JUST IN: House Minority Leader Jeffries Holds Briefing After Judge Pauses Trump IRS Settlement Fund

[0:02] Good afternoon everyone. House Democrats remain focused on making life more affordable for the [0:10] American people. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs haven't gone down in the [0:16] United States of America. Costs have gone up. The affordability crisis is real. It is not a hoax. [0:24] And far too many people across this country, millions of hardworking American taxpayers [0:30] are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. Can't thrive and can barely survive because of toxic [0:39] Republican policies that have made life more expensive for the American people. House Democrats [0:47] are committed to driving down the high cost of living. Housing costs are too high. Grocery bills [0:53] are too high. Health care costs are too high. Gas prices are too high. And utility bills are too high. [1:01] America is far too expensive. And Republican policies have made a bad situation even worse. [1:11] They've been a disaster as it relates to the economy. And everyday Americans know it. [1:16] Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice has cost everyday Americans hundreds if not thousands [1:27] of dollars more. An increased cost, particularly as it relates to gas prices. This war, this reckless [1:34] and costly war of choice needs to end today. House Democrats are going to advance a war powers [1:41] resolution on the floor this week. And all we need are a handful of Republicans to join us. [1:48] And we can end this reckless and costly war of choice. A war that has cost the American taxpayer [1:57] over a hundred billion dollars. That's extraordinary. And left our country in a weaker position relative [2:07] to Iran than when this reckless and costly war of choice began. Questions? [2:12] The appointment of Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence is another indication of how [2:39] unserious, reckless and dangerous Donald Trump and his administration are with respect to the national [2:45] security of the American people. What exactly are Bill Pulte's qualifications? Does he have a national [2:54] security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. [3:02] Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no. What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most [3:13] important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, [3:20] that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how [3:27] reckless, vengeful, or unlawful Donald Trump's demand may be. Bill Pulte has weaponized the federal [3:38] government to go after Donald Trump's perceived enemies. He's weaponized the federal government to go [3:44] after Lisa Cook. He's weaponized the federal government to go after Adam Schiff. He's weaponized the federal [3:50] government to go after New York State Attorney General. Tis James, Bill Pulte is deeply [3:55] unserious, deeply dangerous, and deeply unqualified. His supposed elevation as the acting director of national [4:06] intelligence will jeopardize the effort to pass surveillance legislation that was already on life support. Why in the world should [4:20] Democrats or any member of Congress trust Donald Trump, Kash Patel, or Bill Pulte with the privacy of the American people? [4:32] Mr. Leader, the Republican agenda this week is- Did I call on you? You looked at me. Okay, that's good. And nobody else said that you did. I want- I have a slick move right there. Well, as slick as the Knicks in the playoffs here, we'll talk about that. So, Republicans this week have a number of fraud bills. Do you think they're trying to dare some vulnerable Democrats? [4:54] Democrats to vote with them unless they would turn this around against them in the fall? [4:59] Republicans in the House are in deep trouble. They are on the verge of losing their majority. They understand it. The Republicans have done nothing to make life more affordable for the American people. Costs haven't gone down in the United States of America under complete Republican control of government. Costs have gone up. And so, the legislative games that they may be playing on the floor of the House of Representatives this week, next week, they're going to be [5:26] this month, next month, over the next several months in advance of the midterm election. The American people have already concluded that the Republican-controlled Congress has been a failure. And it's up to us as Democrats to continue to make the case that we actually will be focused on making their life more affordable. [5:44] What about Democrats voting yes on people from swing districts? [5:46] Listen, Democrats are going to make a decision based on what's the right thing to do for the district that they represent. And I trust every single Democrat, particularly those who are in swing districts, to do the right thing for the people that they're privileged to represent. [6:00] What we certainly are committed as Democrats to get things done for the American people at a moment when there are a whole host of serious issues that need to be addressed, particularly as it relates to making life more affordable for everyday Americans. The Republicans can't get out of