LIVE: House Democratic Leader to Hold Press Event

Good afternoon this is day 15 of the Trump Republican shutdown and House Republicans remain on vacation having canceled votes for three consecutive weeks. House Democrats are here on duty ready willing and able to do what's necessary to reach a bipartisan agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people reopen the government and address the Republican health care crisis that is crushing people all across the country. House Democrats have repeatedly made clear as have Senate Democrats that we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people. We are here to address the serious needs of everyday Americans that have repeatedly been undermined throughout this year by Donald Trump and compliant Republicans in the House and the Senate. The Republican health care crisis is very real. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are closing all across the country as a result of what Republicans have done in their one big ugly bill. The fact that Republicans continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits means that tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays, and deductibles that may double, triple, or quadruple meaning many will pay thousands of dollars more per year which will make their health care unaffordable. Republicans have also set in motion a 536 billion dollar cut to Medicare that will occur at the end of the year if Congress doesn't act because of toxic provisions in their one big ugly bill. Medical research has effectively been halted in the United States of America and Republicans are proposing dramatic cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health. We're witnessing an all-out Republican assault on the health care of the American people. It's unacceptable, it's unconscionable, and it's un-American and that's why Democrats are standing up and fighting to decisively address this crisis that our Republican colleagues continue to visit on the American people. It's now my honor to yield to the distinguished whip, Katherine Clark. Thank you so much Mr. Leader. Here we are again, another no-show week for Republicans, another week closer to the ACA open enrollment period, another week closer to a catastrophic GOP-made health care cliff. This is a solvable problem but it is an urgent problem and we need Republicans back in DC at the table and negotiating and that needs to happen now. Despite what Mike Johnson says, we do not have an eternity to deal with this. Families are already finding out their premiums are about to skyrocket. Parents are realizing they cannot afford to stay insured. Let's take Shawna Burstigin. She's a mom of two in Wisconsin who says she is sick to her stomach because her monthly premiums are about to rise by $800 a month. That's $9,600 a year. And for what? So Republicans can cut taxes for the billionaire class at the expense of everyone else, and I mean everyone. This is not about party or ideology or geography. Let's ask Alan Reynolds, a proud Florida Republican. His wife has been notified that her premiums are going up $700 a month. Alan said, I voted for Trump. I did not expect this. We are hearing stories like this every single day. Yesterday Mike Johnson said he didn't have a strategy. Come on Mike, don't sell yourself short. You do have a strategy. It's the same strategy the Republicans have always had. Repeal the Affordable Care Act, take from working families, raise their costs, defund their health care, and give that money, all that money, to the very, very wealthiest Americans. It is a losing strategy. It is an unpopular strategy. So Mr. Speaker, for the sake of your own constituents and mine, why don't you try a new strategy? Come back to work, take a seat at the table, and let's stop this health care crisis you created before it's too late. And now it is my pleasure to yield to the outstanding chairman of our caucus, the gentleman from California, Pete Aguilar. Thank you, Whip Clark, and thank you, Leader Jeffries. As you know, as the whip just laid out, the Republican-controlled House has not voted since September 19th, nearly one month ago. And in that time, House Republicans have continued to be on vacation. They haven't been holding town halls, they haven't been finding out ways to reopen government, and they haven't been working to save Americans' health care. Republican Representative Kevin Kiley from California even called the Speaker's decision to adjourn the House embarrassing and the wrong decision. What have Trump and Republicans been doing for the last few weeks? Refusing to work with Democrats, digging in deeper into their anti-health care position, threatening federal workers, and even offering a bailout to Argentina to the tune of $40 billion in taxpayer money. Yesterday, the Speaker admitted that he didn't have a strategy, and when it came to his position, just that he would not negotiate. Well, Democrats have a strategy. Work with us in a bipartisan way to fund government that keeps health care, lowers the costs of health care, and ensures Americans keep their coverage. If Republicans fail to come to the table, health care for constituents in red districts and in purple districts and in blue districts will continue to spike. Republicans are acting as if their own constituents won't be hurt by their decisions and the recklessness that they've created. But the truth is, thanks to the big ugly law and the looming expiration of the ACA tax credits, everyone is going to see their health care costs increase. In some states, Americans are already seeing the premium sticker shock when shopping for their health care plans for 2026. Soon, this will be rattling households all across the country. Enough is enough. It's time for Republicans to get serious, to work with us, to save health care. The country and their constituents are watching. Thank you, Catherine. Thank you, Pete. Questions? Thank you. First of all, I just want to get a question that I asked. The video, I don't know if you've seen so far, but there's this video circulating that shows Democratic lawmakers go to the Speaker's office, mess with the signs in his voice, and then one of the lawmakers can be seen. I'm just wondering if you agree with that kind of fight. I know that Democrats are trying to fight. I haven't seen the video, so I'm unfamiliar with the characterization that you are presenting. Congresswoman Nanette Barragan has issued a statement on the incident, and I think her statement speaks for itself. Same answer. Briefly. Congresswoman Barragan has issued a statement as it relates to the matter. I look forward to a subsequent conversation with her, as well as the Capitol Police. I have nothing to say about the situation that I haven't seen unfold on video at this moment. Thanks a lot. Thank you, Linda. I just wanted to get your message, get any message from House Democratic leadership about kind of, what does it say that your Republican colleagues have kind of remained silent or kind of dismissed the allegations that have come out against one of their members? What are your general