LEADER JEFFRIES: "THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR IS HURTING HARDWORKING AMERICAN TAX PAYERS"
Brooklyn, NY – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on ABC This Week with Jon Karl where he highlighted that House Democrats remain focused on delivering for everyday Americans, while extreme MAGA Republicans engage in reckless political stunts as they drive Congress towards a dangerous government shutdown:
KARL: We begin with New York Democratic Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House. Mr. Leader, thank you for joining us. I want to start with those new charges against the president's son, Hunter. As you know, Republicans have been saying that Hunter Biden was getting special treatment. But now that these charges have come out, you hear from the president's son's legal team that these charges would never have been brought if his name weren't Biden. What's your sense? Is there something political here? Would these charges have been brought if this was not the president's son?
JEFFRIES: Well, good morning. It's great to be with you. I certainly think that that's a case that will be made in a compelling fashion by the president's son's attorneys and they should vigorously defend him. Hunter Biden is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The matter is before a court of law right now and let's see how it proceeds. I think what's more important is that President Joe Biden continues to lead us forward to focus on the things that matter, to build an economy that works for everyday Americans, that's built from the middle out and the bottom up, and to lean in to creating a situation where every single American in every single zip code can truly experience the American dream.
KARL: Is there frustration that you have this indictment coming out of Biden's Justice Department that plays right into what Republicans are trying to do, which is to campaign against the Biden family and suggest there is corruption there. Now, you have special counsel indicting the president's son.
JEFFRIES: Well, if anything, the indictment indicates that, as President Biden and his administration have consistently said, there is no interaction between the president, the administration and the Department of Justice, which is going to simply follow the facts, apply the law and present the truth as they see it to the American people.
KARL: Meanwhile, you have Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy launching this impeachment inquiry, and he did it just days after saying he would not launch an impeachment inquiry without a full vote of the House. Obviously, the vote never happened and he did it anyway. What's going on here?
JEFFRIES: Let's be clear. House Republicans are in the middle of a civil war. The civil war, has the following attributes: chaos, dysfunction and extremism. The House Republican civil war is hurting hardworking American taxpayers and limiting our ability to be able to solve problems on their behalf. It's unfortunate, but as House Democrats, we're going to continue to try to find common ground with the other side of the aisle to work with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans and President Biden. And hopefully the House Republicans will come along so that we can work to make sure we are funding the government, that we have a government that can provide for the health, the safety, the economic well-being of the American people. And we can end the partisan political gamesmanship that right now has captured House Republicans.
KARL: As you know, McCarthy is saying that he is just doing this because he wants to get to the facts and they're saying this will get them new subpoena power. But the Trump Justice Department, after the first impeachment of Donald Trump, issued an opinion that the White House did not have to cooperate and not have to produce documents or compel witnesses to testify unless the impeachment happened with a full vote of the House. So what's your sense? Will Democrats, should Democrats, should the White House cooperate with this impeachment inquiry?
JEFFRIES: The White House has cooperated and I believe the White House will continue to cooperate because there is nothing to hide. There are no facts in the record to suggest that President Biden engaged in wrongdoing. There are no facts on the record to suggest that President Biden engaged in impeachable offenses. There are no facts on the record to suggest that President Biden broke the law in any way, shape or form. This is an illegitimate impeachment inquiry. It's a product of the House Republican civil war. Why in the world, in the middle of all the issues that we are trying to tackle, all of the problems that we are trying to solve on behalf of the American people, would House Republicans inject this illegitimate impeachment inquiry in the middle of us trying to do the business of the American people? It's quite unfortunate. It's wrong, it's distracting and it should end now.
KARL: Are you going to be able to do the business of the American people? It seems like we're headed towards a government shutdown. What's going on? Are you having back-channel conversations with McCarthy or with Republican moderates? Where is this going?
JEFFRIES: Well, it's my expectation that we will continue to have conversations as we move forward. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, has our full confidence. And we are ready, willing and able to talk about moving America forward. You know, we have a vision to put People Over Politics. That's what we should be doing, that's why we were sent to Washington, D.C., not to make an ideological point, but to make a difference. And we're going to continue to focus on making life more affordable for everyday Americans, lowering costs, better-paying jobs, safer communities, defending democracy, fighting for reproductive freedom and, of course, building an economy that works for everyday Americans. And we urge our Republican colleagues in the House to join us, stop fighting each other in the reckless, reprehensible Republican civil war and let's get to the business of the American people.
KARL: You and McCarthy both talked about working together when he became Speaker. If it comes to this motion to vacate, you hear Matt Gaetz and other McCarthy critics saying that they are moving in that direction, they're going to try to remove him as Speaker, will you– will Democrats help bail McCarthy out? Are you going to be there to help him or are you going to go along with the effort to oust him?
JEFFRIES: Well, we haven't given any thought one way or the other, because, Jon, as I've indicated, we're going to continue to focus on solving problems for the American people. Now, if that moment presents itself, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But what we should be focused on right now is avoiding an unnecessary government shutdown that will hurt the ability of our economy to continue to recover, which President Biden has led a tremendous recovery to date. And that shouldn't be interrupted because of partisan political gamesmanship.
KARL: Okay, obviously this is happening against the backdrop of the UAW strike. Are you going to Detroit, are you with the autoworkers on this?
JEFFRIES: I'll be heading to Detroit a little later on today and looking forward to standing in solidarity with the United Auto Workers who are fighting for the fundamental American dream, which is quite simple, if you work hard and play by the rules you should be able to provide a comfortable living for yourself, for your family, educate your children, purchase a home and one day retire with grace and dignity. That's the principle upon which the United Auto Workers are standing, and I stand with them.
KARL: How long do you think this is going to drag on?
JEFFRIES: Well, I think it's all of our hope that it will end sooner rather than later but record profits have been generated. Incredible economic prosperity has been generated for the corporations upon whom the UAW works with. And so I think it's only fair that everyone share in those record profits, in the prosperity that has been created. That's a fundamental American principle. That's why we were able to build, in the aftermath of World War Two, the great American middle class. And we need to keep that going for everyone.
KARL: I have to ask you something that your predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, said this week, she was asked a very direct question about Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate. Let me play the exchange.
[VIDEO CLIP] COOPER: Is Vice President Kamala Harris, the best running mate for this President?
[VIDEO CLIP] PELOSI: He thinks so and that's what matters.
[VIDEO CLIP] COOPER: Do you think she is the is the best running mate though?
[VIDEO CLIP] PELOSI: She's the Vice President of the United States. People say to me, well, why isn't she doing this or that? It's because she's the Vice President.
KARL: But why couldn't she directly answer the question about whether or not Kamala Harris is the best running mate for Joe Biden?
JEFFRIES: Far be it from me to ever speak for Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi, the greatest Speaker of all time, she's very capable of answering that question on her own. I will say that Vice President Harris has been a great Vice President. She'll be a great running mate. She's been a tremendous partner in the things that President Biden has been able to accomplish, which have been phenomenal, not just rescuing the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, but fixing our crumbling infrastructure, clean water in every single community, bringing domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the United States of America through the CHIPS and Science Act, standing up for our veterans, gun safety legislation for the first time in 30 years and of course, capping the price of insulin at $35 per month for millions of Americans. President Biden has led that effort. House Democrats and Senate Democrats have worked with the administration to get those things done. Vice President Harris has been a tremendous partner.
KARL: All right. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader in the House, thank you for joining us.
Full interview can be watched here.