Speaker 1: You and Me Both is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2: I'm Hillary Clinton, and this is You and Me Both.
Speaker 2: I am thrilled to be back for a new season
Speaker 2: of the podcast, and especially delighted we are starting off
Speaker 2: with such a special guest. I've been following the steady
Speaker 2: rise of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for some time now,
Speaker 2: through his years in the New York State Assembly, then
Speaker 2: in Congress as a House Manager, overseeing the first impeachment
Speaker 2: of the former president, and as the chair of the
Speaker 2: House Democratic Caucus. But one of the most memorable moments
Speaker 2: in his esteemed career came this past January, just after
Speaker 2: those four chaotic days of in fighting before the House
Speaker 2: Republicans finally elected Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. At the same time,
Speaker 2: Hakim was unanimously chosen by his colleagues to be the
Speaker 2: Democratic Leader, and in his first act in that capacity,
Speaker 2: he took to the podium and offered his vision of
Speaker 2: what Democrats in the House stand for.
Speaker 3: House Democrats will always put American values over autocracy.
Speaker 1: And he did this.
Speaker 2: Let me remind you, in alphabetical order.
Speaker 4: Liberty over limitation, maturity over mar a lago, normalcy over negativity,
Speaker 4: opportunity over obstruction.
Speaker 2: I thought it was an amazing speech, and it perfectly
Speaker 2: demonstrated his unique qualities as a leader, drawing on his
Speaker 2: Brooklyn roots, the Baptist Church, hip hop music, the values
Speaker 2: of his civil servant parents, as well as his skills
Speaker 2: as a litigator and orator. I'm so happy to share
Speaker 2: my conversation with Leader Jeffries with you today.
Speaker 3: Amen a second, theary. How are you good?
Speaker 2: Good?
Speaker 3: How you doing?
Speaker 1: I'm doing great well.
Speaker 2: Let me welcome to the podcast, Congressman Hakim Jeffries. I
Speaker 2: am so excited to speak with you today about a
Speaker 2: whole bunch of things.
Speaker 1: I literally could talk to you for hours, Hakim.
Speaker 2: But I guess we'll try to limit it to, oh,
Speaker 2: you know, your personal history, the future of democracy, what's
Speaker 2: happening in the Congress, and maybe I can, you know,
Speaker 2: let you go before dinner. I'm not sure, but it's
Speaker 2: just such a treat to have you. And let's start
Speaker 2: with your parents, because both of your parents were civil
Speaker 2: servants and I'm wondering how that might have influenced you
Speaker 2: to pursue the career that you are now in. Was
Speaker 2: their dinner table conversations about justice and equity and public service.
Speaker 1: How did it all start.
Speaker 3: You know, growing up in a household with my father, who,
Speaker 3: as you mentioned, and my mother, both of whom were
Speaker 3: public employees throughout the entirety of their careers. My father
Speaker 3: was a substance abuse social worker for the State of
Speaker 3: New York during some trying times for the City of
Speaker 3: New York, including during the nineteen seventies the heroin explosion
Speaker 3: and in the nineteen eighties into the early nineties to
Speaker 3: crack cocaine epidemic, and my mother worked for the Human
Speaker 3: Resources Administration as a case worker. So they were very
Speaker 3: much involved in just trying to be there for people
Speaker 3: who were in many circumstances, going through some adversity and
Speaker 3: trying to get to a better place. And while there
Speaker 3: weren't a lot of conversations around the dinner table about
Speaker 3: politics per se, there weren't a lot of conversations just
Speaker 3: about helping people solve problems. And I think as I
Speaker 3: emerged from law school into the practice of law, a
Speaker 3: lot of the influence of my parents that eventually perhaps
Speaker 3: led me to pursue public service was a desire to
Speaker 3: want to be there for the working class neighborhoods that
Speaker 3: I were raised in Central Brooklyn Crown Heights, but of
Speaker 3: course growing up in Cornerstone Baptist Church and Beford Stuyvesant
Speaker 3: certainly had an impact on me going in the direction
Speaker 3: that I chose to pursue.
Speaker 2: You know, you came of age during the beginning and
Speaker 2: the growth of rap, and I somehow think that's significant.
