[0:00]five legislative days left before the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. And we have yet to see a Republican plan
[0:11]to prevent tens of millions of Americans from experiencing dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. We know that premium increases in some
[0:22]cases will be a,000 or $2,000 per month. This is going to make health care unaffordable
[0:31]for millions of workingclass Americans, middle class Americans, and everyday Americans. And yet, Republicans are continuing to bury their heads in
[0:43]the sand, completely and totally uninterested in finding common ground to make life better for the American people in this instance by extending the
[0:53]Affordable Care Act tax credits. House Democrats remain ready, willing, and able to sit down with our Republican colleagues anytime, any place, and
[1:04]anywhere in order to enact a bipartisan agreement that protects the health care of tens of millions of Americans. To fix our broken
[1:14]health care system, and to deal with the Republican health care crisis decisively, which is crushing the American people. But Republicans continue to pursue a my
[1:25]way or the highway approach which has gotten them nowhere this year and it's consistently hurt the American people. All across the country, we are seeing
[1:37]Republican extremism being rejected. most recently in the city of Miami, a city that is more than 70% Latino
[1:48]in a county Miami date that Donald Trump just won in 2024. And a year later,
[1:58][cough] a Democrat was elected as mayor of [snorts] Miami for the first time in nearly three decades by 20 points.
[2:09]And yet Republicans continue to ignore the reality [clears throat] that is unfolding all across the country. The American people are rejecting your
[2:20]extremism and embracing our focus on driving down the high cost of living, dealing with the affordability crisis, which is real.
[2:30]It's not a hoax, and fixing our broken health care system. And at this point, all we need are four Republicans in the House.
[2:42]There 220 of you. All we need are four Republicans to partner with us. Let's find a path forward and we can extend the Affordable Care Act taxpayers.
[2:53]>> Questions. >> Good morning. Thank you. >> Democrats obviously pushed for the extension of these subsidies during the shutdown. You had the group of Democrats in the Senate. He said, "Give us a vote
[3:05]on healthcare. You know, we'll re reopen the government." Still no solution. Were all of those tactics worth it?
[3:14]>> Donald Trump and Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the presidency. They made the decision to shut the
[3:22]government down because they rather shut the government down than extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
[3:32]That's not simply my perspective. That's the perspective of the American people who consistently have held Republicans responsible
[3:43]correctly for the government shutdown. So that's not a question for me to answer. That's a question for Republicans. Why do they shut the government down? We've raised
[3:53]the issue of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And by the way, the overwhelming majority of the American people are with us. That's not just Democrats and independents. Overwhelmingly, that's a majority of
[4:05]Republicans who believe that the Affordable Care Act tax credits should be extended. Five legislative days left before tens of millions of people
[4:16]experience dramatically increased healthcare premiums. [clears throat] Why? Why? Why have we still not seen a plan from Mike Johnson? He's been promising a
[4:27]health care plan for months. It's missing because their plan is to rip health care away from the American people. >> Leader Jefferson,
[4:38]>> there's talk of allowing uh a floor vote on this Fitzpatrick Suazi Golden uh plan. Does that potentially give you guys an opening to get this done this year? Is there any hope here from that?
