Sen. Chuck Schumer Holds Press Conference After Democrats Sweep Midterms

[0:01] take my phone all right everybody so let me begin by just plagiarizing a little bit from frankie [0:15] valley a great new jerseyite oh what a night against all odds democrats have won the senate [0:24] and we have five words for the american people relief is on the way in 2025 when i said [0:33] we could win back the senate after we had lost the presidency and the senate people rolled their [0:40] eyes but we never wavered and now we have won the senate what changed what caused that change [0:52] first and foremost our coalition moved as one body house and senate to define the issues that [1:00] americans cared most about we talked to americans we said what is on your minds and of course number [1:07] one cost the high cost of living how difficult it was to raise a family and do the things you wanted [1:18] to make sure that you'd have a good life and your kids would have a good life and second they talked [1:24] about trump's corruption we know he was the most corrupt president ever by a lot and people hated [1:33] it and so i'll hear more about that later but number one the american people knew we were on their side [1:41] on the issues the second thing we did was we recruited great candidates who knew how to tailor their [1:49] message to the states every one of the candidates that we recruited whenever i talked to them the number [1:57] one thing that motivated them was patriotism each one of them could have gotten a different job [2:05] probably paid more taken less time but they believed in their states and they believed in their country [2:13] and as they campaigned the american people saw that that these were good people who really cared and [2:21] we have an amazing crop of new senators and that is great so what we have now seen and this is really [2:32] important is a generational remake of the senate map that is going to change america not only now but [2:40] on into the future when you have democratic senators who are intent on working their states and showing [2:48] people of their state what democrats are really about whether it's iowa whether it's south carolina [2:57] whether it's texas it's going to make a huge difference this again is a generational remake [3:07] of the senate map that has huge consequences for history well in terms of the majority and maybe it's [3:18] now 54 it could go up to 55 it could go up to 56 but with this majority americans have given we democrats [3:31] the opportunity to prove ourselves worthy of their trust and that's the most important job even much [3:39] more important than winning winning the election is doing things is saying not only have we listened [3:44] to you and we are listening but we're going to do things to make your lives better many of the folks [3:50] who voted for us yesterday of course are still skeptical that's okay these voters did not give [3:56] us the majority so we can do whatever we want they entrusted us with the majority to do what they [4:03] the american people want republicans received that opportunity two years ago and completely squandered it [4:11] the gop misread americans demand for change as a mandate to do trump's self-serving bidding [4:20] and trump spent half his time talking about things that were irrelevant to their lives annoying [4:29] the reflecting pool the new wall but most of the time he he did things that hurt them it raised their [4:42] health care costs it raised their electricity bills it raised their fuel their gasoline and diesel costs [4:49] republican eyes were so glued to trump's truth social feed that they missed the truth staring them dead in [4:59] the face americans hate the direction our country is going in right now so now republicans we're going [5:08] to have to choose whether to keep listening to the nonsense that's coming out of 1600 pennsylvania avenue [5:15] or start acting in the interests of the american people if they can you continue to embrace trump [5:23] they're going to be following him right over the cliff as this election has shown and it'll get even [5:29] worse for them what is our assignment first americans want washington to bring down the cost of living [5:37] the anguish that american families feel as they ask themselves do i pay for gas to drive to work or [5:44] groceries to feed the kids do i pay for health care to keep my family healthy or electricity to keep my [5:49] family warm this winter second americans want us to clean up corruption in government they know that [5:57] trump is the most corrupt president in american history no american should have to make trade-offs [6:03] at the supermarket while trump is making insider trades on the stock market americans are calling [6:11] for accountability not accommodation and third they want us to check on trump's chaos at home and abroad [6:19] we've seen too many americans die on our streets and in uniform overseas because of trump's erratic [6:26] judgment the american people don't know what the heck we're fighting for in iran he's never made [6:30] it clear he changes his mind day to day and minute to minute this war must end it must end and make no [6:40] mistake whenever trump defies the will of the american people or the law we will launch investigations [6:48] take him to court and entangle him in legislative razor wire the days of trump's supplicant senate are over [6:57] i'll have more to say in the coming days about how democrats pulled off this victory how our [7:02] majority plans to deliver for the american people but if there's one hopeful i'd like to conclude on [7:10] this note if there's one hopeful optimistic takeaway we should remember that from this election [7:18] our democracy runs deep very deep our founders created this amazing document the constitution [7:28] they envisioned co-equal branches of government what they said was ambition was made to counteract [7:34] ambition but when ambition turns to block blind loyalty there's only one last firewall they thought [7:44] the legislature would check a king-like president this legislature this senate has failed and so there [7:51] was one last firewall in our system of checks and balances where power derives from the consent to [7:59] the government elections have always been the strongest lever americans have to counter a wannabe king [8:09] so long as americans are willing to use it yesterday america did even during the most difficult times [8:18] and these two years have been among them americans have never lost faith that they can change this country [8:25] with their vote the onus is now on us to prove them right no no no no have you spoken to the president [8:39] yet about how you're going to be that firewall on what you're working relations not yet yes [8:45] how are democrats going to end the war with iran are you going to use defense funding as leverage [8:51] look we are going to end the war we have some republicans already who have joined us in ending [8:57] the war and the founding fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways of deterring a [9:04] president who does war without the consent of the american people yes you took a lot of criticism in [9:10] the last couple of years as leader um by frustrated democrats was this a vindication for you and your [9:16] vision for the senate you know okay red and purple yeah this is not about me this is about the american [9:24] people and what they want and what they need and what we can do to help them plain and simple yes [9:32] go ahead no igor were yesterday's results a mandate for democrats to impeach pete heckset i wouldn't [9:39] you know you'll have to make everyone will make their own interpretation of what it meant in terms of [9:43] hecks says yes what's going to be the democrats approach to judicial nominations is this going [9:48] to be a blanket hold or is there room for bipartisanship look we want nomin we want judicial nominees like [9:55] we showed in 23 and 24 who obey the law who are who have fidelity the rule of law too many of trump's [10:05] nominees did not have that at all yes senate republicans ran on this message that uh senate democrats would [10:13] abolish the filibuster nuke the filibuster if you took control of the senate do you would you support [10:20] look we are focused the first thing we're going to do is reduce people's costs and work the legislative [10:28] process so it does thank you everybody can you work with the president we are going to he asked can i [10:36] work with the president okay we are going to work hard we are going to work hard to drive costs down [10:44] with the president or without him period how are you going to deal with the people who are voting against