over the Epstein files. Let me just say again
[18:05]what I just said. There are multiple pictures of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, right? There are multiple videos of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Trump is on Jeffrey Epste's plane logs. There are
[18:16]weird quotes from Trump about Epstein. There are court pleadings with Trump named. And now we know there's this creepy birthday card Trump wrote to Jeffrey Epste on his 50th birthday. So I
[18:27]am right. That fact checker was wrong. And why do you think we have this entire explosion now about Epstein? Because Attorney General Pam Bondi, here's the
[18:36]difference, went on national TV and told the American people that Jeffrey Epste's client list was quote sitting on my desk right now. Where's that client list? Why
[18:48]doesn't she release it? >> Can't take down the profits. Go ahead. >> Um, so Hunter Biden on a podcast um essentially blamed some of your
[18:59]colleagues being loyal to President Biden for Democrats loss in 2024. Do you think these comments are helpful? >> I understand a a son's love for their
[19:10]father. Um those two have a very close relationship. Uh so I understand the the sentiment behind it. I've never met Hunter Biden. He's not a colleague. Uh
[19:21]he didn't vote to cut 17 million people's healthcare. That's what we're focused on. So, I'm not really going to get into uh back and forth on on Hunter Biden. Uh we're focused on the issues of the day. I understand the sentiment
[19:32]around what he's saying. Um but uh people are going to get kicked off of healthcare because of actions that House Republicans have taken here. Uh that's the the most important thing. I've said
[19:41]before uh in the past that uh 100 days isn't enough to run a presidential campaign. I've been clear on that. Uh things could have been different. Um but uh we're moving forward uh and we're
[19:53]trying to protect healthcare here. Go ahead. >> Just looking ahead to next year, are you at all concerned about your ability to focus voters attention on the forthcoming Medicaid cuts given that the
[20:04]tax revisions of Trump's bill are going to take effect that tax season? >> This is a deeply unpopular bill. Uh we know that already. Uh we need to continue to to to hammer that message
[20:15]and um as the American people um see more information about the bill, it becomes less popular. So, I understand what you're talking about. Some of the provisions um going after Medicaid don't
[20:27]take into effect until uh late next year and early 2017. Um but guess what? Health insurance premiums um are going up. Companies are making decisions
[20:38]because they know they're going to have there's going to be less revenue as a result of a trillion dollars cuts to Medicaid, the largest Medicaid cut in history of this country. So, health care
[20:48]uh premiums will rise. That will happen early. um uh insurers insurers will make these decisions um as well. Um and hospitals
[21:00]are going to have to face difficult decisions on what their future looks like. Rural hospitals and clinics um between now and and next November are going to have to make some tough
[21:10]decisions and they should be clear and honest with their constituents and the public as to why they're in this position. It's because House Republicans cut a trillion dollars uh out of
[21:20]Medicaid. And so the task has always been, you know, hard. Um the task has always been about what represents what's best for the American people. Um but
[21:31]this is something we know uh is deeply unpopular. People love and respect uh Medicaid and Medicare, and these are programs that uh face cuts under Donald
[21:41]Trump and House Republicans. >> Last question. I was just going to say the the premium proposal is out there right now. Premiums, health care costs
[21:50]go up to 75%. I said in my opening remarks, so people are looking, this would take place next year. People are feeling the impacts already. Um, and so,
[22:00]uh, this isn't about everything being delayed. It's about cost going up for people right now.
[22:06]>> Last question back. Go ahead. Yson and Senate leader Chuck Schumer need to
[22:20]do anything different. >> Well, one of the lessons we learned wasn't just in the spring, but um you know, this kind of started in December, right, when we had a bipartisan CR that
[22:32]the speaker put out uh and then backed away from because he got scared by Elon Musk. um that really, you know, kind of startled all of us. When you in in our
[22:43]world, when you release a CR, when you put post it and put it up in in public, um it's a deal and and you support it. Uh so for the speaker to back away from that, that continued and obviously it
[22:53]became uh a smaller CR in March, but um yeah, I think it it did set the course for um some of the dysfunction and and craziness that we've seen here under
[23:04]this dome. Uh from our perspective, look, we are we are united against these, you know, terrible cuts. Uh House Republicans are looking to cut programs
[23:14]uh that everyday Americans rely on, looking to cut the Department of Education. I'm heading over to the appropriations bill where uh they're going to continue to to cut our park
[23:24]system and um uh introduce u more pesticides and make it easier for corporate polluters um to get by. Those are the things that House Republicans stand for. So, I think it's pretty easy
[23:36]uh for us um as we weigh our decisions here on on how we proceed. Uh the the burden is on Republicans. Uh ask them uh what their plan is to get a majority vote. Right now, House Republicans and
[23:47]Senate Republicans aren't even on the same page. Um get them to to to let you know what the funding levels are and what their path uh to to a reasonable appropriations process looks like because they're clearly listening to
[23:59]Rusbot and and not working in a bipartisan way as we have in the past. Thank you so much.