[4:50]We're all hands on deck to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, but Mike Johnson hasn't reached out to us as Democrats to have a conversation about finding a path forward, which
[5:00]suggests to me that Mike Johnson is not serious about protecting the healthcare of the American people. >> Um, the Indiana Senate stopped President Donald Trump's redistricting push in the state. Given that development, are
[5:12]Democrats still full speed ahead on redistricting or should you guys consider a more reserved approach right now? Donald Trump launched this unprecedented
[5:22]effort to jerrymand the congressional maps all across the country as part of his scheme to rig the midterm elections. There were many skeptics and
[5:34]critics out there who argued that our efforts to take back the House was doomed because of some master plan that Donald Trump concocted that apparently
[5:45]as Democrats we were just supposed to unilaterally disarm, roll over and play dead and allow Republicans to steal the midterm elections. We said from the very
[5:56]beginning that ain't happening and now it's obvious [snorts] to everyone. Beginning of course with the dramatic
[6:07]actions taken initially by Texas Democrats to use every tool available to them to either block the Texas scheme to rip five seats away
[6:19]from us or elevate the issue so that the American people know across the country what Republicans are up to. And beginning in California,
[6:31]we have responded decisively. And the reality of the situation is that Republicans may have started this redistricting battle. We as
[6:42]Democrats plan to finish it. >> Thank you, Mr. Leader. The Trump administration uh earlier this week announced the uh settlement with uh some Republican controlled states to
[6:53]effectively end the SAVE program, the repayment program that President Biden uh created uh during his administration. It will affect up to seven million borrowers. You've been very critical of
[7:04]Republicans uh saying that they're exacerbating the affordability crisis as you see it. Do you see the end of this program and what the education department is doing by announcing this
[7:15]proposed settlement as potentially hurting even more um Americans who could be forced into less generous, you know, programs have more trouble paying their
[7:26]student loans back? How how do you see student loan debt within the context of the affordability crisis? >> Well, the Trump administration has launched an allout assault on public
[7:36]education in America. They have destroyed the Department of Education in real time. And they're going after hardworking American students, including
[7:46]college students, who are just simply trying to experience the American dream. an American dream that is increasingly out of reach for far too many
[7:56]hardworking American taxpayers. And the American people know it. And the American people also know that Donald Trump's administration and Republican policies have been a complete and total
[8:07]disaster. It's why this guy is at like 36% in approval. They're losing elections all across the country, literally in deep red parts of the country, including
[8:18]most recently in Miami and in Georgia. where the Republicans lost a special election for a state house seat that Donald Trump had just won by more than
[8:29]12 points. And so from our vantage point, listen, we want to work with anyone to find the common ground to actually solve the problems that the American people want
[8:40]us to solve. And that's lowering the high cost of living and fixing our broken health care system while cleaning up corruption at the same period of time. And the assault
[8:50]on all of the things that have been done, including trying to ease the debt burden that students across this country have confronted
[9:00]is irresponsible and is further evidence of the fact that Republicans never intended to keep their promise to lower costs on day one
[9:10]because they haven't done a damn thing to make that happen. >> Leader Jeff, >> hold on. Hold on. >> Mr. Leader, >> who's speaking? >> Mr. Leader, can I just ask yesterday you
[9:22]um you voted present on this uh effort on the motion to table the impeachment resolution against President Trump. A number of your Democratic colleagues did as well. Do you think that the president has committed impeachable offenses?
[9:33]>> Uh we issued a statement on that motion to table and that statement speaks for itself. >> Thanks, >> Leader Jeff. Uh thank you very much. Uh
[9:44]Eric Christie with the Independent. Um m uh just now the oversight committee released more photos and more documents from uh from the Epstein files. Uh we have seven legislative days until the
[9:55]Department of Justice. Why was it important to release those uh those documents and those photos? And what else should happen if the Trump administration doesn't comply? What can Congress do if Congress doesn't comply
[10:07]with this or the DOJ doesn't comply with? The so-called Department of Justice under the Trump administration needs to comply with the law. And we as Democrats led by Robert Garcia, the top
[10:19]Democrat on the oversight committee, are going to continue to make sure that we're holding this administration accountable. These people who are part of the Trump administration, including Donald Trump and JD Vance himself,
[10:30]all said for years that they wanted to release the Epstein files. Then they come into office and do the exact opposite. obstruct and obuscate, hide stuff from
[10:41]the American people. All we want is full transparency so that the American people can get the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. That's what the Epstein
[10:49]survivors deserve and have demanded, and we're going to make sure that the Department of Justice complies. >> Thanks, Leader Jeff. Um, [clears throat] you say that at least four Republicans
[11:01]are needed to cross the aisle to get healthcare done. Well, there are nearly a dozen Republicans who have signed on to the discharge petition for both the Pittspatrick bill and for the Godheimer bill. Why not endorse one of them or
[11:12]both of them and encourage your members to sign on as well to get the ball rolling in that respect? >> Now, we're actively reviewing those two discharge petitions and we'll have more to say about it early next week. But
[11:24]what is clear, time is running out. Where were these Republican ideas over the last several months? You know what? They were so busy shutting the government down. Donald Trump's busy playing golf. They could find $40
[11:36]billion to bail out their right-wing dictator friend in Argentina. They're they're pardoning people like George Santos and Rudolph Giuliani. And
[11:46]they're running around trying to promote their one big ugly bill which enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. That's what got the ball rolling on the Republican healthc care
[11:56]crisis. And as a result, hospitals, nursing homes, and community based health centers are closing all across the country, including in rural America.
