LEADER JEFFRIES: "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL WE SUPPORT A PARTISAN REPUBLICAN SPENDING BILL"
Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor to call for a Conference Committee on a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people and make clear that House Democrats will not vote for legislation that harms the American people.
LEADER JEFFRIES: From the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have made clear that we are willing to work with anyone in this town who is committed to lowering the high cost of living. America is too expensive and far too many people in this country are working hard and playing by the rules, but they're unable to get ahead and can barely get by. And yet, what we've seen from this Congress is that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have consistently made life harder for everyday Americans. That's what the One Big Ugly Bill was all about. Hurt everyday Americans in order, Mr. Speaker, to reward billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. Why was this done? The One Big Ugly Bill rips healthcare away from millions of Americans. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics will close. And now the American people are confronting dramatic increases in healthcare premiums, co-pays and deductibles. America is already too expensive. President Trump and House Republicans are making things worse.
Democrats are prepared, under the leadership of Rosa DeLauro, to sit down any time, any place, to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, public safety and economic well-being. What Democrats will not do is support partisan spending legislation put forth by Republicans that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. Enough is enough. We need to reverse the damage that has been done, not do more. The One Big Ugly Bill steals food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. Why? Once again, to pay for massive tax breaks to Republican billionaire donors. Unacceptable and unconscionable. This motion to instruct will help ensure that in a conference between the House and the Senate, between Democrats and Republicans, we are actually protecting women, infants and children here in the United States of America. All over. In urban America, rural America, small town America, suburban America, ex-urban America and the heartland of America. The assault on the social safety net that Republicans have engineered this Congress, Mr. Speaker, has been completely and totally unacceptable, hurting everyday Americans and exploding the debt and the deficit at the same period of time.
Nothing has been done by this Republican-led Congress to lower the high cost of living. Donald Trump promised that costs would go down on day one. Costs haven't gone down, they're going up. Inflation is on the way up. Life has gotten more expensive. Electricity bills skyrocketing out of control and now healthcare premiums on the verge of increasing by thousands of dollars a year for 20 million Americans unless Republicans choose to join us and act with respect to the tax credits that will expire at the end of this year connected to the Affordable Care Act.
There is much work that needs to be done. And again, Democrats ready to sit down any time, any place, to work out a spending bill on a bipartisan basis that actually makes life better for the American people. But we will not allow this administration and the Republican Congress to continue to hurt everyday Americans. That's why we strongly support this motion to instruct, and that is why we have made clear that under no circumstances will we support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to rip away healthcare from the American people. Vote yes on this motion to instruct. And I yield back.
The full Floor speech can be watched here.