[44:12][clears throat] I got >> [clears throat]
[44:31][clears throat] >> Yes.
[44:43][snorts] >> Yeah.
[45:16]>> [snorts] >> Yeah. Hold it there.
[46:47]I know Right. Yeah.
[47:39]>> [laughter] >> Just to be safe >> [snorts] >> Yes.
[48:28]He goes, "No, he's like traveling. That was perfect. It's crazy.
[49:51]I'm sure >> [snorts]
[50:22]>> These are great.
[50:58]Do you know how long? >> Perfect.
[51:15]Okay, great. Thanks so much. >> [clears throat]
[51:52]>> I know. It's like I feel like it's clear.
[54:01]I feel like homework.
[54:38]I mean here >> at least put honesty. Good.
[54:47]>> No, I No, I don't I don't think >> Good morning and welcome back. As we
[54:59]come back into this session following Republican Good morning and welcome back. As we come back into this session following Republicans
[55:09]nearly two-month taxpayer paid vacation, House Democrats top priority remains the same. lowering health care costs for the American people. For months, Republicans
[55:20]have wasted time by refusing to negotiate with Democrats on a deal that would extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. These tax credits allow hardworking families to see their
[55:30]doctors when they get sick, get medication, or have life-saving surgeries. If Republicans let these credits expire, millions of Americans in
[55:40]red, blue, and purple districts will be forced to make incredibly difficult financial decisions or be priced out of health care altogether. An example, in
[55:50]my district, Amy and Redlands is a small business owner. Uh she told me that her health care would jump from $650 per month to $2,000 per month. Amy said she
[56:02]doesn't know if she'd be able to afford her living expenses um let alone this increase. Unfortunately, this is not a unique example around the country. As the
[56:12]richest nation in the world, we cannot allow this to happen. For years, Republicans have been hellbent on repealing the Affordable Care Act, but have no replacement plan. Donald Trump
[56:24]and Republican and Republicans have already created a massive health care crisis in this country with their big ugly law, the largest health care cut in
[56:34]the United States history. By failing to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, Republicans will only exacerbate this. The time to act is now.
[56:44]We should get do we should get going to that. Vice Chair Tedloo. Thank you, Chairman Aguular. So, Republicans have continued to attack
[56:55]healthcare. They passed a law and enacted and enacted policies to make healthc care more expensive. They made deep cuts to Medicaid. There's a $500
[57:04]billion cut slated for Medicare. And the For Care Act is going to dramatically increase because of Republicans attacks on healthcare. Yesterday, a Gallup poll came out showing that this is now
[57:15]weighing on American people's minds in a very big way. Nearly half of the American people, 47% believe they cannot afford health care next year. And then Gallup asked a
[57:27]second question about drug prices. And one in five Americans say they or one of their family members can no longer afford prescription drugs. That is the
[57:37]highest that survey has ever recorded since they asked that question. And so we're asking Donald Trump and Republicans to get serious and work with Democrats on bringing down health care
[57:47]costs instead of increasing health care costs. And nothing Republicans are doing this week is going to help reduce the cost of health care. We also know that
[57:56]other costs are rising. And so they put out a statistic about consumer price index changes to groceries from January
[58:06]to September of this year. It shows a coffee increased 15.3%, ground beef increased 14.2%
[58:15]and bananas increased 7.9%. So Trump's tariffs and the rubber stamp Republican House members are increasing costs at grocery stores as well. We
[58:27]recently saw that the Trump administration is going to lower tariffs on some grocery items. Uh that is finally an acknowledgement that Donald Trump has been lying to American people
[58:38]all along. Terrorists in fact are not paid by foreign countries. They're paid by Americans. That's why grocery prices have gone up and that's why they're going to continue to go up because most tariffs are still on a lot of grocery
[58:50]items and a lot of products. We're asking Donald Trump to stop these tax increases on Americans and deal with affordability which is on the top of Americans minds.
[59:00]questions. Michael. >> Uh, thank you, Mr. Mr. Chairman. Um, so I know as chairman, you really focus on
[59:10]uh keeping, you know, family business in house. You often talk about having family conversations, you know, in caucus meeting. But yesterday on the House floor, we saw, you know, some
[59:20]really intense uh conversations between, you know, members of the caucus lobbying um you know, their frustration at Congresswoman Marie Glen Camp Perez for
[59:31]the Garcia disapproval resolution. I'm curious with this vote coming up, is this an episode that House Democrats can naturally move on from and get back to talking about affordability and healthcare and all of the things that
[59:41]you want to talk about, or will there be some residue that you all will need to work behind the scenes to address before going forward? >> Well, I always I always respect that members have different viewpoints on issues. That's the difference between
[59:53]the Democratic caucus and the Republican conference. Um, you know, we're a we're a coalition. Uh, we're a community. We're not a cult. Um, we all just don't have one view. if one person says we
[1:00:03]have a view. Uh all that said, um we disagree with the resolution that's being offered and we should be talking about issues that affect the American people, including the healthc care
[1:00:13]crisis and the affordability crisis uh that we're in. Um all that said, this did not come up in caucus. Um uh this was not raised by any member in caucus.
