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NewsTranscript
00:00 Good afternoon.
00:03 Earlier today, we welcomed the Prime Minister of Japan, His Excellency, for a joint session
00:13 of Congress.
00:14 I thought he delivered an incredibly important address as it relates to the very close relationship
00:22 between Japan and the United States of America, a relationship that has endured for decades,
00:29 a relationship that is echoed in principles of democracy and freedom, and certainly a
00:36 relationship that is incredibly important during this great moment of turmoil when we
00:43 see forces of tyranny and totalitarianism and terror partnering with each other, including
00:53 but not limited to in Ukraine as it relates to Russian aggression.
00:59 And it is a real, clear, urgent need for American leadership, as the Japanese prime minister
01:09 made clear, and for the Congress to do its part to meet America's national security needs,
01:20 which requires House Republicans to bring the bipartisan, comprehensive national security
01:28 bill to the House floor for an up or down vote.
01:35 Democrats under the leadership of President Biden continue to deliver real results for
01:41 the American people.
01:43 Job creation remains up.
01:48 More than 15 million good-paying jobs have been created under the leadership of President
01:54 Joe Biden in less than four years, which represents phenomenal progress from the days of the COVID-19
02:02 pandemic and the shutdown of our economy.
02:05 At the same point, Democrats realize that there's more that needs to be done to address
02:13 inflationary pressures, the issue of affordability, and to drive down costs for everyday Americans.
02:21 And Democrats remain committed to building an economy from the middle out and the bottom
02:28 up to growing the middle class and to making sure that we bring economic opportunity to
02:35 every single zip code in the United States of America.
02:41 For the middle class and all those everyday Americans who aspire to be part of the middle
02:48 class.
02:49 Questions?
02:50 Good morning.
02:51 Good afternoon.
02:52 Thank you.
02:53 Is it hard as leader of the Democrats when Republicans are in charge and they're constantly
02:59 unable to move FISA, we don't know the path on Ukraine, there's all this chewing and throwing,
03:04 to say, "Okay, guys, this is what we're going to do"?
03:07 What is the attitude of Democrats when they're hearing all this and seeing this pandemic?
03:12 From the very beginning of this Congress, we've made clear as Democrats that we will
03:17 find bipartisan common ground with our Republican colleagues on any issue in order to make life
03:25 better for the American people.
03:26 And we have repeatedly done exactly that.
03:32 On issue after issue after issue, including most recently making sure that we funded the
03:37 government in a way that met the needs of the American people in terms of their health,
03:43 their safety, and their economic well-being.
03:45 At the same time, we've also made clear that we are going to push back against Republican
03:53 extremism whenever necessary.
03:56 And we have had to repeatedly do it because the extreme Magar Republicans are determined,
04:02 for instance, to rip away reproductive freedom from the women of America and to impose their
04:10 draconian economic philosophy, which is anchored in tax cuts for the wealthy, the well-off,
04:17 and the well-connected.
04:18 So we're going to continue to stay on this track of doing what is right for the American
04:22 people and finding bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible, but at the
04:29 same time pushing back against their extremism.
04:33 Specifically, as it relates to what we've seen over and over and over again from this
04:40 group of Magar extremists on the other side of the aisle, it's clear to the American people
04:47 that in Washington, D.C., we need more common sense, and that's the House Democratic governing
04:55 philosophy, common sense, and less chaos.
05:00 And unfortunately, what we've seen from House Republicans from the very beginning of this
05:05 Congress is chaos, dysfunction, and extremism, and it hurts the American people.
05:11 Is the Speaker getting marching orders from the President, former President, who's going
05:15 to meet him at Mar-a-Lago tomorrow?
05:16 Do you fear that?
05:17 That's a question that Speaker Johnson's going to have to answer himself.
05:22 Thank you, Mr. Leader.
05:24 What are House Democrats doing to make sure aid gets to Haiti?
05:27 And then secondly, what are House Dems doing to make sure that members back a bill to fund
05:32 the reconstruction of the collapsed bridge in Baltimore?
05:36 Well, both issues are important.
05:38 I'm going to have a conversation with Governor Westmore later on today.
05:42 I have been in close touch with him, and our offices have been in communication with each
05:48 other and Congressman Moise and Fume have been leading the effort on behalf of the Maryland
05:55 delegation to make sure that we are able to provide the city of Baltimore, the people
06:01 of Baltimore, and certainly the immigrant families who have experienced the loss of
06:08 a loved one with the support that they need in this moment of great crisis.
06:17 America needs to stand with the people of Haiti.