Speaker 2: You've been known to incorporate rap lyrics into speeches, You're
Speaker 2: known to be a big hip hop fan. Did you
Speaker 2: ever think about being a rap artist yourself? Come on,
Speaker 2: I won't tell anybody well.
Speaker 3: Because it's you, Madame Secretary. I certainly did aspire to
Speaker 3: be a hip hop artist. It didn't quite work out
Speaker 3: for me, but when I was coming up as a
Speaker 3: young man, and you know, in the mid to late
Speaker 3: eighties into the early nineties, there was certainly a point
Speaker 3: of time where I thought that perhaps I had the
Speaker 3: skill set to be able to break through into the
Speaker 3: rap industry. Didn't work out, but it's still a very
Speaker 3: important part of sort of who I've become, and I
Speaker 3: think that connects to what the House of Representatives in
Speaker 3: particular is supposed to represent, which is, as you know,
Speaker 3: the institution closest to the American people to reflect the hopes,
Speaker 3: the dreams, the aspirations, the fears, the concerns, the anxieties,
Speaker 3: and the words of the framers the passions of the
Speaker 3: American people. And so the best representatives in the House
Speaker 3: bring the culture, the vibrancy, the heart, the soul of
Speaker 3: the communities that they represent at home to Washington, d C.
Speaker 3: And for me, a large part of that certainly is
Speaker 3: growing up in Central Brooklyn, growing up in the Baptis Church,
Speaker 3: growing up during the Golden Era, and the coming of
Speaker 3: age of hip hop music, and eventually my own professional
Speaker 3: experiences as a lawyer.
Speaker 2: Well, we saw some of your lawyering skills on a
Speaker 2: very high public platform when you were one of the
Speaker 2: impeachment prosecutors during Trump's presidency.
Speaker 1: You know, I was one of those.
Speaker 2: Who followed that closely, and I'm just wondering why was
Speaker 2: it important to you to be part of that trial.
Speaker 3: Well, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi, of course, as
Speaker 3: I've done so repeatedly, for her embracing my journey in
Speaker 3: a variety of different ways, including giving me the opportunity
Speaker 3: to serve as an impeachment manager during that first impeachment trial,
Speaker 3: where we were working hard to really begin the process
Speaker 3: of vindicating the principle that in America no one is
Speaker 3: above the law. And in that particular case, you had
Speaker 3: the former president who, in our view, engaged in the
Speaker 3: corrupt abuse of power as part of the beginning of
Speaker 3: his effort to try to manipulate the twenty twenty presidential
Speaker 3: election by encouraging a foreign country, Ukraine, pressuring them to
Speaker 3: target an American citizen, Joe Biden, and doing so in
Speaker 3: one of the most unfortunate ways, which is basically a
Speaker 3: geopolitical shakedown of Ukraine, by withholding hundreds of millions of
Speaker 3: dollars in defense support, with Russia knocking at the door
Speaker 3: wanting to overrun Ukraine as we've now seen they've endeavored
Speaker 3: to do.
Speaker 2: It must have been very challenging in the circumstances in
Speaker 2: which you and the other House impeachment managers found yourselves
Speaker 2: to just see the naked partisanship that the evidence, the law,
Speaker 2: the clear intention of what the former president was doing
Speaker 2: made little to no impact on the Republicans in the Senate.
Speaker 2: Did any of them or any of your Republican colleagues
Speaker 2: in the House ever say to you, Congressman that yeah, look,
Speaker 2: they knew it was a problem, but they just couldn't
Speaker 2: take the kind of radical action that was required to
Speaker 2: hold Trump accountable.
Speaker 3: At the time, there were some Republicans who would express
Speaker 3: concern with what they viewed as inappropriate conduct by Donald Trump,
Speaker 3: but did largely take the position that it didn't rise
Speaker 3: to the level of an impeachable offense. And I think
Speaker 3: they were looking through glasses that were rose colored in
Speaker 3: that regard based on partisanship, So that was quite unfortunate.
Speaker 3: But we understood that there were three things that we
Speaker 3: needed to do in presenting the case. We needed to
Speaker 3: make the case to the Senate sitting as a court
Speaker 3: in judgment of the president. We needed to present the
Speaker 3: case to the American people. But we also needed to
Speaker 3: present the case for the historical record.
