WEBVTT - Hakeem Jeffries Talks Iran, Impeachment & Midterm Elections 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:10.160 Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. Welcome to the Bloomberg 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:15.960 This Weekend Podcast with David Gura, Christina Raffini, and Elisa Matteo. 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:20.600 Thanks for joining us for today's selection of conversations from 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:21.000 the show. 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:23.479 You can listen to our favorite discussions right here on 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:25.799 the podcast, but also make sure to join us live 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.000 every Saturday and Sunday morning starting at seven am Easter. 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.560 We're on Bloomberg Television, Radio and the Bloomberg Business app, 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:36.240 bringing you unique takes and in depth interviews on news, politics, 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:38.120 lifestyle and culture. 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:44.960 The Democratic Leader in the House, my fellow Brooklyn Night 0:00:45.000 --> 0:00:46.720 Hakiem Jeffrey is joining us from Washington. 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.080 Leader Jeffries, thank you for joining us. I want to 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:51.199 get right to it. The US Embassy in Israel has 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:55.040 authorized departure for non essential personnel. That usually doesn't happen 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:57.800 unless something is imminent. Do you expect the US to 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:01.520 strike around this weekend and we'll Angrist be informed in advance. 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:04.760 Well, that remains unclear. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.880 We certainly have taken the position as House Democrats that 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:13.160 prior to any military action, the Trump administration should seek 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:17.480 authorization for the use of military force in connection with 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.679 any strikes against Iran that would be the functional equivalent 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:22.600 of an active war. 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:25.440 You spent the better part of this week with your 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.040 fellow Democrats at a retreat just outside of Washington, d C. 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:30.080 I know that a big focus of your attention was 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.880 on this affordability agenda. I wonder if you could enumerate 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.320 just a few points proposals that you would make should 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:39.920 you get the speaker's gabble Democrats regain control of the 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.880 House on that agenda going forward? What are items that 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:45.160 you think you could reconably pass without breaking the bank. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:47.000 Well, that's House Democrats. 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:50.480 We're committed to making life more affordable for the American people. 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:53.040 Donald Trump promised to lower the high cost of living 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.480 on day one, costs having gone down, costs have gone up. 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:59.040 In fact, the inflation numbers today showed that life continues 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:02.000 to get more for the American people because of the 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:07.040 Trump administration policies, including the Trump tariffs that have increased 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:10.760 costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:12.680 One of the first things I think that we need 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:16.080 to do is to make sure that these tariffs that 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:19.919 have been randomly and recklessly put into place by Donald 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:24.120 Trump can no longer move forward, and Congress needs to 0:02:24.240 --> 0:02:29.440 regain its authority on trade and tariff issues. Second, of course, 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:32.400 in connection with fixing our broken healthcare system, we have 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.560 to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. We're going 0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:37.760 to continue to fight to do that in the Senate. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:40.680 This year we've passed it, of course, out of the 0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:44.919 House all two hundred and thirteen Democrats joined by seventeen Republicans. 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:48.520 This is a bipartisan issue, and in order to prevent 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:53.800 tens of millions of Americans from experiencing dramatically increase health 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:56.799 insurance premiums, we have to pass these tax credits so 0:02:56.840 --> 0:02:59.360 we can drive down the costs. That certainly is also 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.320 a commitment of House Democrats. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:04.440 Peter Jeffries on that to do list. I reached out 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:07.560 to a senior Democrat, former member of the Bind administration, 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.000 and I said, what would you ask lear Jeffries? And 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:13.799 they said, ask him what the plan is for border control. 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:16.160 This is something that most Americans say they want, They 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.160 want stronger borders. They may disagree with the way the 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:20.320 President is going about it, but this is top of 0:03:20.360 --> 0:03:22.800 the agenda. And this individual said, I don't think Democrats 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:24.640 have a plan, do you, and what is that? 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:25.720 Well? 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.440 Our plan is anchored in several values. We want order 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:32.280 at the border, a safe, secure and strong border. We 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:35.080 recognize that we have a broken immigration system and we 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:39.200 need to fix it in a comprehensive and bipartisan way. 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:42.000 At the same period of time, the American people are 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:49.720 appropriately demanding that ICE enforcement is humane, it's fair, and 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.360 it's just, and that's not what we're seeing right now. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:56.560 ICE is completely and totally out of control, which is 0:03:56.560 --> 0:04:00.480 why we're fighting for dramatic reforms to the way in which. 