06:22 Haiti's not in our backyard.
06:24 Haiti's in our front yard.
06:26 It is a part of the Americas.
06:30 Haitian Americans are an important part of this country's gorgeous mosaic.
06:39 The United States has secured a commitment from Kenya and other nations in Africa and
06:47 the Caribbean to provide security assistance on the ground in Haiti.
06:55 But we need the Congress to do its part and release the $40 million in security assistance
07:04 that is necessary for the Kenyans and others to be able to have the resources necessary
07:11 to turn around the security situation in Haiti.
07:16 We sent a letter to Speaker Johnson weeks ago urging him to urge the Republican chairman
07:28 of the Foreign Affairs Committee to release the hold so that the $40 million in security
07:34 assistance to the people of Haiti can be distributed in a manner that will allow for the chaotic
07:42 situation to be addressed.
07:44 And it should have happened yesterday; it needs to happen immediately.
07:48 Thank you.
07:49 Have you begun discussions with Speaker Johnson about a new Ukraine package?
07:54 And if he moved on that, would you save him from potential voting debate, Kate?
07:58 The only way forward at this late hour is for House Republicans to put the bipartisan,
08:08 comprehensive national security bill on the House floor for an up-or-down vote so we can
08:16 provide support for our democratic allies in Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, including
08:23 Japan, as well as make sure we can serve humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians who are
08:32 in harm's way in Gaza through no fault of their own and other civilians in theaters
08:37 of war throughout the United States of America.
08:40 That is the only path forward.
08:44 Enough with the delays, the obstruction, the gamesmanship, the obfuscation.
08:53 Enough.
08:54 The world is on fire.
08:58 American leadership is required.
09:01 The entire post-World War II rules-based society on the global stage is at risk if because
09:13 of inaction in the do-nothing Republican House, we fail to provide Ukraine with the support
09:21 that it needs to push back against Russian aggression.
09:26 There's only one path forward.
09:28 Now, I've made the observation – not a declaration – the observation that if the
09:36 Speaker were to do the right thing and allow the House to work its will with an up-or-down
09:42 vote on the national security bill, that I believe that there are a reasonable number
09:47 of Democrats who would not want to see the Speaker fall as a result of doing the right
09:53 thing.
09:54 That's my observation, not a declaration, because we have to have a conversation – I
09:59 didn't necessarily mean to rhyme there – but a conversation amongst ourselves as House
10:08 Democrats before making such a solemn decision.
10:12 So does that mean you're ruling out supporting any other type of package?
10:16 Our view quite clearly – and it was expressed this morning in the WIT meeting hosted by
10:23 the Honorable Catherine Clark, who's doing a great job – is that the only path forward
10:32 is an up-or-down vote on the bipartisan, comprehensive national security bill.
10:36 Paul.
10:37 The only path forward for that bill would be on the suspension calendar, because as
10:42 was demonstrated yesterday, they can't pass a rule.
10:47 Are you worried about losing Democratic votes over the Israel aid portion of this and that
10:54 you would be in a situation where you couldn't get a two-thirds majority?
10:59 I believe that there are a sufficient number of votes to make sure that the national security
11:06 bill makes it over the legislative finish line if it's brought to the House floor
11:12 between the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Caucus.
11:17 We saw yesterday that the Republicans failed to pass a rule on FISA.
11:22 Would Democrats support a standalone rule for a FISA reauthorization, and has Speaker
11:26 Johnson spoken to you about this?
11:29 No and no.
11:31 On A2P, may I?
11:33 Discharge petition.
11:34 It also doesn't have full support of Democrats.
11:37 Have you been talking to your colleagues if they are willing to sign this discharge petition
11:43 to move forward with the bill?
11:47 I think the discharge petition now has north of the support of 90 percent of House Democrats.
11:53 I think we are currently somewhere around 194 or 195, some additional members signed
12:01 today.
12:02 I think we have two Republicans who joined us.
12:04 The problem is not on the Democratic side.
12:07 The problem is on the Republican side.
12:09 Two Republicans out of 217 believe that it's urgent at this moment to put the bipartisan
12:18 national security bill on the floor so we can provide support for Ukraine, Israel, Japan,
12:24 South Korea, Taiwan, and humanitarian assistance to people who are struggling throughout the
12:31 world.
12:32 Two Republicans.
12:33 The problem is not on the Democratic side.
12:36 And just a handful of Republicans, 20 or 25 at most, are willing to join House Democrats
12:47 so we can do what's necessary to protect America's national security needs.
12:52 Back?
12:53 Thanks, Mr. Secretary.