their own way. Democrats have repeatedly [6:31] governed in the minority as if we were in the majority and we're going to do so again this week as it relates to what I believe will be a successful war powers resolution tomorrow and then a successful vote to stand up for the free world, for democracy, for truth and the Ukrainian people on Thursday. At the end of the day, what exactly do Republicans have to show for being in complete control of Congress over the last 18 or so months? [7:04] The answer would be nothing, not a zero. They made life worse for the American people. And so that's one of the reasons why I'm convinced that Republicans continue to cancel votes and do everything they can every week to get out of town before sundown. [7:23] I have not had any conversation with him and I'm unaware of whether he's under investigation or not. I've seen those public reports on my way into the capitol. We obviously take these things seriously, but I have not had any conversation with the ethics committee. [7:50] Do you intend to speak with them? [7:51] Do you intend to speak with them? [7:52] Do you intend to speak with them? [7:54] Peter Jeffries, it seems, according to Leader Thune, that Republicans are going to try to move forward on the reconciliation package this week. If Republicans ultimately do pass this in a party-line vote without the reforms that Democrats had called for, was this government checked out ultimately for nothing? [8:09] Well, the American people have clearly come to the conclusion that taxpayer dollars should be spent to make their life more affordable. And our view is that taxpayer dollars should not be spent, we're talking about $70 billion on top of what ICE already has received from Republicans to brutalize and kill American citizens or to violently target law-abiding immigrant families. [8:36] There's a clear choice between the Democratic vision of strong, safe, secure borders while at the same time having immigration reform that is fair, just, and humane, and the Republican vision, which has unleashed a violent mass deportation machine on the American people. [8:57] Donald Trump promised that immigration enforcement in this country, under his so-called leadership, was going to target the worst of the worst. That's what he said. [9:07] That we're going to target violent felons. They're not targeting violent felons. I didn't see any violent felons at Delaney Hall, which I visited with other members of the New Jersey delegation on Sunday. [9:21] I saw people who were active, productive members of their community. I saw an 18-year-old teenage girl who's been in custody for months and was ripped away from her family, her community, and her classmates, and was being held as of Sunday, just a month prior to her graduation. [9:47] It's not the worst of her graduation. It's not the worst of the worst. And so there's no circumstance where Democrats can support Donald Trump's violent ice mass deportation machine, and the American people don't support it. [10:01] But did Democrats sacrifice their leverage in trying to get these immigration? [10:05] What happened is that the Republicans completely and totally caved. We made clear that the Department of Homeland Security should be reopened, with the exception of ICE and Donald Trump's mass violent deportation machine. [10:23] And the Republicans insisted from the very beginning that was never going to happen, but guess what? It did. And we'll continue to battle it out in terms of bringing about the type of dramatic reform to ICE that the American people are demanding. [10:39] ICE should be compelled to conduct itself like every other cop, police officer, or law enforcement agency in the country. That's not too much to ask. They're out of control, and they need to be reined in. [10:50] Mr. Mayor Mondani endorsed against a member of your caucus in New York, Mr. Espayat. How does that change your relationship with the mayor? [11:01] As I mentioned yesterday, the mayor and I have agreed to strongly disagree as it relates to Congressman Adriano Espayat, who's a bold, effective leader. [11:17] He's been battling Donald Trump. He's been battling MAGA extremism. [11:23] Adriano Espayat has been battling ICE to reign them in because he knows they're completely and totally out of control. [11:32] And he's been pushing back aggressively against Donald Trump's reckless and costly war of choice. [11:37] I'm going to continue to stand strongly behind Representative Adriano Espayat, and we're going to work hard to make sure he's reelected. [11:47] Governor Sherrill has come under a lot of scrutiny for deploying the state troopers against the anti-ICE protesters at Delaney Hall. [11:54] How would you assess Governor Sherrill's response to the other situation? [11:59] Governor Sherrill has overall been an effective governor. [12:03] It's a very difficult situation because of the inflammatory tactics that have been used by Donald Trump, ICE agents, as we've seen in other parts of the country, [12:14] particularly what went down in Minneapolis. And we're going to continue, as Governor Sherrill has done, to urge everyone to make sure that they exercise their right to protest peacefully in a manner consistent with the First