thoughts about the situation? I want to yield to Catherine Clark on this issue, but this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a serious issue in this country for women all throughout America, and the notion that House Republican leaders would dismiss the seriousness of what is clearly emerging as an untenable and frightening situation relative to Representative Mills is irresponsible, and the Congress should be better than that level of dismissiveness that has been on display amongst my Republican colleagues. Thank you. The allegations against Representative Mills are disturbing, but as the leader said, it is the response from Speaker Johnson that is not the first time of dismissing allegations, a restraining order that's been put in place as somehow not a serious question, and it is the same way he has approached this entire health care issue, and it is a crisis that will be felt by every single hardworking American in this country, but it is going to be felt first and hardest by women in this country, and his refusal to come and even negotiate, his saying that health care is some sort of ancillary issue to what we're dealing with here, his allowing government to shut down in order to say it's my way or the highway, and what we are watching happening to women is really, it is chilling to watch. If you take the fact that since the Republicans have enforced abortion bans, we have one third of all the counties in this country, there's no safe place to have a baby. There is no obstetric care in one third of all our counties, and in some states like Georgia, that's more like 50% of their counties. We are saying to women that all the gains that they were able to make when they can have health insurance and not worry about being a human pre-existing condition that denied care in the past to many women, that you are now able to afford and find health care, and we're saying not for you, not for you, not for your family. And when, you know, about 40% of all births, and that's far higher in Mike Johnson's district, are covered by Medicaid, it's almost 65% of the births in Louisiana, and we're saying that, you know, those cuts to Medicaid, this will just somehow trickle down from the billionaires and provide health care, reopen maternity wards across this country. We hear the dismissal. The American people hear the arrogance and the dismissal that is in all of this messaging, and the American people are making note that if you do not have nine zeros behind your account number in your savings or checking account, you don't count. And that message to American women and just writing off these serious allegations against a sitting member of Congress as something frivolous and a ridiculous question speaks volumes of where they value their constituents and especially women in this month, as the leader pointed out, that it's Domestic Violence Awareness Month. So we hear the message loud and clear, Mike Johnson. We hear it from the GOP. We don't matter, but we're going to keep showing up and do our jobs. We're going to come and fight for the American people so that they get health care and can live with security in their homes, in their communities, and know that they can afford to provide a decent life for their families. The dismissiveness that we saw on display earlier today is consistent with what Republicans did earlier this year in passing their one big ugly bill. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Stealing food from the mouths of hungry children, women, seniors, and veterans. And all of that was done so that Republicans could provide massive tax breaks that are permanent to their billionaire donors. That's the focus of House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and the Trump administration. Hurt everyday Americans, including women, infants, and children, in order to reward their billionaire donors. That's unacceptable to us. We believe the American people find it unacceptable. And they will be held accountable. The Trump administration is threatening even more masks. Should Democrats demand these firings be reversed to end the shutdown? We believe that these firings are illegal, violate the law, and will be reversed. Either congressionally or by the courts. Donald Trump and his toxic, corrupt administration have been firing federal employees since the beginning of his presidency. And to the extent that they're pretending as if the shutdown has anything to do with the continuation of that effort is a laughable proposition. It's disturbing that they're using hard-working federal civil servants as political pawns to continue their toxic approach to undermining the ability of the federal government to deliver services effectively and efficiently to the American people. It appears that Donald Trump and the administration thought that they were going to somehow bully, threaten, and intimidate Democrats into backing down from our position that we need to decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis. The Republican efforts to intimidate the American people have failed. And that's why we maintain the position that the only way forward is for Republicans to finally decide to sit down with Democrats, negotiate a bipartisan path forward, reopen the government, pay our hard-working federal employees, and address the healthcare crisis that Republicans have created that is actually devastating hard-working American taxpayers all across the country, including in rural America. That's an unacceptable situation that the country finds itself in right now, which is why we believe we're standing on the right side of the American people. It's not a divisive issue for Democrats. It's not a divisive issue for independents. And it certainly isn't a divisive issue for the American people. The overwhelming majority of the American people, more than 70%, strongly support the Affordable Care Act and the continuation of the Affordable Care Act tax credits because they understand the importance as it relates to making sure that every single person in this country, every single hard-working American taxpayer can see a doctor when they need one or when their children or their family needs to go see a doctor and get the healthcare that they need. Republicans are the ones who have been continuously obsessed. They really need an intervention as it relates to their obsession connected to the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have now tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act more than 70 times over the last 15 years. They've failed every single time. And yet they continue to try to rip healthcare away from the American people, including their own constituents. The top five states that benefit from their residents getting healthcare as a result of the Affordable Care Act tax credits are all states won by Donald Trump. They include West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Tennessee, and Mississippi. 45% of the people who are on the Affordable Care Act right now are Republicans. 