WEBVTT - Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz Talks Legislative Priorities

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg audio studios, podcasts, radio news, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

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<v Speaker 1>aforementioned the Democrat representing Florida's 25th district, a senior member

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<v Speaker 1>of house appropriations and was at one time chair of

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<v Speaker 1>the DNC Congresswoman. Congratulations on your reelection. It's great to

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<v Speaker 1>see you back on Bloomberg TV and radio. And thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for joining us. So was this just a big night?

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<v Speaker 1>Ted Cruz calls it a Watergate level repudiation. Was it

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<v Speaker 1>just a big night for Democrats or did you see

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<v Speaker 1>your party, uh, entirely remade in this midterm cycle?

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<v Speaker 2>What we saw was a cataclysmic response to Republican MAGA

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<v Speaker 2>indifference to the plight of everyday folks across this country,

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<v Speaker 2>no matter what their party affiliation was, because I know

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<v Speaker 2>I heard across my district when I was campaigning, and frankly,

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<v Speaker 2>during the last few years of representation of my current

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<v Speaker 2>congressional district, People's costs have skyrocketed out of control and

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<v Speaker 2>went into overdrive when Donald Trump implemented this illegal tariff

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<v Speaker 2>tax policy.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we may have just lost our connection.

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<v Speaker 2>Nope, I'm still here.

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<v Speaker 1>Sorry, Congresswoman, I think you're getting a little choppy on

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<v Speaker 1>the Wi-Fi. Maybe we can just check quickly to make

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<v Speaker 1>sure the Congresswoman... is good, because I want to be

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<v Speaker 1>able to finish her answer there. Kaylee's in New York.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm in Washington. And Kaylee, as we reconnect with the Congresswoman,

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<v Speaker 1>this is the question right now. And while I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure anyone's going to know until all the lawmakers are

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<v Speaker 1>back in Washington and we actually have a family conversation

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<v Speaker 1>inside one room.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and as she's talking about hearing so much about

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<v Speaker 3>affordability questions and costs in her district and beyond, the

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<v Speaker 3>real question is, is what legislation immediately can be enacted

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<v Speaker 3>by a Democratic-controlled Congress that can address that, assuming that

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<v Speaker 3>it's not one of those that President Trump has suggested

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<v Speaker 3>he might veto, because he said he might be Mr.

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<v Speaker 3>Veto and be doing that a lot. Congresswoman, I believe

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<v Speaker 3>we've reestablished our connection. Apologies for the technical difficulties here. Legislatively,

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<v Speaker 3>as you talk about addressing costs, what's the first bill

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<v Speaker 3>that's going to pass that does that for the American people?

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<v Speaker 3>What do you want it to be?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, our legislative agenda is going to be driven by

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<v Speaker 2>the message we heard loud and clear and that these

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<v Speaker 2>election results produced, which is that people want us to

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<v Speaker 2>reduce their costs, whether it's groceries and gas, housing and

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<v Speaker 2>health care or utilities, housing being the largest portion of

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<v Speaker 2>a household budget. We've got to create more affordable options.

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<v Speaker 2>We had the Road to Housing Act that became law

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<v Speaker 2>without Trump's signature. That was bipartisan legislation. even in a

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<v Speaker 2>very challenging partisan political environment. And I am confident that

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to be able to build off of that model.

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<v Speaker 2>We have dozens of bills that have been filed focused

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<v Speaker 2>on bringing the cost of housing down, healthcare as well.

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<v Speaker 2>We need to reenact the enhanced premium tax credits because folks,

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<v Speaker 2>health insurance premiums have doubled, tripled, and quadrupled. We have

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure that whether it's groceries or gas. You

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<v Speaker 2>bring this war to an end. It's illegal to begin with.

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<v Speaker 2>People were very, very vocal when I was hearing from

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<v Speaker 2>them that they're tired of this war. They're angry that

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<v Speaker 2>Trump is waging it. And it's increased the cost of

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<v Speaker 2>fertilizer as well as a barrel of oil, which has

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<v Speaker 2>put gas prices and the cost of food on top

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<v Speaker 2>of his price increase resulting from tariffs. really out of people's,

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<v Speaker 2>too many people's reach. So those are the focuses that

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to have when it comes to legislation.

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<v Speaker 1>And you need to get around a president who, while

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<v Speaker 1>he has pledged to work with Democrats, has also fancied

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<v Speaker 1>calling himself Mr. Veto. I wonder, with so many new

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<v Speaker 1>members coming in, so many of them were running against

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<v Speaker 1>data centers, corporate interests, APEC, many pledging to end weapons

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<v Speaker 1>shipments to Israel. When will the family conversation happen? When

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<v Speaker 1>does Hakeem Jeffries get everyone in a room and hammer

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<v Speaker 1>out an agenda?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we've been working on that agenda for months now,

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<v Speaker 2>and the voters have spoken. We will, after you have

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<v Speaker 2>all the votes counted and the numbers are in, we

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<v Speaker 2>will have the largest majority in the House of Representatives

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<v Speaker 2>since 1990. And that majority is made up of moderate

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats who who flipped Republican districts, and they got so

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<v Speaker 2>many votes from Republican constituents. And so making sure that

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<v Speaker 2>we focus on life being more affordable, that's going to

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<v Speaker 2>be critical. That is issue one, two, and three, while

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<v Speaker 2>also really going after the Trump crime family's corruption. Because

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<v Speaker 2>I heard, and it doesn't matter whether you're in a

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<v Speaker 2>liberal district or a moderate or conservative district, People were

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<v Speaker 2>tired of Trump's obvious corruption, taking money out of families' pockets,

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<v Speaker 2>stuffing it into the pockets of billionaires, and also just

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<v Speaker 2>the dismantling of our democracy, ignoring the Constitution. So we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to be united in combating and proposing and pushing

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<v Speaker 2>forward those efforts. I've served in majorities and minority, Joe,

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<v Speaker 2>back and forth in my time in Congress with Republican presidents,

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<v Speaker 2>with Democratic presidents. I mean, unless Trump decides he's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be the exception to the rule, most presidents want

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<v Speaker 2>to actually have a legislative agenda and not just veto bills.

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<v Speaker 3>All right. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida's 25th District.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks so much for joining us on Balance of Power.