LEADER JEFFRIES: "STANDING BY UKRAINE IS STANDING BY AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS"
BROOKLYN, NY – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on ABC's The View where he emphasized that House Democrats are continuing to put People Over Politics to lower costs for working families, grow the middle class and protect our national security.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, Leader. I just want to sing that song, Mr. Leader, Mr. Leader. Oh, Mr. Leader, Mr. Leader, Mr. Leader. Listen, you made history as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. It took 247 years. 247 years. How does that feel?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it's humbling. You know, it's a great honor and a privilege to, one, just represent the people of Brooklyn.
AUDIENCE: [Applause]
LEADER JEFFRIES: Somehow Brooklyn's always in the house. And to serve them and also work with my colleagues, you know, on behalf of hardworking American taxpayers all across the country. But what's clear to me is that I stand on the shoulders of giants like Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, you know, Barbara Jordan, Jim Clyburn, those who've paved the way for me and the next generation of people to serve in the Congress. And that's an honor. That's a blessing. It's humbling. And we're going to continue to work hard to do the best we can to deliver for the American people.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Look at you. Look at you. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Joy.
JOY BEHAR: There's so much dysfunction in Congress right now. Nothing is getting done because you have these crazy people there. You have Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz. I mean, they wouldn't even be the president of their class in a high school. Americans are frustrated, you know. You have to be at your wits end about this and my question is, how can you work with people like that who believe in Jewish space lasers and nonsensical things like that? They just make no sense. Can you even have a meaningful conversation with these people to get anything done?
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Let him answer. I know you're mad, but let him answer.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It's a rough crowd. It's a rough crowd. But, you know, my view on it from the very beginning is that, you know, as Democrats, we're willing, ready, able to find common ground, bipartisan common ground with the other side of the aisle, whenever and wherever possible, in order to make life better for the American people. That's our job. But at the same time, we've got to push back against their extremism whenever necessary. And so we're going to defend Social Security and Medicare. We're going to defend democracy. And we certainly are going to defend a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions.
AUDIENCE: [Applause]
JOY BEHAR: Can I just ask one follow up. Do you actually think that they will get rid of Social Security and Medicare? Really? Will they get rid of it? Because that, to me, is a great point for the Democrats to push.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, they've been very clear that they want to weaken it and they want to end it as we know it. And effectively, you know, change the reality that Social Security and Medicare—these aren't entitlement programs, these are programs that all of you paid into throughout your life and worked hard to earn. I remember when I was a messenger in Manhattan, my first job, and they told me, well, you're in high school, you're not going to be taxed heavily. I was earning $3.35 an hour. I got my first check, and I see that there was something that was taken out. And I was surprised. And I had to ask the question, who is FICA? And why are they taking my money?
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: And why are they taking my money?
LEADER JEFFRIES: But that's what every American pays into. That's your Social Security. That's your Medicare. That's why we're going to protect it and strengthen it.
JOY BEHAR: And then you get it back.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: So, Mr. Leader, I've gotta ask politics because we're in a presidential year. Obviously in a very kind of historic moment, Speaker Pelosi passed the baton to you, and you have been rising the ranks, a star in the party, because you believed it was time for the next generation of leadership, which I think we all applauded here. There are some, about a third of Americans, worried that the President doesn't have the vitality to serve out another four years. Do you think that it's time to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership? Or do you think Joe Biden is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Joe Biden is definitely the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump. Let me say, first about Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi, in my view, the greatest Speaker of all time. And so, it's an honor to stand on her shoulders. Although, it ain't easy to follow Michael Jordan y'all. But we all collectively are working hard to do what we need to do to put People Over Politics and deliver. In terms of President Biden, he's got an incredible track record of success, and we just have to connect that track record of success with his vision for the next four years and make it clear that the things that he has presided over have been extraordinary from, you know, the American Rescue Plan, where we put shots in arms, money in pockets, kids back in school, rescued the economy from a once-in-a-century pandemic and have now allowed that economy to emerge as the strongest in the world. Still more work that needs to be done, but an incredible foundation. Fixing our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, our airports, our mass transit system, high-speed internet access in every single community, gun safety legislation for the first time in 30 years that will save lives.
AUDIENCE: [Applause]
LEADER JEFFRIES: We have to do more.
JOY BEHAR: College loan forgiveness.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Student loan debt forgiveness and of course, you know, striking a dramatic blow against the climate crisis and lowering the high price of lifesaving prescription drugs for millions of Americans.
AUDIENCE: [Applause]
JOY BEHAR: What more do they want from a man, really?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: And Congressman, you're an exceptionally good messenger for your party, but for some reason, it feels like what Democrats are selling isn't necessarily breaking through. So Donald Trump's been indicted on 91 felony charges. The fact that he is neck and neck for Joe Biden is kind of stunning. And in some of these battleground states, Trump is beating Joe Biden. What do Democrats do to turn those numbers around?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this is an evenly divided country and so, this is going to be a competitive election. But I think what is clear, and we saw this in 2022 where there was tremendous Democratic over-performance. We didn't lose 63 seats like we did during the first midterm election under President Obama. Normally, you lose a tremendous amount of seats. We didn't lose 54 seats, we were only five seats away when we entered the Congress. Now because of Tom Suozzi's victory—
AUDIENCE: [Cheering]
LEADER JEFFRIES: We're only four seats away. Right? Gained a seat in the Senate, over-performed all across the country, won all the governorships and then in 2023, did the same exact thing. Won in Virginia, won in Ohio, won in Kentucky, won in Pennsylvania and now, most recently, in the special election in New York, were able to decisively turn that around. So I think the momentum is on our side because the American people realize we need less chaos in Washington, DC and more common sense, and we are a common sense party.