Speaker 2: I think that's a very important reminder that what you
Speaker 2: were doing, in my view, was as much for history
Speaker 2: as anything, to demonstrate clearly the very disturbing behavior of
Speaker 2: the former president. And in this fast paced world we
Speaker 2: find ourselves these days, I think it's good to remind
Speaker 2: ourselves that building a case, building a record, making a
Speaker 2: commitment to truth and to getting it out there, even
Speaker 2: if it doesn't have the desired effect immediately, is critically important.
Speaker 3: I think that's exactly right. And the thing that I'd
Speaker 3: point out as well is that I think it was
Speaker 3: doctor King who once said the time is always right
Speaker 3: to do what's right, And the way I interpret that
Speaker 3: is that even if the immediate results that you yield
Speaker 3: aren't what you are aiming to accomplish, eventually you're going
Speaker 3: to get to the right place. But it has to
Speaker 3: start by leaning in and just elevating truth and facts
Speaker 3: and perspective, even if some people throughout the country aren't ready.
Speaker 2: To receive it well, or, as scripture tells us, do
Speaker 2: not grow weary in doing good, because eventually you will
Speaker 2: reap the harvest. But sometimes there are difficult boulders in
Speaker 2: your path, and that's particularly true in your position as
Speaker 2: a leader. You've been both an unofficial and now official
Speaker 2: leader in the party for years, and I'm just wondering,
Speaker 2: you know, what did Speaker Pelosi have to tell you
Speaker 2: or advise you when she passed that leadership baton. I've
Speaker 2: known her, as you well know, for many, many years,
Speaker 2: and there really isn't a shrewder mind and a more
Speaker 2: effective political organizer in the Democratic Party and certainly one
Speaker 2: of the most successful speakers in our country's history.
Speaker 3: But our question, I thinks you will go down as
Speaker 3: certainly the greatest speaker of all time and what she's
Speaker 3: been able to deliver for the American people even with
Speaker 3: narrow majorities in the House. But what I've learned from
Speaker 3: her throughout the years and as we made the transition,
Speaker 3: is that you know, it's important to find the highest
Speaker 3: common denominator now prior to that, it often involves some
Speaker 3: enthusiastic debates. That happening, and we win no stranger to
Speaker 3: enthusiastic debates, particularly in the House of Representatives. That's true,
Speaker 3: and we kind of work through those family dynamics. But
Speaker 3: at the end of the day, what's always been important
Speaker 3: in terms of Speaker Pelosi's leadership, and I've tried to
Speaker 3: follow along in this regard, is there comes a point
Speaker 3: where you have to make a decision to go forward,
Speaker 3: and we make that decision, and to go forward, you
Speaker 3: do that by finding the highest common denominator a months
Speaker 3: a variety of different perspectives, and in my view, you
Speaker 3: then advance the ball make the progress that you can
Speaker 3: make and where you fall short, you live to fight
Speaker 3: another day. As America continues on March, total more perfect Union.
Speaker 1: We're taking a quick break.
Speaker 5: Stay with us, just like you.
Speaker 2: I've been criticized by some that quote I'm not progressive enough.
Speaker 2: In response to that, I said back in the twenty
Speaker 2: sixteen campaign, I'm a progressive who likes to get things done.
Speaker 2: So for my views on your leadership, I think you're
Speaker 2: playing it exactly right. But I think a lot of
Speaker 2: people don't fully appreciate the extraordinary balancing act that you
Speaker 2: and Gauge an every day to keep your caucus together.
Speaker 2: And it's been miraculous how united it has been. And
Speaker 2: I give you big, you know, plaudits for that, but
Speaker 2: maybe give us a little inside view of how you
Speaker 2: do that every day, because that's the real key to
Speaker 2: leadership in a big, contentious, pluralistic body like the House
Speaker 2: Democratic Caucus.
