LIVE: House Democratic Leaders Hold Weekly Press Conference

With the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu, and the DCCC Chair, Susan DelBene, we just concluded just a little bit ago our caucus meeting. And when you decide to introduce every new member and you have historic margins like we do, it takes a little bit of time. There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, very celebratory, people excited about what's ahead, the next steps, legislating, getting their offices set up. And bringing about true accountability and oversight, which is what is ahead. Because one week ago, the American people sent a very clear message. They're tired of rising prices, broken promises, and a government that puts billionaires over hardworking Americans. And they want Democrats to make a change. House Democrats heard them loud and clear, and we stand ready to deliver. Our agenda is focused on three priorities. lowering costs, protecting health care, and rooting out corruption. Americans sent Democrats to Washington at historic levels so we would help make their lives more affordable. This means undoing Trump's costly tariffs and ending the reckless war of choice that is driving up gas prices. They also entrusted us to protect their health care. Democrats will reverse the cruel Medicaid cuts and restore the Affordable Care Act tax credits that kept insurance premiums low because nobody Should have to choose between seeing their doctor and paying their bills. And finally, we're going to hold the companies, government officials, and Trump administration accountable for making life harder and more expensive for working families. Our committee chairs will have the tools to investigate corruption and to ensure that no one is above the law. We can and will do it all because this corruption is costing the American people, and we'll get it done with our talented caucus. In January, nearly 260 seats, Democrats, will be representing red districts, purple districts, urban, rural, every corner of the country. Our caucus will be made up of veterans, doctors, lawyers, farmers, firefighters, musicians, law enforcement officials, and we have a crisis negotiator, I think, as well. Thank Their different backgrounds and experiences will make our caucus and our country even stronger. I look forward to seeing how each of them inform and shape our legislative priorities and make sure that our agenda reflects the will of the American people. Because last week's victory wasn't about us. you. It was about the millions of Americans who made their voices sent loud and clear. Make no mistake, Democrats will work every day to earn that trust that they have given us. It's now my honor to introduce the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu. Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Last week, the American people delivered a clear repudiation of Donald Trump and Republicans and the MAGA agenda that they try to set forth into America. And this was done at the federal level, the state level, and the local level. We had an amazing caucus today, hearing from all the new members and seeing the wonderful diversity they represent across all of America. I want to thank our amazing field general, Susan DelBene, the chair of the DCCC, for her incredible work last term, where we overperformed, and her amazing work this term, where we're going to have the largest caucus of Democrats since Watergate. The American people saw that gas prices were rising, healthcare costs were rising, and mortgage rates were rising. And what was Trump focused on? Putting his name on stuff, on coins, on passports, on buildings. You know what he was doing the day before the midterm elections? He was standing in front of the reflecting pool that he screwed up, talking about how it should be changed to the Trump reflecting pool. You know what he was doing the day after midterm elections? Talking about White House renovations. And the American people said enough. They've had enough of this administration and the Republicans who enable it. And now they've ushered in this tremendous new majority for both the House and the Senate. And we look forward to working on behalf of the American people on two core themes, affordability and accountability. And now it's my great honor to introduce the amazing DCCC Chairwoman, Susan DelBene. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you to Chair Aguilar and Vice Chair Liu. Thank you. I think that caucus might have been my favorite caucus of this entire Congress. Today in caucus, we introduced the incoming Democratic class of the 120th Congress, all over 80 of them, which took a little bit of time. And as I've said, I'll cycle. Our secret sauce is our candidates, just really amazing candidates. And after last week's results, I think the secret is out. Because of our great candidates, we have won 44 of our 66 offensive targets on our list. All of them have helped us get to this historic victory, which as of last night, we expect to reach the largest House majority of the 21st century. And as outgoing DCCC chair, seeing all of them in one place for the first time was historic for our country, but also really special for me personally. You spend a little time with them, and it's clear how extraordinary each and every one of them are, why they had such appeal, crossover appeal in these swing districts, and ultimately why voters in their districts trusted them to represent them in the halls of Congress. And I hope all of you will get the