AUDIENCE: [Applause]
SUNNY HOSTIN: Let me ask you this, Leader Jeffries. According to a Harvard poll, less than half of young Americans plan to vote, and that's scary. We need those votes. I see first hand with my daughter, while she is going to be a first-time voter – she will vote – but there seems to be a lack of enthusiasm that I did not see when my older son voted for the first time. He was excited. What is your plan to engage these young voters, especially the Black and brown youth? You need the votes. How do you get them?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I think the most powerful word in the English lexicon is imagination. And you had great leaders like John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg emerge from humble circumstances. But they could imagine a better America. And then they went about working hard to make that happen. And I think what we have to do is make sure we're talking to our young people about their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations, their fears, their concerns and their anxieties, and then marry that with the power of imagining a better future and start to articulate what that looks like on the issues that they care most about. Where we've made progress – we have made progress – largest investment in combating the climate crisis in the history of the world to set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward. We've made progress, as you pointed out Joy, as it relates to student loan forgiveness. I think under President Biden we've forgiven now more than $135 billion in student loans. It's affected about 4 million Americans all across the country. And we're making progress on gun safety.
[...]
SARA HAINES: Mr. Leader, you just got back from the Munich Security Conference where you got a chance to hear the widow of Alexei Navalny speak after her husband's tragic and untimely death— murder. President Biden has put blame, and I think accurately so, squarely on Putin and has said that there would be devastating consequences. Now the White House is about to sanction Russia. Will that be enough of a consequence?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it was a very powerful moment to hear her speak. And, the delegation that was bipartisan—Republicans and Democrats—actually had some time with her. And she's such a powerful, poised, you know, just personable individual, such a pillar of strength at that moment and will continue to be a pillar of strength for the people throughout the world who want to fight for freedom. Now, we certainly have to make sure that there are consequences that are serious and that are imposed financially. But the most important thing that can happen is to make sure that we support the Ukrainian people in their war against Russia that was launched by Russia so that Vladimir Putin and his aggression is defeated decisively.
JOY BEHAR: Before it's too late, before he gets worse.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Can I ask a question before you?
JOY BEHAR: Yes. Go ahead.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Do you think she'll step up and and become the new voice?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah. She has indicated that she is going to step in to the void that was tragically left by his killing and continue to be, you know, a force for good in the world. And here's the thing that— the battle between Ukraine and Russia is not just two countries fighting each other. This is an existential contest that is playing out all across the world between democracy and autocracy, between freedom and tyranny, between truth and propaganda. And the United States of America should always stand on the side of democracy, freedom and truth. And that's why we stand on the side of the Ukrainian people.
JOY BEHAR: So, you know, Trump has always been sweet on Putin. He really likes him. I mean, he didn't even mention Navalny until he finally did, and he compared himself to Navalny. I mean, the narcissism is beyond belief. Now, let me ask you something. What do you think Putin has on him? On Trump?
SUNNY HOSTIN: Oh, that's a good question.
JOY BEHAR: What does he got?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I actually think that Donald Trump views himself as a Putin-esque—
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Leader.
LEADER JEFFRIES: —Dictatorial figure. He said it. And we should believe him, that he wants to go down this road. And that's the problem that we're encountering with some of my Republican colleagues that, there's a growing pro-Putin faction in the Republican Party, and it's led by Donald Trump, some other outside figures like Tucker Carlson and on the inside, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan. And what we're saying is that standing by Ukraine is standing by America's national security interests. And that's why it should be done in a bipartisan way. And we're calling upon the Republican leadership in our House to just put the bill on the floor for an up or down vote.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Mr. Leader, you also met with President Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference this weekend. And you alluded to—there's this $95 billion package on the floor to support Ukraine, which sounds like it's dead on arrival because some of these Republicans blocking it. I know your colleague Brian Fitzpatrick, a more moderate Republican, has offered a solution to try to move it forward. Some Republicans could even do a discharge petition to try to force this vote. What is—what can be done and what's the likelihood something passes this Congress to support Ukraine going into their Spring counteroffensive?
LEADER JEFFRIES: All options, legislatively, are definitely on the table. Congressman Fitzpatrick was on the trip, also the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Chairman Turner was on the trip. They both expressed to President Zelenskyy and to us in our conversations that they want to find a way forward, to work together and to get this bill on the floor for an up or down vote. It passed the Senate with about 70 votes, came over to us, it's comprehensive and it's bipartisan. Now, at the same time, we all recognize that there are issues domestically that we need to continue to prioritize, and we will. We'll continue to work hard to fight for lower costs and for better-paying jobs and to grow the middle class, for safer communities and, of course, to build a healthy economy that works for everyday Americans. This is our top priority and will continue to be. But at the same time, America has always been a leader of the free world, and we cannot abandon our post.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Do these lawmakers understand that this isn't a blank check to Ukraine, it's in fact to to manufacture weapons in the United States that contributes to our GDP, in addition to supporting Ukraine against Russia? Has that argument been made?
LEADER JEFFRIES: That argument has definitely been made. We probably will continue to elevate it so that the American people hear it, that these are investments that will be made in the United States that will generate economic activity for everyday Americans. Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle understand those dynamics, but others are more concerned with performance politics and political stunts. We need less of that. Actually, we need to get rid of it and focus on doing the job for the American people.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Now did you ever think you would have this conversation about some people being more open to Russia's policies than to our own? Did you ever think, ever, that we would be sitting here listening to people talk about– because, you know, this is not– this is not normal. But this is the world we're in. So thank you for coming today. Come back anytime.
Full interview can be watched here.