[1:00:24]Um so we are all on the same page. Uh we know what is in front of us. Uh we also know the ridiculousness of the Republican calendar. Um they called us
[1:00:33]back big show of having, you know, five days in session uh this week. Um we're voting on rehashed items from years past. This is the the ghost of Christmas
[1:00:44]past coming back. Um you know, CRAAS and and resolutions um that have no basis in helping the American people. That's that should be our guiding point. that should
[1:00:54]be the focus of of what we uh of what we are doing here. Um and I don't think that's lost on the the Democratic caucus. Uh we're united, we're focused. Uh we also know that uh in 50 weeks uh
[1:01:06]we'll have a true test of of where we are. Uh and we need to keep our eye on that ball and make positive change for the American people and that can only happen with true accountability and oversight uh that we will do uh when we
[1:01:17]were when we were in the majority. Eric, >> do you comment more on this idea of $2,000 rebate checks that they're talking about the White House? Um, would you guys support that in any way?
[1:01:28]>> I I I think it's incredibly clear. Um, we have supported uh rebate checks. Uh, we could talk about the child tax credit and making the child tax credit refundable, which is what we did when
[1:01:39]Democrats were in control. Um, this isn't, we aren't new to this. Um, there are tried andrue strategies that put money in people's pockets quickly um so
[1:01:48]families can can use it. Um this what they are talking now is is strictly a diversionary tactic because uh and a reaction uh to the past election uh
[1:01:59]where they got crushed on affordability and now they're trying to overcompensate. as the vice chair mentioned, these tariffs are a direct tax on the American people. And now they
[1:02:11]think the American people aren't paying attention enough um uh to say, "Oh, well, you're going to give us a small rebate check uh while charging us thousands of dollars in increased
[1:02:22]costs." The American people are smarter than that. Uh the American people see through that. Uh and we will continue to talk about the affordability crisis that this president has perpetuated.
[1:02:33]um not inherited. He has perpetuated this by adding costs, adding tariffs to the American people. That is real. Uh that is um uh that is not theoretical.
[1:02:44]Uh he is placing these costs on the American people and then taking a small portion of these of the revenue that's raised and trying to give it to farmers
[1:02:53]to not be upset with him or potentially, as you're talking about, giving it directly to the American people uh to hope that they uh thank him for it. uh
[1:03:02]after fleecing them um for the past uh 10 months. >> Elanor, >> um what do you make of the reception that the Saudi Arabian crown prince is
[1:03:13]getting in Washington this week? And are Democrats at all concerned about having more nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia? >> Uh look, we look forward to uh further cooperation with with countries and
[1:03:24]appreciate uh hosting world leaders to the capital and to DC. Um there are uh concerns that that have been raised um uh in the past and I don't think that we should, you know, whitewash some of
[1:03:36]those concerns. Um so I appreciate that uh the Senate is uh is is having meetings potentially and uh I know there are meetings in the House uh potentially
[1:03:46]tomorrow. Um this should serve as an opportunity to to work with world leaders on issues that we agree with while not ignoring um issues and
[1:03:56]concerns uh that we have uh between our countries. But I hope that uh we can continue to have you know positive dialogue that includes not just the executive but um the first branch of of
[1:04:06]government. >> I want to ask about discharge petitions since you have some experience with that. What is it about this Congress uh
[1:04:17]that is making discharge petitions more successful? >> Uh it's a good it's a good question. Um I'm not going to I'm not going to give you the secret sauce of of how a
[1:04:27]discharge petition um becomes successful. Um but I think that you have to have kind of a strength and resolve among those members advocating for it. obviously in a bipartisan nature. Uh if
[1:04:38]you want to be successful, um have you know a bipartisan group of of members leading something uh who have a working relationship with each other but also have the credibility um to reach out to
[1:04:49]their colleagues um to talk about delivering a solution. But I don't think it's it's lost on on us that some of these discharge petitions moving forward
[1:04:59]are are are advocated by folks who just made significant healthc care cuts. um and now they are trying to get right by
[1:05:09]their voters and and their folks. Um I understand that. Uh I understand there's different viewpoints and some of these pieces of legislation have a lot in
[1:05:18]them. Um but uh we should be very clear with the American people that uh Republicans uh lock, stock, and barrel have voted for the largest cut to
[1:05:27]healthcare across the country. And so putting your putting sending a letter to the speaker or putting out a press release or leading on a discharge petition doesn't inoculate you from the