time to get to know as many of them as you can and will be as impressed as I am. They bring different professional backgrounds, life experiences, and yes, personalities to our caucus and the Congress, but they share a very common passion, a common passion to deliver for their communities, especially those folks who have been struggling to get by as a result of the failed policies Republicans put in place. This results first approach by our new members is both refreshing and needed after the last few years of this Republican rule where we've seen nothing but rising costs, chaos, and corruption. And amongst the incoming freshmen from battleground seats that flipped from red to blue, we have a class that Genuinely, genuinely believes their job is to represent all of their constituents, Democrats, Republicans, independents. They are representatives, not rubber stamps. And that's why they run their constituents, trust them to look past partisan bickering and focus on what matters most, improving the lives of hardworking families back home. They are mission-driven, and their mission-driven approach to service is how battleground candidates were able to win and overperform in 2024, with virtually all of them winning in districts won by Trump. In fact, at least 28 of them were elected in districts Trump won by double digits. Overperforming by that much requires candidates who are able to speak authentically to the issues that matter. Reflecting the needs of their communities, and I am certain it will define their time in the next Congress. It's an exciting time both for our new members but for the country and I know this group is eager and ready to hit the ground running fighting for their communities. They're going to be incredible partners as a democratic majority gets to work on lowering costs, restoring health care that was slashed by republicans, rolling back the sweeping tariffs, reigning in an out-of-control ICE and ending the reckless war in Iran. Thank you all for joining us today. Again, just a really exciting today, a day in caucus, and I'll turn it back to our chair. Questions. I want to thank Susan as well. Leader Jeffries Quite a lot of applause. Susan DelBene received quite a bit of applause as well from the caucus. Everybody understands the work that she has put into this, as Ted said, two cycles now. And you get to know these candidates, and she knows them all. She knows their families, their districts, and she just has done an amazing job. And we appreciate it. Questions? Nick, then Riley. I want to ask you about how you're thinking about running the caucus. Rule changes, what do you see happening in terms of, like, What changes to sexual misconduct rules, what is your vision for that part of the topic? I won't be running the caucus in the next in the next session. Obviously, I'll be at the leadership table. But I think Vice Chair Lou will be kind of guiding the meetings. Later this year, the Committee on Caucus Rules, which kind of governs our policy document, our rules document, they will convene. They have set a deadline for members to submit suggestions and rule changes, just as we have done in every Congress. The members on that committee will debate and discuss those and they will make any recommendations. And present those to the full caucus and an amendment could come up with the recommendation of the committee on caucus rules or without the recommendation of the committee on caucus rules. But if members want something that there is a process for that, there are rules for that, and we are the Democratic caucus and there will be votes on that. So no shortage of ideas and changes that they will want that is separate and apart to the rules package that governs the House floor. So both are different. Jim McGovern guides that process on what we do day one with our caucus rules package that is similar to the discussions that have been had in congresses in the past, including kind of laying out the first week of legislative items. And so Jim McGovern will work with the leadership team on that. I'm happy to turn it over to the vice chair if you want to talk about kind of structurally how he's thinking through things. First of all, let me thank Chairman Aguilar for his amazing service. This is his last press conference as chair. We go to leadership elections next week, and Pete has run this caucus phenomenally well. He's done it with grace and humor and professionalism. He is running unopposed for whip. He'll be the first Latino whip in Congress and U.S. history. And look forward to working with Pete and a leadership team. And then in terms of the caucus, super excited. We're going to have such a large caucus in every Congress. There's different dynamics with the caucus. So we're going to have very good caucus conversations. We'll continue to build upon a leadership of. Chairman Aguilar, and the issues that you asked, we want to have caucus discussions on those and then have a path forward. I'm going to let John Leonard answer some of the questions today. He said senior Democrats told him he would make his life a living hell if he doesn't back Jeffries as speaker What is your response to that as a senior Democrat? I don't know what senior Democrats he's talking about. I think all of us here can attest to the work, the time, the energy that Hakeem Jeffries put into helping to build this majority. By the way, a majority that many of you reported on pundits and others said was going to be much smaller than it ended up. We overperformed