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:01.400 ICE conducts itself. 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:06.240 That's bold, that's meaningful, and that's transformational, including things like 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:11.120 a mandatory requirement that judicial warrants be obtained before ICE 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:15.040 agents break into the homes of the American people. We 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:17.960 want to make sure that there are independent investigations that 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:21.839 state and local elected official, state and local officials like, 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:26.120 for instance, the attorney generals, can conduct in order to 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:30.560 make sure that there's accountability when ICE agents violently break 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:32.960 the law. We want to make sure that there's an 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:36.640 excessive use of force prohibition policy that's put in the place. 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:40.160 We have to make sure that sensitive locations like houses 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:46.200 of worship, schools, hospitals, and polling sites are protected from 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:49.680 overreach by ICE agents or the DHS. Those are some 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:51.600 of the policies that will continue to fight. 0:04:51.880 --> 0:04:53.839 To achieve should ICE be defunded. 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:59.279 I think we want dramatic reform as it relates to 0:04:59.360 --> 0:05:02.279 the manner and which ICE conducted itself. That's anchored in 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:06.360 the principle that taxpayer dollars should be used to make 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:09.599 life more affordable for the American people, not to brutalize 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:12.880 or kill them, as was the case with Renana Cole 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:14.400 Good and Alex Pretty. 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:16.920 Has to be brought under control. 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.520 Of course, what I've said is that what we need 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:24.440 to do interior enforcement should be fair, just and humane. 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:28.720 That's been the position that I've articulated from the very 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:32.800 beginning of this extremism that's being at least of the 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:36.920 American people. So that is why DHS as a funding 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:39.760 bill has not moved forward at this point in time, 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:43.120 and it will not move forward until there are changes 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.600 that are bold, meaningful, and dramatic. 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.320 The types of things that I've articulated. 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:53.679 We've talked about border policy, talked about trade policy, child 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:56.520 tax credit. I'm reminded of something that Elyssi Slotkin, the 0:05:56.520 --> 0:06:00.680 Democratic senator said recently, which was the suggestion Democrats need 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.720 a version of Project twenty twenty five, a Project twenty twenty. 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:04.839 Nine, if you will. 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.359 I think in saying that, what she's getting at is 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:09.880 there needs to be a clear value proposition for the 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:13.440 American people to understand what Democrats are offering. 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:16.080 Do you agree with her? Is she on to something there? 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.520 Does there need to be a clearer outline of what 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:20.680 Democrats proposing here going into the midterms of the next 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:21.480 presidential election. 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.080 Well, I think heading into the midterm election is what 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:26.640 we've made clear is that the American people deserve better, 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:30.160 and we've said directly to them, you deserve better than 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:34.120 the extremism that has been unleashed on everyday Americans, the 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.080 assault on the economy, the failures as it relates to 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:39.760 the high cost of living, the failures on healthcare, the 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.240 failures as it relates to immigration enforcement, and the failures 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.200 of Donald Trump and Republicans to make life better for 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:49.599 the American people because they're so preoccupied with a whole 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:53.160 host of other things, including massive tax breaks for their 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:56.160 billionaire donors. That's what their one big, ugly bill was 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:58.880 all about while at the same period of time, they 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:03.440 gutted Medicaid, ripped away snap benefits from millions of Americans, 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:06.640 and gave is a seventy five billion dollars slush fund. 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.760 As Democrats, our approach is going to be very different, 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:13.600 will be laser focused on driving down the high cost 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.360 of living, fixing on broken healthcare system, and cleaning up 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:21.680 corruption wherever it's found in the Congress, at the Supreme Court, 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:26.240 and certainly with this administration the most corrupt in American history. 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:29.440 We're coming into week two of that partial government shutdown. 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:33.120 You just mentioned all the reforms that you want from DHS, 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.640 and you're asking your party to hold the line on that. 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:39.560 But realistically, as TSA agents start to miss paychecks, as 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:43.040 airport slow down, as constituents start to feel the pain 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:46.040 of this partial shutdown, do you think members of your 0:07:46.040 --> 0:07:48.120 caucus will stay strong on this or will you see 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.040 defections like you did during the last shutdown? 