12:56 It sounds like Speaker Johnson, in order to win over – back on FISA for a minute – in
13:00 order to win over some of those conservative critics, is looking at a plan to shrink the
13:04 reauthorization window from five years to two years.
13:07 Is that something that Democrats could support?
13:09 Yeah, I need to have a conversation with Jim Himes as well as the Democrats on the Intel
13:17 Committee who've been closest to this issue, as well as Chairman Meeks of the Foreign Affairs
13:23 – soon-to-be-Chairman Meeks of the Foreign Affairs Committee, once-in-future Chairman
13:29 Meeks, as well as Adam Smith and others, before I'm going to weigh in on the issue of length
13:39 of time connected to the reauthorization.
13:42 Go back to this side.
13:45 During your conversations with the Japanese prime minister, did you bring up any type
13:49 of reforms to the status – sorry, let me get this right – to the status of forces
13:56 agreement that's between the United States and Japan to avoid a situation like the one
14:01 that happened to rid Alcona from ever happening again?
14:03 Yeah, that did not come up in the private conversations that I was a part of.
14:08 We more broadly talked about continued security cooperation between the United States and
14:14 Japan, some of the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, as well as, of course, some of the challenges
14:20 in the world similar to the themes that the Japanese prime minister hit upon in his address,
14:28 because we're confronting across the world a conflict between the forces of freedom and
14:34 the forces of tyranny, the forces of democracy and the forces of autocracy, the forces of
14:42 truth and the forces of propaganda.
14:45 The United States, Japan, our other democratic allies stand on the right side of that divide,
14:53 and we'll have to look for ways to continue to make sure we operationalize.
14:55 Now, do you think that service members overseas need to be guaranteed the right to an attorney
15:00 or the right to a translator?
15:01 Yeah, that issue didn't come up, and I defer to the Administration right now with respect
15:06 to the particulars.
15:07 Mr. Leader, we saw another ruling on abortion in Arizona further restricting the practice.
15:15 Do you believe that these rulings in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, does that
15:19 expand your map when you're looking to take back the majority?
15:23 And do you believe Donald Trump when he says that he would not sign a national abortion
15:27 ban into law?
15:28 Donald Trump is lying.
15:29 This is an individual who has said, along with the other extreme-backed Republicans,
15:37 that they are proud to have taken down Roe v. Wade.
15:42 Donald Trump put three Supreme Court justices in place, several of whom, in my view, misrepresented
15:53 their position before the United States Senate, claiming that Roe v. Wade was settled law.
16:01 And then the first opportunity they had took Roe v. Wade down and put the women of America
16:10 in a position where abortion care has been criminalized in state after state after state.
16:19 The extreme-backed Republicans have been very clear.
16:21 They do not believe in a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions.
16:27 The only reason the former president is claiming to be for states' rights is because he knows
16:36 he's not for women's rights when it comes to reproductive freedom.
16:44 And he recognizes that he's in a politically vulnerable position.
16:48 But there is absolutely zero reason to believe that the extreme-backed Republicans, the first
16:55 chance that they had with a Congress controlled by right-wing conservatives, and God help
17:05 us all, a Republican president would not impose a nationwide ban on abortion.
17:12 It's what drives a significant number of the Republicans who are part of their base.
17:21 If Roe v. Wade can fall after nearly 50 years, everything is on the table.
17:29 And it's not just reproductive freedom.
17:32 It's Social Security.
17:34 It's Medicare.
17:37 And many of us believe it's democracy itself.
17:39 Do you think that expands your map then, sir?
17:41 That's a question that we'll have to address on the nongovernmental side.
17:45 What is clear is that the women of America, the enlightened people of America in November
17:53 are going to express themselves loudly and clearly.
17:58 And the Republicans who want to criminalize abortion care and who want to impose a nationwide
18:05 ban are on the wrong side of this issue, the wrong side of history, and are likely to be
18:14 on the wrong side of the election results.
18:19 What's your message to the 20 or so Democrats in your own caucus who have not signed on
18:24 to the district petition on the Montgomery?
18:28 There are ongoing conversations with the House Democratic Caucus about the best way forward
18:35 in terms of ensuring an up or down vote on the bipartisan national security bill.
18:42 But the reality of the situation that we confront is clear.
18:48 The only way to get the bill over the finish line is with Democrats and Republicans partnering
18:56 with each other.
18:57 We have already demonstrated that we will provide more than our fair share of the votes
19:06 to get the national security bill done.
19:11 All we need is a handful of Republicans, 20 or 25, to join us.