because of our candidates, because of the climate and because of our message and our agenda. And Leader Jeffries was An integral part of that. And so it's my belief that he will be overwhelmingly selected to lead this caucus. I don't lose any sleep over that. Members can have ideas and interests and they could have asks along the way. But the outcome is not in question. And so I would tell any member that if they asked if they asked how we're thinking about it, I would say I'm voting for him, Jeffries, and there is no question he will be the next speaker. Leader Jeffries has indicated that he is a hard yes on Congressman Murphy's impeachment resolution. Do you expect that to be the position of the caucus later today when this comes up on the floor? And then if this resolution does not pass, is it Democrats' intent to bring this up when you have the majority? Next year, it's not being whipped. Members are going to have to make their own decisions based on the articles of impeachment. We didn't put our finger on the scale. The leader has said he's a yes. I've said publicly, I'm a yes. But members are going to make their own their own decisions along the way. And we and we respect that. The only People truly that govern whether they are going to be on the end of an impeachment proceeding are those individuals, those cabinet members, because their conduct will decide whether that is the ultimate outcome or not. But when we are in the majority, we are serious about holding people accountable. And that will begin and start early with oversight. But we are not shy to use accountability But that is not anything that is being discussed at this point. Michael? Check in around where has the task force submitted the proposal to Leader Jeffries yet? And how have those conversations been going? What can we expect from? This large majority on AI policy, there have been a lot of conversations about what you all would like to do, but you all haven't had the gavels, you all haven't had the majority. Now that you will, can you lay out what you expect from an AI policy perspective next Congress? So I was honored to serve on the Democratic AI Commission with Congress members Gottheimer and Foushee. This commission was created by Leader Jeffries, and we... I'm working with Leader Jeffries' office in terms of a document that will be made public in terms of what will happen next term. That's different. At least two things will happen. One, we're going to have hearings on AI, the Republicans and Donald Trump basically let the AI industry run wild, tried to suppress legislation on AI at the federal level, tried to suppress legislation at the state level and failed to do so, and basically kept the American people in the dark on AI. We're going to have hearings on AI and we'll pass legislation through committees off the House floor on reasonable guardrails on AI. That's going to take a little bit of time as we have this new caucus and you have to set up the committees, and then you have to pass the legislation, but you're going to see that occur in a way that did not occur this term. Given the fact that you have any concerns about the regulation... There could be, but you may have noticed that... The president will say something and then do something exactly the opposite a few weeks later. He'll forget what he said, sometimes just the last person that talks to him. So we're just going to send him good legislation, not just on AI, but also on affordability and see what he does. And hopefully he signs it on behalf of the American people. A lot of community members told me they can't afford to rebuild their homes, rebuild their businesses. It's been almost two years since the wildfire, and Congress has done nothing to pass disaster relief for California or anywhere else. How big of a priority is that for Democrats, either in this lame duck or in this new Congress, to get some sort of comprehensive package done for California and North Carolina and other states? I would push back that there are some states that have received disaster assistance. They just aren't blue states. That's how this president. Thank you very much. You know, we should be asking whether they're in a blue city or in a blue state or a red state. That's not how we've operated. And that's not how other administrations have operated. This is a unique administration who is singularly focused on retribution. And it's unfortunate. And the American people pay a price. So how high of a priority is that? It's a very high priority within this lame duck, but then we'll see what can pass. And then we will have other appropriations opportunities after that. The committee will start right away after the start of the year. So we have two opportunities to get this done within the current fiscal year or the next fiscal year that is planning. But Rosa DeLauro, the appropriators, the leadership team all knows the stakes and the importance of delivering disaster aid, not just to California, but you mentioned North Carolina and other states that need it. Max? You've talked a lot about priorities for the first 100 days. We all know you have rolling back tariffs, you say credit reinstating, ending the war in Iran, et cetera. But when do you think we'll know what the exact H.R.1 package that we just said? I'd like to expect. So it's nothing that Susan DeBene and Ted Lieu and I are going to break for you. Thank you. Look, Leader Jeffries will make the decision in consultation with the caucus on where we go within H.R. 1 through 10. As