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:53.600 Well, I think the outcome of the last shutdown was 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:58.440 that House Democrats led the effort to pass a straightforward 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:02.560 three year extend of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:08.239 and seventeen House Republicans joined us marking the first time 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:12.560 in American history that any Republicans in this Congress have 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:17.200 voted affirmatively for the Affordable Care Act tax credits, or 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:20.400 the Affordable Care Act. That was the outcome of our 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:23.520 effort to draw a hard line in the sand on 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:26.840 behalf of the American people. Now, this time around, we've 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:30.960 basically made clear that it's unfortunate that Donald Trump and 0:08:31.080 --> 0:08:34.480 Republicans in the Congress have decided that they would rather 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:38.400 shut down FEMA, shut down the Coastguard, and shut down 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:42.880 TSA as opposed to enacting the type of bold, meaningful, 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:47.520 and dramatic changes that will help transform DHS and its 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:51.840 enforcement agencies in a manner that is consistent with our values. 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:55.120 But do you think your party is united enough to 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:56.199 hold that line? 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:57.800 And who is the leader. 0:08:57.520 --> 0:08:58.880 Of the Democratic Party right now? 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:02.960 Democratic leader? We've got great members of the House Democratic 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:06.319 Caucus as well that are leading in a wide variety 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:09.960 of different ways. It's not my job to make determinations 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:12.280 as to who's the Democratic Party leader. What I can 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:15.680 tell you is that Democrats have won elections consistently for 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.040 the last fourteen months, and so whoever the leader may be, 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.600 he or she is doing a great job, because literally, 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:28.080 we haven't lost a meaningful election in the entirety of 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.440 the Trump administration, winning races up and down the ballot 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:35.960 across the country in places like New Jersey, in New York, 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:40.199 in Virginia, in California. Certainly during the off year elections 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:44.760 last November in Mississippi, in Georgia, three state Supreme Court 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:48.240 races that we swept, in Pennsylvania, and then went on 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.319 to win races in Florida, the Miami mayors race for 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:54.120 the first time in thirty years, and of course these 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:58.200 special elections that we've seen dramatic overperformance, most recently in 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:02.640 Texas by thirty one points and then in Louisiana, the 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:05.720 home state of Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise by thirty 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:09.360 seven points in terms of an overperformance from the Trump number. 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:13.280 So collectively, we're going to continue to message and communicate 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:16.880 to the American people our values, Juxtapose that with the 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:20.760 extremism that the Republicans are unleashing on the American people, 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:22.680 and let the ships fall where they may. 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.520 Quite just quickly about messaging, and you're getting to this 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:28.760 point that is, I think there are a lot of 0:10:28.760 --> 0:10:31.160 people who are keen to run against and maybe support 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.120 candidates who are running against the policies of this president. 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:36.360 There are others who are looking for the Democrats to 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:39.720 promote and campaign on policies of their own. What is 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.160 your counsel to your caucus those running on how to 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.319 find that balance between those two things, being anti Trump 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.480 and being pro whatever the Democratic parties offer something. 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:51.760 Yes, well, I think what's been obvious over the last 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:54.440 fourteen months, and certainly this was the case no longer 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:58.240 deniable by people who suggest that Democrats don't have a message, 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:00.880 is that what has united us is the issue of 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:05.920 affordability and our commitment to actually drive down the high 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:08.800 cost of living. That was the case in New Jersey, 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:10.720 that was the case in Virginia, that was the case 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:14.640 in New York. Three very different type of candidates all 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:18.560 united around the affordability issue because we believe they are 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:20.880 far too many people. We're talking about millions of folks 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.600 in this country who are working hard and who are 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:28.320 playing by the rules, but who are unable to get by. 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.640 They certainly aren't able to get ahead, they can't thrive, 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:35.160 and they are barely surviving, and that's unacceptable in the 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.560 wealthiest country in the history of the world. And we 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:40.360 believe that when you do those things, when you work hard, 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:42.760 and when you play by the rules, you should be 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:45.760 able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life, live 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:46.560 the good life. 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:48.760 And we define that very clearly. 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:52.440 Good paying jobs, good housing, good health care, a good 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.360 education for your children, and when it's all said and done, 0:11:55.840 --> 0:11:59.640 a good retirement. That's what House Democrats are fighting hard 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:01.800 to achieve for the American people. 