35% Democrats and 20% Independents. The Affordable Care Act should not be a partisan issue. It's an American issue. Healthcare is an American issue. Protecting hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers, that's an American issue. Standing up for Medicare and Medicaid as Democrats are doing, that's an American issue. And it's perplexing to us that Republicans refuse to spend a dime to protect the healthcare of the American people. But somehow the Trump administration found $40 billion to bail out a right-wing wannabe dictator in Argentina in ways that are also going to continue to hurt our soybean farmers in Iowa and in the Midwest. That's outrageous. This is corruption in real time. It's having serious consequences on the American people. Question? Peter Jeffries, will you attend a No Kings rally on Saturday? And what do you think of Speaker Johnson and other Republicans calling these Hate America rallies? It's extraordinary to me, and I want to defer to Pete and Catherine on this, but House Republicans are flailing. These people have been on vacation for three consecutive weeks. In fact, going back to the end of July, because of decisions made by House Republican leadership, the Congress has only worked for about 15 days. That's extraordinary. And then Republicans and Donald Trump shut the government down, and they're forcing hard-working federal civil servants to work without pay or to be furloughed. Republicans are not serious about solving problems for the American people. They're creating problems. And so the effort to mischaracterize the rallies that are going to take place all across the country is part of the continued right-wing disinformation machine that is failing to persuade the American people as to what this shutdown is all about. And as a result, Republicans are falling apart. I'll be at a rally. I'll be holding an American flag in my hand as well. It seems that Speaker Johnson and House Republicans only believe that free speech matters if you agree with their speech. So my message to the American public is that's what Speaker Johnson feels. If you don't agree with him, you're un-American. So join us. We'll see you out there. And in California, we're going to continue to remind people about the importance of Proposition 50. I wouldn't ever politic from this lectern, but Californians understand what's at stake, and they understand an ability to push back against Donald Trump is on their ballot. And more importantly, these ballots are on their kitchen table. And so the importance of these rallies are, do you believe in pushing back? Do you believe in standing with us as we fight for health care? And do you believe that we should safeguard next year's election before Donald Trump tries to rig the election? Then you're a yes on 50. And so my message will be clear, but I'll be the one wearing red, white, and blue as well. Just think about where we are, where millions of Americans are coming out to say, we elect presidents, we don't have kings. And the Republicans are like, how un-American? I mean, just how they are so blatant with their disregard for how our system works, for how our Constitution is put together, for how we are supposed to be a country that operates under the rule of law. And layer on top of that, that they are saying to the American people, if you are not extremely wealthy, you don't count. You don't count. And when you're saying to those same farmers who are coming to my office, and I don't exactly represent a large agricultural community in suburban Boston, but they're coming to my office because they are hurting. And they are desperate to get the attention of members of Congress. Because it's not only the soybean market that they are losing to Argentina and Brazil because of this administration's tariff policies, they're losing their health insurance. Half of all family farms rely on the ACA. And this $40 billion could go a long way towards that tax credit that they've decided to take away. Their priorities are completely upside down. Why would they possibly double down on what they're sending to Argentina, take away health care from millions of Americans, and increase premiums for every American, and say that people coming together to peacefully protest is un-American? It's no wonder they're not showing up to their jobs. They've forgotten what they're even supposed to be doing here and representing the people, not a president. Speaker Johnson said this morning that what's on the leadership level, can you give us an update on those talks? Is there any scenario where, in weeks, that the appropriations committee throw a stopgap because you could start passing individual appropriations bills, including addressing some of the issues they're dealing with? There are informal conversations that are taking place in the Senate relative to a potential bipartisan path forward. But those conversations have not extended to the House as it relates to the appropriators. Rosa DeLauro made clear earlier today that she's had no outreach from the chairman of the appropriations committee, Tom Cole, and there hasn't been any indication of a Republican willingness to actually sit down and work out a bipartisan agreement that makes life better for the American people, that reopens the government, and that addresses the Republican health care crisis. That's challenging. This is day 15 of the government shutdown, and what we've gotten from Republicans is Donald Trump has spent more time on the golf course than he spent talking to Democrats about reopening the government. Mike Johnson and House Republicans have been on vacation for three weeks with no indication that they intend to come back, notwithstanding the fact they shut the government down, are hurting everyday Americans, and refuse to address the health care crisis that they've created. Yet somehow they found $40 billion to bail out Argentina in order to benefit and enhance the lifestyles of the rich and shameless, those financiers who are connected to this corrupt Argentinian deal. But they can't find a dime to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, whose expiration is going to impact tens of millions of Americans. They can't find a dime. They can't be bothered to even sit down and have a conversation. In real time, the Republicans are showing the American people what they're all about. Cruelty is the point. And they only care about the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. This is the Trump friends and family plan that's hurting the American people, and has been since day one. It's the only thing they care about. They promised that costs would go down on day one. Costs haven't gone down here in America. Costs are going up. Inflation is going up. The Trump tariffs are causing thousands of dollars in additional expense for everyday Americans all across the country. Housing costs going up. Grocery costs going up. Electricity bills through the roof. And now people all across America, including in so many different rural communities, are about to experience dramatically increased health care costs. That's unsustainable for them and for their families, and Republicans could care less. Thank you all.