you know, the majority will control those. And then within that first kind of rules package, you'll see the bills that are the priority for the first hundred hours. So that first week, you understand we don't have committees. And so that rule. We'll unlock the ability to debate and discuss those on the floor. Those will be the Democratic core priorities that we start with the first 100 hours. As you said, dozens of members came in with sort of a mandate for change. With that, there's a change that we're in position with over a million signatures to not have Hakeem Jeffries. And members are hearing from their constituents to not have Hakeem Jeffries as the next speaker. What do you want your members to say to those constituents? And have you heard concerns from constituents about it? We've seen the same letters and call volume. Sometimes it's even from folks in our district. Most of the time, it's not. We appreciate the fact that people think that they can reach out and contact our offices. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Maybe, you know, not speaking for the interns and the staff who answer those calls many times. But that is part of our American process to make your viewpoints heard. Our process of what we control as members is our vote for speaker. And we will judge that based on what is in front of us and the body of work that Hakeem Jeffries has done in leading this caucus and this delegation for the last four years requires, in my opinion, are the caucus to elevate him to be the next speaker. And so that's what we control. But look, people are going to reach out and that's and that's fine. My advice to new members is focus on what you got here, you know, focus on how you got here. Um, and, uh, and, and think through, um, what's important ahead. And I think that all of that is kind of guided by Hakeem Jeffries, the speaker. And like I said before, I don't lose any sleep. That's going to ultimately be the outcome. Uh, and I look forward to casting my, my vote, uh, and standing up on January 3rd and saying that on the, uh, 250th birthday of America, we're going to make history by electing Hakeem Jeffries as the first black Speaker of the House. And it's going to be phenomenal. He has been an amazing leader. I had the honor of serving with him in the House Judiciary Committee. I was one of a small core group of people that helped him when he first ran for leadership as chair. And he has done an amazing job. He has delivered one of the largest Democratic majorities in U.S. history. And so congratulations, Speaker Jeffries. Look forward to working with you next term as we make America more affordable. I agree. Democrats are very proactive. Do you advocate for it? Would you argue that Democrats should? Yeah, I think, and I'll yield to the DCCC chair, who obviously has this vantage point. Zoe Lofgren, I believe in the House of Representatives, and Alex Padilla, my senator in the Senate, have the standalone pieces of legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting. I support that piece of legislation. I hope it comes up for a vote. I believe it will be a Democratic priority to do that. That doesn't mean that we don't keep our options available, because we've seen what the Republicans have done in Texas, what they tried to do in Texas and failed, what they tried to do in Florida and failed, what they have done in Ohio and in North Carolina in years past, multiple years past. And so we should retain that ability and that optionality to move forward if they do. And everybody should put their pens down. Um, or nobody will put their pens down, but legislatively, I feel comfortable saying I will support a ban on mid-decade redistricting. Um, but unless the president signs that into law, I'm not going to stop keeping our eyes, uh, keeping our head on a swivel and keeping our eyes, uh, wide open to what Republicans are going to do and what they can do in some of these States still. You know, their redistricting backfired across the country and the American people spoke out loudly and rejected their attempts to to have politicians pick their voters. People want to pick their representatives. And I think we heard that loudly in Texas and Florida and North Carolina, all across the country. Let's be clear. Republicans did not ask the American people when they did this. California, the people had to say. They jammed it through, and they went out of their way to try to prevent the American people from having a voice, and you heard the people of Texas and Florida stand up to that. So I agree with Chairman Aguilar that there should be legislation, but we also are going to make sure that folks are ready to make sure they stand up for fair representation across the country. Last one. Thank you, Chairman. Have you spoken with Congressman Stephen Sander Dorsten in the Michigan race, and there were reports her office was blocked yesterday in the Senate vote series in the Republican vote room. What's your reaction to that and her being back here? I've spoken with her. She's a member who cast her vote yesterday. There's going to be a lot of votes over the next couple weeks. And we expect members, we expect Democratic members to come and show up and vote. There's going to be some meaningful votes on government funding, on the Hegseth piece this week. There's some things that the American public deserves representation on. And every member who's given this ability to represent their districts should exercise that to both parties. Thank you.