House Democratic Leader Presser

I'm going to go along to get along. Our position is clear. Cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. Questions. Do you feel that when people start to get notices from their health insurance companies in early October, the shutdown were to drag on for a few days, that that starts to work in your favor. In other words, the idea that it's not so much about the shutdown, but if the government is closed and they start to get these notices in October, that your one of the reasons why our fight for the American people is so urgent right now is because over the next few weeks, tens of millions of Americans are going to get notices indicating their premiums, co-pays and deductibles are increasing dramatically because of the Republican refusal to extend the tax credits connected to the Affordable Care Act. We're fighting for the health care of the American people, period, full stop. Our position has been very clear. Eight words, cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. And part of that fight relates to the Affordable Care Act. Part of that fight relates to dealing with the Republicans cut to Medicaid, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Part of that fight relates to preventing a $536 billion cut to Medicare that will occur at the end of this year because of what Republicans did in the one big ugly bill, if Congress doesn't act. Part of our fight relates to the fact that Republicans are closing hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health clinics all across the country, including in rural America right now. And part of that fight also relates to the fact that Republicans have effectively shut down spending on medical research in the United States of America. People are going to die. Cures for cancer and other terminal illnesses that were within reach are now being abandoned. This is like an unprecedented Republican assault on the health care of the American people. And Democrats are standing on the side of the American people. We're focused on the health care of the American people. We also are focused on lowering the high cost of living. The Trump tariffs are raising costs by thousands of dollars per year on everyday Americans. America is already too expensive. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren't going down, they're going up. Inflation's going up. Electricity prices going up. Grocery prices going up. Housing prices going up. And now health care prices on the verge of increasing by thousands of dollars per year, if not tens of thousands of dollars per year for millions of Americans. So fighting to lower the high cost of living is, of course, our fight. It has been our fight. It is our fight. It will continue to be our fight. What is what is the off ramp here? Is there a way to get to prevent this shutdown? And can I ask you also, the administration has talked about firing, mass firing of federal workers. If they do get into it, if there is a shutdown, what is your reaction to all that? And how would you prevent further harm? The administration has been engaged in the mass firing of federal workers since the beginning of the year. The beginning of the year. So the fact that they are threatening to do more of that. Simply relates to what they were already going to do and intending to do, and they want to use the smoke screen of a government shutdown caused by them to do more damage, particularly to the hardworking federal employees in Virginia. The voters of Virginia should hear us loudly and clearly. Donald Trump is trying to fire you. And you have the ability to do something about it on November 4th. In terms of the off ramp, the off ramp, here's the off ramp. Donald Trump, get back to Washington, D.C. Why are you at a golf event right now? And the government is four days away from closing. That's outrageous. And it speaks to the fact that these people, these extremists, they could care less about the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people. They could care less. They're on vacation right now. I'm here in Washington, D.C., ready, willing and able to sit down with any of them. Anytime, any place, we were ready to go to the White House and have this discussion in front of the American people. Donald Trump backed out. Why did Donald Trump back out? Because their position is indefensible. And they know Democrats are standing on the side of the health care of the American people. Peter Jeffries, have you gotten any indication at any Republican level that, yes, there could be some talks today, tomorrow, this weekend, Monday, Tuesday, any indication? Mike Johnson has my number. John Thune has my number. He knows how to reach myself. He knows how to reach Leader Schumer. The White House knows how to reach us. They agreed to a meeting, backed away from the meeting. We've heard nothing from them. Why? It's because, listen, here's the problem. Republicans want to shut the government down. How is that not clear at this moment in time? The American people know it. They canceled the White House meeting. They canceled votes that were supposed to take place next Monday and Tuesday in advance of the shutdown. Here's what Democrats want to do. Cancel your cuts that have hurt the health care of the American people. Thank you. In the event that a shutdown takes place, I'm wondering, what does Democrats' exit strategy look like to get out of it? The exit strategy is that Democrats and Republicans should sit down and have a conversation in a bipartisan way about funding the government in a manner that meets the needs of the American people, as opposed to what Republicans have been trying to do, which is to continue to gut the health care of the American people. This is not complicated. You have Republicans in the House and the Senate, including Senator Lisa Murkowski and a significant number of Republicans in the House who have said, we agree with Democrats, the Affordable Care Act tax subsidies should be extended so that we can find a way to avoid Republicans continuing to do damage to the health care of the American people. That's actually the bipartisan position. Our position, protect the health care of the American people. To me, that's the exit strategy. Like Republican leaders in the House and the Senate, Donald Trump should just listen to their own members and we can find a path