[12:04]They ripped food assistance out of the mouths of hungry children, veterans, and seniors. And they did all
[12:14]of that with great urgency so they could reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. And they made those tax breaks permanent.
[12:24]And now at the 11th hour, they're scrambling. It still remains the case that the most direct path forward is a straightforward
[12:35]extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And there's one discharge petition that does that and it has 214 signatures and all we need are four
[12:46]Republicans to join us. Just to follow up on that though, I understand that your ideal path is a clean extension, but Republicans have made clear that they will not go for a clean extension. So would you be willing to settle for
[12:57]something that's not a clean extension in the name of saving these subsidies? >> We're going to evaluate every single good faith proposal, but it has to meaningfully
[13:08]provide certainty to the American people who are at risk of having their health care ripped away from them.
[13:17]These Republicans made those massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors [clears throat] permanent. And we've said from the very beginning,
[13:27]we just want to make sure that everyday Americans, middle class Americans, working-class Americans have a similar level of certainty. That's not too much
[13:36]to ask for in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. >> Uh thank you, Little Jeff. Uh yesterday, President Trump signed a executive order
[13:47]on artificial intelligence seeking to block the states from regulating uh the AI. Um specifically um and I want to ask you about specifics in this uh EO. Um it
[13:58]directs DOJ to create a litigation task force and challenge any state that they view doesn't comply whatever the national standard is. It also gives
[14:08]powers to secretary of commerce uh to impose restrictions uh on state funding and also aims to regulate total output. So my questions uh to you I have several
[14:19]uh first what is your position on the EO? Um should Americans be concerned that the AI policy is being set through executive order instead and litigation
[14:31]instead of uh open debate in in the congress. uh if this approach becomes a standard uh what is going to stop any
[14:40]future president um from using DOJ to go against and challenge any state law um they they want and uh finally um is this
[14:52]EO about innovation or is it about expanding presidential powers? >> Well, Donald Trump has tried to conduct himself like a wannabe king from the very beginning. The American people are
[15:02]clearly rejecting that approach and on artificial intelligence. This is a complicated thing. A transformative
[15:11]innovation that has the possibility of bringing great societal benefits particularly in the areas of medicine and education as it relates to reaching
[15:23]young people who live in historically underresourced parts of the country. But at the same period of time, it's our
[15:30]view that this transformative technology in the hands of bad actors presents risk
[15:39]of creating societal harm. And this is why a thoughtful approach is needed, not a my way of the highway executive order. And our view related to Donald Trump's
[15:50]most recent action connected to artificial intelligence is that he doesn't have the authority to do it and ultimately it's going to get struck down in court. Thank you, Mr. Leader. Some members of
[16:01]your party are calling for the abolition of ICE following the administration's very aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration. Is that a viewpoint that
[16:12]you believe has a place in your party right now as Democrats strive to take back power after >> has made that? Congresswoman Alexandra uh Kaziocortez has Congresswoman Dillia
[16:24]RmIrez has also Patty Garcia who was running to replace Shuy Garcia uh Graham Platner as well. They have said that this should not exist and it it should cease.