[1:05:39]votes that you've made to cut healthcare from people. Uh you may be trying to solve one piece of this. Um but that doesn't uh gloss over your voting record. Uh and it's and it's our job to
[1:05:51]to tell that truth to folks. My view of why there's been so many discharge petitions and successful ones is because of failed Republican House
[1:06:02]leadership. A discharge petition is an end run around the speaker and around Republican leadership. And when Republican leadership is protecting pedophiles, you're going to have Democrats, Republicans going, that's
[1:06:14]insane. You cannot do that. And that's why this discharge petition was successful. And because Republican House leadership is out of step with the overwhelming majority of the American people, that's why you're seeing these
[1:06:24]discharge petitions being filed and why some of them are succeeding. >> Uh, thank you. Um, I wanted to ask the House ad I know neither of you are on this committee, but the House
[1:06:36]Administration committee is holding a hearing on the stock Act. Do you think that act that was passed in 2012 has done enough to curb public sentiment about concerns about insider trading
[1:06:46]among Congress? And then in the Senate, Senator Holly along with uh Senator Oaf and Peters co-sponsored the Pelosi Act. Do you think that would be something House Democrats would be willing to take
[1:06:56]up if it were to get to the House? We need more We need more transparency. We need more accountability. We need more legislation specific to uh dealing with U members um who have been trading
[1:07:06]stocks. Our members who sit in committees, this is all public record, who have been sitting in committees and then uh trading stocks. uh some of them campaigned on not wanting to do this and then have have gone and done this uh
[1:07:17]hundreds of times. Uh there needs to be more legislation uh in this regard. Uh House Democrats, I'm not I'm not aware of anything that House Republicans have put out that have indicated that they
[1:07:27]support um a ban on uh stock trading. Uh House Democrats did put that out um before the August work period. uh we put out documents talking about an affirmative agenda, talking about the
[1:07:39]culture of corruption, uh talking about the affordability crisis and the healthcare crisis that we're in uh and the single piece of legislation that was that was mentioned uh was addressing this issue. So, this is something that
[1:07:50]is serious for our caucus. Um and and it'll take serious legislation in order to do it. That doesn't mean um that uh that there's a monopoly on on on one issue or one idea or one piece of
[1:08:01]legislation that gets there. Uh this is why we have hearings and this is why if we truly want a bipartisan effort, then it's on Republicans to work with us in order to to solve this issue.
[1:08:12]>> I support a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks. I also think people need to look at the president of United States. Uh it is massive corruption going on in the White House.
[1:08:24]The Swiss basically gave him a personalized gold bar. The country of cutter gave him a used jumbo jet. You've got his family making huge amounts of
[1:08:34]money off of crypto and the president pardoned a criminal because that person was with a company that helps his family with crypto. The amount of corruption in the White House is insane,
[1:08:46]unconscionable levels. And in addition to the stock act, we need to look at putting some real serious ethics into the White House. >> And I also offer the Supreme Court. This
[1:08:57]can't just be something that affects Congress. We have to look at the executive branch as well as an enforceable um code of conduct for the Supreme Court as well. Cassie, >> I wanted to ask uh kind of piggybacking off on Nick's question about uh
[1:09:09]discharge petitions. You know, obviously today we will have this vote on on the Epstein files and releasing them. Republican leadership now saying that they aren't whipping one way or another, saying that members can vote their
[1:09:20]conscience after Democrats have accused them of cancing votes and sending the House home so that this vote couldn't be taken earlier, not swearing in Adelita Ghala. So, what do you make of this
[1:09:30]about face and do you directly correlate it with the president's about face on this? >> Yeah, absolutely. I mean, all of them feel the same way. I mean, this is about them knowing that they're going to lose. They are going to lose this vote. They
[1:09:42]could not convince Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boowart uh from the situation room. Um they could not convince them to remove their signatures. So they are shifting strategies. Now they have to
[1:09:52]embrace it because they're going to lose this issue. And they weren't going to lose by a little. Uh they were going to lose by a lot. Um and I think the president um you know clearly doesn't
[1:10:02]want to be viewed as a as a as a lame duck or on the losing side of an issue um with the Republican conference. and Republicans are probably tired of of