forward. Cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. Not complicated. Eight words. Even Donald Trump should be able to understand that. Stop lying to the American people about this, that, that, and the other thing. You know that none of the things you're claiming we're demanding have anything to do with anything that Democrats have said. It is clearly the case that federal law prohibits any taxpayer dollars from being spent on the health care of undocumented immigrants. Does Donald Trump not know that law? Democrats have been very, we're not demanding that that law be repealed. We're fighting for the health care of American citizens. And we'll continue to make that fight. As we alluded to earlier, Republicans argue that the ACA subsidies can be handled later this year, separate from these discussions over a CR. Why do Democrats believe it's necessary to include them in the discussions? Health care premiums and notices, as it relates to what's going to happen, are going out over the next few days at this point. This is a matter to be dealt with right now, not at the end of the year. And nobody believes these Republican leaders who want to wink and nod at the American people and suggest that after visiting upon them, this incredible assault on the health care of the American people, unprecedented in nature, Republicans have assaulted the health care of working class Americans, rural Americans, urban Americans, people in small town America, people in the heartland of America and people in black and brown communities all across America. And now we're supposed to believe with a wink and a nod that Republican leaders are actually interested in dealing with the Affordable Care Act issue when for years they've been obsessed with repealing and displacing people off of the Affordable Care Act. It's ridiculous. We need an ironclad path forward to deal with the health care of everyday Americans. Thank you. On James Comey, he was indicted yesterday from FBI director. I know you really sustained him, but do you care to expand upon that? Donald Trump and the administration continues to weaponize the Department of Justice and go after perceived political enemies in a manner that's inconsistent with the rule of law in the United States of America. It's outrageous. And the American people are going to hold them accountable like Republicans have failed. The country is heading in the wrong direction. The overwhelming majority of Americans know it right now. And that's why we see Republicans running away from their responsibilities to actually try to make life better for the American people and are engaging in this effort, unprecedented in nature, to go after perceived political enemies like James Comey. One could argue, wait, what James Comey did 11 days before the election in 2016 had something to do with the fact that Donald Trump got elected the first time around. This is how Donald Trump repays James Comey. With this malicious prosecution, like it's all crazy to me, crazy. To me, these charges are going to be dismissed, James Comey will win in court. But what it reflects is a broader attack on the rule of law that should frighten every single American, whether a Democrat, an independent or Republican. Peter Jeffries, we've seen another attack on an ICE facility over in Dallas, and this time it was fatal. And people, particularly Republicans, are saying that the rhetoric from Democrats is to be blamed specifically because the attacker essentially mimicked a lot of people coming from your side of the aisle, asking your side to dial it down or to at least address it. What is your response? I issued a statement on this issue, and it was very clear. In fact, it was a Democratic leadership statement. We condemn all instances of violence, whether it's political violence or ideologically motivated violence, whether it comes from either side of the ideological spectrum. The violence in America this year, this year is out of control. And the president needs to bring the country together, not continue to use rhetoric that tears us apart, bring us together like Ronald Reagan did, bring us together like George W. Bush did, like Barack Obama, like Bill Clinton, like Democratic and Republican presidents have done. Why is that so complicated? For this president to do instead, he's at the Ryder Cup. Quick follow up, the ICE authorities, particularly the law enforcement, they are getting doxed, specifically getting followed to their homes. Those who aren't wearing masks, such as the. Here's what the Department of Homeland Security did. The Department, here's what the Department of Homeland Security. I'm listening. It's my press conference. I'm going to answer the question. Here's what the Department of Homeland Security has done. The Department of Homeland Security put out a hit list directed at Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors and Democratic. It's a hit list saying to crazies all across the country, target these people. And so, no, we're not going to be lectured by the Department of Homeland Security. Take your hit list down. That's what they need to do. We are very clear attacks against anyone. Of any political persuasion for any reason, and certainly attacks against law enforcement, unacceptable and attacks against immigrant communities, unacceptable. Yep. Last question. Is there any pressure on Democrats in the Senate who may vote for the CR Monday or Tuesday? House and Senate Democrats are completely aligned. We stood together shoulder to shoulder and pushed back against the one big, ugly bill. Every single Democrat and every single Democrat in the House and Senate. Voted against the one big, ugly bill. Why? Because it ripped away health care from the American people. Stole food from the mouths of hungry children. And all of this was done by Republicans. Done by Republicans to enact massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors. Unacceptable. And what's going on right now is a continued attack on the health care of the American people. And Democrats in the House and the Senate are united and standing up for everyday Americans. Standing up to push back against the Republican created health care crisis. We are not down with their efforts to gut the health care of the American people. And we will continue to make clear our position. Cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. Thank you, everyone.