19:17 It started this Congress with 222 Republican members.
19:22 All we need is 20 or 25.
19:26 On every single issue of significance throughout this entire Congress, House Democrats who
19:34 are in the minority have provided the overwhelming majority of votes to get things done for the
19:44 American people.
19:45 And on the issue of the national security bill, we are ready, willing, and able to do
19:54 the same.
19:55 We just need a handful of traditional Republicans to break with the MAGA extremists and join
20:04 us to lift up America's national security.
20:10 Senator Johnson has a one vote majority in the House.
20:13 What do you see or hope to see happening in the future with that in mind?
20:24 With respect to the agenda moving forward, as we have repeatedly said, as House Democrats,
20:40 we want to work together to solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers.
20:46 We will continue to put people over politics and to fight for things that matter, like
20:54 lower costs, growing the middle class, safer communities, defending democracy, and building
21:02 an economy from the middle out and the bottom up.
21:06 And if our Republican colleagues with their ever-shrinking majority are willing to join
21:11 us on any issue, as long as it will make life better for the American people, we will continue
21:18 to extend the hand of bipartisanship.
21:21 So it doesn't change your strategy at all?
21:22 It doesn't change our strategy at all.
21:26 So on the supplemental, did you communicate in any way with Speaker Johnson about his
21:32 intentions because he's saying a lot of different things.
21:37 He's talking about the innovations to the bill and that he's considering all the options.
21:44 Has he indicated what he wants to do and what those innovations might be?
21:50 We continue to make clear that the only path forward is an up-and-down vote on the bipartisan
21:56 comprehensive national security bill passed by the Senate.
22:01 It's my understanding at the same point has been repeatedly made to House Republicans
22:07 by the Biden administration, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell.
22:14 Everybody else in Washington, D.C. is in agreement that there's only one path forward, and that's
22:21 put the Senate bill on the House floor for an up-and-down vote, and I guarantee it will
22:25 pass with a strong bipartisan majority.
22:30 The Affordable Connectivity Program is slated to expire at the end of the month.
22:36 The White House has made a request for some funding from Congress.
22:38 I want to get your level of concern that that program is going to expire.
22:42 It's so important to closing the digital divide.
22:45 And Congresswoman Yvette Clark has a discharge petition on extending that program.
22:50 Do you support that petition?
22:52 Yeah, I strongly support Congresswoman Clark's efforts as well as the legislation connected
22:58 to the discharge petition.
22:59 It's my understanding that her legislation, which would allow the Affordable Connectivity
23:06 Benefit Program to continue to be funded in ways that benefit the American people all
23:13 across the country, in inner-city America, rural America, suburban America, exurban America,
23:20 small-town America, and the heartland of America.
23:23 That's a good thing.
23:24 That's a win for everyone.
23:26 And Congresswoman Clark's legislation has bipartisan support and more co-sponsors, as
23:33 I understand it, than the number necessary to pass the bill out of the House.
23:40 And so one way or the other, we have to get it to the floor.
23:44 Thanks.
23:45 You, obviously, during the last two weeks, endorsed Congressman Bowman for re-election.
23:51 If he came asking, would you go campaign with him in that district between now and June?
23:55 And then has AIPAC complicated your ability to keep cohesion within your caucus here on
24:00 Capitol Hill, given their primaries of so many of these progressives?
24:05 No with respect to the second question, and he and I haven't had that conversation about
24:10 going into the district.
24:13 Should President Biden take executive action to shut down the border?
24:18 I think the administration should pursue every available avenue to bring about a safe, a
24:29 strong, and secure border.
24:31 We also need a humane border.
24:35 The best path forward, as President Biden and the administration has articulated, is
24:41 a comprehensively agreed upon legislative proposal that could move out of the House
24:49 and the Senate.
24:50 Unfortunately, we found ourselves in a situation where the extreme MAGA Republicans are taking
24:56 orders from their puppet master down in Mar-a-Lago, who killed a bipartisan bill designed to address
25:05 border security in the United States of America, because the extreme MAGA Republicans don't
25:11 want to solve the border security issue.
25:14 They want to exploit the border security issue in November.
25:19 I do not believe that the Biden administration has given up hope for a different path forward,
25:26 but all options should be on the table in terms of executive action.
25:32 If it becomes clear that the legislative avenue has been closed off by Republicans preferring
25:41 partisan political stunts over addressing the needs of the American people, including
25:48 as it relates to border security.
25:49 Thank you, everyone.
25:50 Thank you.
25:51 Thank you.
25:52 Thank you.
25:52 Thank you.
25:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]