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:04.559 I want to ask you about one of your Republican colleagues. 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:09.520 Texas Republican Tony Gonzalez is facing criticism over allegations of 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:11.880 an affair he had with a former staffer who later 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:15.640 died by suicide. He is so far resisted calls to 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:19.120 step down should he resign, So. 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.800 These are extremely disturbing and very serious allegations, and it 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:27.640 requires a very serious investigation. And it's my understanding that 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:30.760 the Office of Congressional Counsel is in the midst of 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:34.600 that investigation, and in fact may be prepared to issue 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:37.840 a report to us as members of Congress as early 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:41.720 as Wednesday of next week. And once that report has 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:44.440 been issued to us, then all options should certainly be 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:47.480 on the table based on what the conclusions are in 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:48.679 terms of that investigation. 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:50.760 I want to ask you about a piece in the 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:54.560 Washington Post about executive order the president's reportedly considering. I'm 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:57.080 going to read a quote here from Peter Tickton, who 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.360 is what someone who's pushing for this executive order said, 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.079 if the President were to declare a national emergency to 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:06.120 grant him power over elections, that would empower the president 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.240 to ban mail ballots and voting machines as the vectors 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:13.000 of foreign interference. So effectively, the argument the administration will 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.760 be making is, as they see it, there is fort interference, 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.200 although not proven in the last election, that's grounds for 0:13:18.240 --> 0:13:20.680 the presidents take more control of future elections. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:22.680 What are you going to do, as. 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:24.800 The Democratic leader in the House if the President goes 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:25.800 down that path. 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.240 Well, it's a crackpot conspiracy theory, and we will not 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:31.880 allow it to be brought to life. Certainly we won't 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:34.240 allow it to be brought to life legislatively. Where the 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:38.960 President threatened to abandon the way in which elections have 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:42.280 been conducted for the better part of almost two hundred 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:44.959 and fifty years here in this country and try to 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:48.040 nationalize them. This so called Save America Act is dead 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:49.480 on arrival in the Senate. 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:50.880 It's not going anywhere. 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:56.320 And this effort to abuse the notion of an emergency 0:13:56.400 --> 0:14:01.559 authority has already been defeated multiple times by the Supreme Court, 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.959 a very conservative Supreme Court. The President tried to use 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:09.040 emergency authority to federalize the National Guard. We of course 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:11.240 sued him, took it all the way up to the 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.080 Supreme Court, and he was denied that ability, which is 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.360 why the President was forced to pull out of places 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:22.560 like Oregon, California, and Illinois. The President claimed the authority 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:29.360 to unilaterally issue tariffs, tariffs that are hurting businesses, hurting entrepreneurs, 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:32.880 and certainly hurting farmers and consumers. We took that up 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:35.720 to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court, including three 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:40.680 very conservative justices, declared clearly that the President did not 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:45.520 have that emergency authority with respect to tariffs and declared 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:49.560 them unlawful and unconstitutional. And in the same vein, we'll 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:54.440 use every tool available, including suing the heck out of 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.160 him if he tries to go down this road, to 0:14:57.280 --> 0:15:01.520 prevent him from trying to rig the mid term elections, 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:05.120 because he knows his presidency hasn't been a failure. His 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:09.120 policies have been a failure, and Republicans have failed America. 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:11.960 Leader Jeffers, we've talked about the democratic message. Let me 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.520 ask you about what we've heard from the president on 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:15.560 the campaign trail. This is a refrain he's used over 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:16.920 and over again. Let me play it. 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:20.520 You got to win the midterms, because if we don't 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:23.160 win the midterms, it's just going. 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:23.400 To be. 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:26.840 I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me. 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:29.320 I'll get impeached. 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:32.720 You call this the most corrupt administration in history. I 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.680 wonder if you think impeachment is inevitable. And as you 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.520 listen to Americans, maybe there are those who are worried 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:41.720 about the fact you have one administration impeaching the president 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:43.880 as I'm sorry, one Congress impeaching the president. The administration 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:45.440 switches that could happen back and forth. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:45.920 Over and over again. 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.600 Are you willing to rule out or commit to not 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.360 impeaching the president if you were to get the speaker's gabble. 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:54.800 Yeah, What I'm willing to commit to is that we 0:15:55.200 --> 0:15:57.480 are going to fight hard to drive down the high 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.320 cost of living. We believe that affordability is the core 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:07.400 issue that the American people. What I'm saying our priority 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:10.080 is we're not ruling anything in and we're not ruling 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:10.600 anything out. 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:11.600 It's all premature. 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:15.160 What we're focused on is a commitment to making sure 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.360 we make life more affordable for the American people and 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.800 fix our broken healthcare system. Now, of course, there's got 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:25.280 to be accountability. This is the most corrupt administration in 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:29.000 American history, and right now we are focused on delivering 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:34.920 that accountability in terms of the administration directly to Christy 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:39.240 Know who we've called to be fired, and if she's 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:44.440 not fired, we are committed to commencing impeachment proceedings against her. 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:46.680 And we've just got to convince a handful of our 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.760 Republican colleagues to do the right thing. She's a disaster, 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:53.760 she's a stone cold liar. She called Renaina cold Good 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:59.720 and Alex pretty domestic terrorists. She's unleashed these poorly trained 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:05.320 aids to brutalize law abiding immigrant families and American citizens, 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:07.840 in some cases killing them. 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:09.359 And she clearly has to go. 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.440 Leeter Jeffries before we let you go. Next week, you're 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:13.960 going to compel a vote of the full House on 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:18.400 the bipartisan kind of massive war powers resolution. I want 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.080 to ask you, I've covered watching a long time. Warpowers 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.239 Act seems to come up constantly, regardless of whether it's 0:17:23.240 --> 0:17:27.280 a democratic or Republican administration. Is this a performative act 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:30.240 at this point? Because, frankly, if the president decides to 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:34.480 bomb Iran or capture the president of Venezuela, what are 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:35.480 you going to do about it? 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:36.440 Yeah? 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:38.920 Well, what we have to do as the Article one 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:43.560 branch of government is reclaim our authority as a separate 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:49.200 and coequal branch, which unfortunately our Republican colleagues have declined 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:49.480 to do. 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:51.400 In fact, so how can you do Epican? 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.840 Well, we can do it by beginning to actually bring 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:59.640 legislation to the floor that is consistent with the values 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:04.119 of our framers. They gave the House of Representatives the 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:08.200 authority as it relates to appropriations because they knew taxation 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:11.840 and spending were particularly important and the House was the 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:13.240 closest institution. 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:13.600 To the people. 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:16.359 They also gave us the authority as it relates to 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:19.719 trade and tariffs, and they gave us the authority as 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:24.120 it relates to the power to declare war, and unfortunately, 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:29.720 over time we've seen in erosion of Congress exercising that authority, 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:32.320 and our commitment on behalf of the American people is 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:33.080 to regain that. 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:35.880 But can you do anything to stop a president who 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:37.360 decides to take a military. 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:37.520 Action like this. 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:42.200 We have to do everything that we can on behalf 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.679 of the American people, because the American people clearly know 0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:49.040 that the last thing we need at this moment when 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:52.320 they literally are struggling having to choose between paying rent, 0:18:52.800 --> 0:18:56.040 buying groceries, or getting to go see a doctor when 0:18:56.040 --> 0:18:58.640 they need one, this is unacceptable in this country. 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:00.840 And the last thing we need is another. 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:06.280 Failed foreign forever war, which certainly would be the outcome 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:10.560 if Donald Trump decides to get us entangled in Iran 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:11.560 and the Middle East. 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:14.359 The Democratic leader in the House, my fellow Brooklyn Night, 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:17.040 Hakim Jeffrey is joining us from Washington. Represent Jeffreyes. Thank 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:18.680 you very much, Thank you, sir, Thank you. 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:24.160 Thanks for joining us on today's Bloomberg This Weekend podcast. 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:26.520 Don't forget to tune in live for the show every 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:29.240 Saturday and Sunday morning, starting at seven am Eastern. 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:32.320 We're on Bloomberg Television Radio and the Bloomberg Business app. 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:35.919 Bringing you unique takes and in depth interviews on news, politics, 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:37.200 lifestyle and culture.