[16:34]>> Yeah, I haven't had a conversation uh with any of those individuals about their perspective. What we do know is that the American people believe that Donald Trump's deportation
[16:44]efforts have been completely and totally out of control. unacceptable and unamerican. That's the reality of what Donald Trump has unleashed on
[16:54]law-abiding immigrant communities all across America. And the American people are rejecting it, which is why Donald Trump is also
[17:04]underwater in terms of public approval on immigration. Now, we believe as Democrats broadly that we need a strong and a secure
[17:16]border consistent with our history and experience as a nation anchored in the rule of law. Donald Trump doesn't believe in the rule of law and neither
[17:26]do his sick offense who serve in Congress. We failed to understand that we're a separate and co-equal branch of government, not a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump cartel because
[17:37]that's how they behave. So, we believe in the rule of law and part of that is a strong border, but at the same period of time, we're a nation of immigrants. And so, we're going to
[17:48]continue to defend dreamers, defend farm workers, defend farm country, defend law-abiding immigrant families
[17:57]and communities across the country who are part of the ingredient of American exceptionalism. That's our position. And
[18:07]we do have a broken immigration system. Everybody thoughtful who's taking a look at it understands that. But the way to solve it is not a my way or the highway approach. And it certainly is not the
[18:18]Trump deportation machine. He promised that he was going to target violent felons. No one would have any issues with that. He's not deporting violent
[18:28]felons. He's deporting law-abiding immigrants, veterans who served this country, children who are actually American
[18:37]citizens, grandmothers and grandfathers, gardeners, and communities across the country are rejecting it. >> Um, Mr. Leader, as sort of a follow-up to that question, today Congressman
[18:49]Amade is inviting families who've had family members killed by illegal by undocumented immigrants [clears throat] to the capital. >> Who was that? a pomade of uh Arizona. >> Okay.
[18:59]>> And I want to ask about 2026 and how you're encouraging border state Democrats to respond to messaging such as this because it was a big issue in 2024 and it appears that some Republicans are ready to message on it
[19:11]in 26. >> We'll let border state Democrats speak for themselves uh and as a leader. >> I've got great confidence uh in them. I think I just articulated our view on
[19:22]immigration generally and that I believe is a position that's broadly held by Democrats all across the country. Listen, Republicans are desperate
[19:32]to try to find a path out of the electoral disaster that they're experiencing right now. This year has been a complete and total failure for
[19:43]the American people and Republicans are on the run. The reason why this whole gerrymandering scheme was launched is because Republicans know that if a free and fair election were held, they're
[19:54]done in the House of Representatives, it was always a myth and a fantasy that some big mandate was attached to what happened in November of 2024 that we
[20:05]never bought into. Why? Because we're only three seats short. This is the closest majority that any party has had since the Great Depression
[20:14]and it's all now falling apart and everybody sees it and they can't project this fake strength to the American people anymore because they failed the
[20:25]American people on the economy on healthcare and the extremism that has been unleashed on the American people is completely and totally unacceptable. So our view generally as Democrats,
[20:36]we're going to solve problems for everyday Americans because we believe in this great country of ours, you work hard, you play by the rules, you should
[20:46]be able to live the good life, an affordable life, a comfortable life, good paying job, good housing, good health care, good education for your children, and a good retirement.
[20:58]Which means to my Republican colleagues, keep your extreme hands off of Social Security and Medicare. at all times. And far too many people in this country, wealthiest country in the
[21:09]history of the world, are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck because there is an affordability crisis. It's not a scam. It's not a hoax. It's a
[21:20]crisis. And Democrats are committed to doing something about it. Republicans continue to bury their heads in the sand. Thank you. >> Thank you.
[21:30]>> Thank you. One thing about I was going to ask him about um