Amendment. [12:28] And I think she's working as hard as she can to handle the situation as best she can. [12:35] What we need to have happen is that ICE needs to be brought under control. And the only way to do that is to ensure that we can pass in this Congress the types of dramatic reforms that allow immigration enforcement in this country to be fair, just, and humane, consistent with who we are as a country, a nation both anchored in the rule of law and a nation of immigrants. [13:00] Thank you, Mr. Leader. On the topic of the reconciliation bill, if Republicans do end up passing the bill about the reforms that Democrats are looking for, how much would Democrats incorporate that into their midterm messaging? [13:13] Well, House Democrats are going to continue to push for the use of taxpayer dollars in a manner that actually is designed to make life more affordable for the American people. [13:25] That's what the American people want. As opposed to what happened in this budget reconciliation bill the first time around, the one big ugly bill, part one, where Republicans ripped away Medicaid from the American people, causing up to 14 million folks to be in jeopardy of losing their health insurance. [13:46] Hospitals, nursing homes, community-based health clinics are closing as a result of what happened in that one big ugly bill. Nutritional assistance was ripped away from millions of children, seniors, and veterans. [14:00] And all of this was done both to reward Republican MAGA extremist billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they did not need and do not deserve and to give ice a $70 billion or so slush fund, which has been used to unleash brutality on everyday Americans. [14:26] And in some cases to kill American citizens as was the case in Minneapolis with Rene Niko hood and Alex Freddie, the whole thing is outrageous and unacceptable. [14:37] And all of our challenges that this country is facing can be traced to the fact that Republicans are focused on the wrong things. They want to jam their extreme ideology down the throats of the American people as opposed to actually working to make life more affordable for the American people. Our commitment as Democrats will continue to be to [14:58] drive down the high cost of living and make life more affordable for hardworking American taxpayers across the country. [15:07] Thanks. [15:21] I haven't made a decision as it relates to that particular race. Everybody has a right to run where they see fit. They got to go make their case to the people that they hope to represent moving forward. And that's what I communicated directly to Congresswoman [15:37] obviously she has a strong track record of accomplishment here in the Congress and on behalf of the people that she's represented over the years in Florida at the same period of time. [15:48] I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow like assault on black political representation that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court's outrageous decision to gut the voting rights act. [16:04] And it's an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to as we move forward. [16:16] I haven't taken a look at it yet. [16:22] I've done a lot of time. I used to have help in 2024. Just to back up to what Nick had asked you about the mayor, not only endorsing against Espayao, but also has made some primary endorsements for these democratic socialists. [16:38] As you are, you know, thinking about the majority, they could be elected. It's not like those seats are going to suddenly flip Republican. They could be elected in part of your caucus. I mean, what would you do to kind of dispel all these rules when they are declared democratic socialists? [16:54] Well, I stand behind every single House Democratic incumbent, whether they're a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as is the case with Adriana Espaya, a new dem or a blue dog, and I'm going to continue to do that. [17:09] And then we'll see what happens at the end of the day in terms of what the voters decide. But I think what unites House Democrats is the fact that we are all of the view that Donald Trump and Republican policies have been an economic disaster for everyday Americans. [17:26] And that we actually, as a Congress, should be focused on making life better for the American people, making sure that people can go see a doctor when they need one, that there are good paying jobs available to younger Americans who have worked hard and doing the right thing. [17:44] They've gone to college or picked up a trade and now are unable to live comfortably and certainly are unable to, in many instances, to afford a home, which has always been a centerpiece of the American dream. [18:01] These are the type of things that will unite House Democrats. They have up until this point, and I think they will continue to as we move forward. When it's all said and done after the election in November 3rd, we'll come together as a caucus and we'll lean into the issues that bring us together, driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken health care system, and cleaning up corruption here in Washington, D.C. Thank you, everyone. 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