[1:10:11]having to defend um uh uh the pedophilia that that Jeffrey Epstein stood for. Um and so uh I think it's clear um that their only reason why they're doing this
[1:10:22]is because they were they were losing. And so now they're going to try to project that they that they don't care or or that they aren't pushing members. Uh they pushed members. They sent us all home in September. Um [snorts] those are
[1:10:34]just the facts. Um they avoided this this issue. They avoided this vote for so long. They can't suddenly turn uh the page and say, "Oh, we're we're fine with this. We were just we were just kidding." And oh, by the way, let's make
[1:10:46]it about the policy. And if the president wanted to put the Epstein files out, he could do that tomorrow. Um he is choosing not to. He is also choosing to have his Department of
[1:10:56]Justice not answer a lawful subpoena by Democrats and Republicans uh who voted in government oversight and reform um to send documents to that committee. So the
[1:11:06]president has made choices here. Um no public statements, no tweets or anything uh is going to hide the fact that that he himself actively uh does not want
[1:11:18]these files out. And the American people are going to get to judge why that is. Um likely because his name's already been listed over a thousand times on the emails that have been released. Um so
[1:11:28]that's one of the reasons why he doesn't want this out. >> Chair Maguar is absolutely right that the president doesn't want these files out. And one reason we know that is because the president can order these
[1:11:38]files to be released right now. It's very clear that the Department of Justice acts as Donald Trump's lap dog. He says jump. They say how high and they've done everything of his bidding.
[1:11:49]He could just tell the attorney general to release the files uh and she would do it. So the fact that he hasn't done that shows that he is just playing game. He doesn't really want these files uh to be released. And the other reason that the
[1:12:01]discharge petition succeeded and that Speaker Johnson and the president appeared to have reversed is because Republicans got their asses kicked earlier this month in the elections.
[1:12:11]Democrats didn't just win in blue states like Virginia and California and New Jersey. Democrats won in every state in which there was an election. Georgia,
[1:12:20]Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Maine, and the Republicans have noticed. And now you see more Republicans standing up to Donald Trump who is now a weight and anchor on the Republican party. And you
[1:12:30]see Republicans showing more courage to stand up for the American people to finally do the right thing. >> Repy Harris this morning said that the House Freedom Caucus will be introducing
[1:12:41]a censure against Delegate Stacy Flask over her ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Your response to questions about Democratic ties to him? All of the documents [clears throat] should be released and nobody should
[1:12:53]have anything to hide. Um, Democratic members of Congress, um, uh, namely the president of the United States, everybody should embrace these documents, um, being out there. Uh, we
[1:13:03]would encourage our members to to take that position. Um, it's interesting now that that Republicans want to try to find a way to to to use this issue um, after spending months um, uh, talking
[1:13:15]negatively about uh, these files. Um, so but uh that's we're not we're not new to the duplicity of Andy Harris here. Okay. >> President Trump recently said that he uh
[1:13:27]doesn't mind the legislation on additional sanctions on Russia to be passed. Uh do you consider voting for it anytime soon?
[1:13:36]>> Uh we we've supported uh strong sanctions on Russia in the past. Uh we think that there is um space and opportunity to continue um to try to
[1:13:46]stop Russian aggression um through economic means and sanctions. Um that continues to be a view that is widely held on on our side. Uh Republicans have had a tough time wrapping their head
[1:13:57]around this because the president has embraced this and then he said no stop. We're going to uh because he's uh wants to cozy up to to Putin himself. Um, so, uh, I think the Republicans, uh, are
[1:14:09]better equipped to, uh, ask why the whipssaw of of yes and no on this on this issue. Uh, House Democrats would, uh, would support and and look over, um,
[1:14:19]anything that, um, uh, moves the needle uh, to offer um to offer support to Ukrainian people and to put real um,
[1:14:29]screws to what Russia is doing um, on the economic side. So that continues to be a view that is widely held. We'll see if Republicans advance something that uh that has support.
[1:14:41]>> The only way to end the Ukraine Russia conflict is to stop Vladimir Putin. And you can do that by defeating his troops on battlefield. You can do that by
[1:14:51]increasing pressure economically through sanctions. And the United States and Europe should be doing all of that because that should be obvious over the years, you're not going to get Putin
[1:15:02]into negotiating table unless he is stopped. And that's why we need to give Ukraine maximum support. >> Thank you.