Speaker 3: Well, some people may say that the House is, you know,
Speaker 3: by nature, a chaotic institution, and I don't disagree with
Speaker 3: that sentiment. I do think that whoever organizes the dynamic
Speaker 3: chaos the best yields the best results, and from my standpoint,
Speaker 3: the way to try to do that is to authentically
Speaker 3: value the perspectives of every single member of the House
Speaker 3: Democratic Caucus, from the most progressive member on one end
Speaker 3: of the spectrum representative of Ocasio Cortes, to the most
Speaker 3: moderate centrist member like a John Scottheimer, and all points
Speaker 3: in between, and to really listen, to authentically value the
Speaker 3: fact that they each, along with every other member of
Speaker 3: the House Democratic Caucus, was elected to do a job
Speaker 3: on behalf of the communities that their privileged to represent.
Speaker 3: To have those conversations sometimes noisy ones amongst us as
Speaker 3: a group collectively, but to always be guided by that
Speaker 3: north star of finding common ground to advance the ball
Speaker 3: for the American people. And I think as I transitioned
Speaker 3: into this position having served as Chair of the House
Speaker 3: Democratic Caucus for four years, where I did have the
Speaker 3: responsibility to interact with individual members and the different parts
Speaker 3: of the Democratic Caucus. And we've got everything from progressives
Speaker 3: to New Dems, to Blue Dogs to problem solvers, to
Speaker 3: the Congression of Black Caucus, the Congression of the Vanic Caucus,
Speaker 3: the Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus, the Women's Caucus, the
Speaker 3: LGBTQ Caucus. We got it all. And that's the beauty
Speaker 3: of what we are as House Democrats, And it's like,
Speaker 3: how do you bring the orchestra together? You respect everyone's
Speaker 3: craft as individuals, but know that you can make the
Speaker 3: best possible music when at the end of the day
Speaker 3: we're all working together.
Speaker 2: I love that metaphor the orchestra. That's a great way
Speaker 2: of talking about it.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 2: I know one of the key issues you are passionate
Speaker 2: about is criminal justice reform. And you've actually made some
Speaker 2: progress now, and you did so with some Republican bipartisan support.
Speaker 2: So what is next in the reform agenda for helping
Speaker 2: to create a more equitable, just criminal justice system.
Speaker 3: Well, I was delighted to be able to be part
Speaker 3: of the effort a few years ago to work on
Speaker 3: criminal justice reform in a bipartisan way, to try to
Speaker 3: roll back some of the excesses of what I think
Speaker 3: most people would view as the failed War on drugs,
Speaker 3: and to to get us to a better place where
Speaker 3: we both were leaning into public safety, but also helping
Speaker 3: people successfully transition back into society, become productive citizens, save
Speaker 3: taxpayer dollars, and provide individuals with the skills, the education,
Speaker 3: the mental health intervention to be able to be successful
Speaker 3: as returning citizens, and we were able to find a
Speaker 3: path forward, eventually resulting in the first step back that
Speaker 3: brought together Democrats and Republicans, the left and the right,
Speaker 3: the ACLU and the Koch Brothers, the NAACP and the
Speaker 3: Heritage Foundation, and all points in between. And it was
Speaker 3: part of an approach that while you were in the Senate,
Speaker 3: Manham Secretary, you leaned into this aggressively as well, bringing
Speaker 3: together what I would call a coalition of the unusual suspects.
Speaker 3: And when you can do that, you can really make
Speaker 3: legislative magic and capture the attention and imagination of the
Speaker 3: American people. And one of the reasons why it's possible
Speaker 3: to do that and why I think there are future
Speaker 3: opportunities in the criminal justice reform space is because Democrats
Speaker 3: and Republicans have arrived at the need to deal with
Speaker 3: over criminalization and mass incarceration in America connected to their
Speaker 3: own authentic ideologies, you know, as democrats and progressives. Many
Speaker 3: of us arrive at that place because of views of
Speaker 3: social justice or racial justice or economic justice, and this
Speaker 3: concept of liberty and justice for all in America and
Speaker 3: bringing that to life for the greatest number of people,
Speaker 3: But many of my Republican colleagues have authentically got to
Speaker 3: the same place, perhaps for different reasons, but those reasons
Speaker 3: are authentic to them. Fiscal conservatives concluding that billions of
Speaker 3: dollars in mass incarceration without resulting public safety benefits is
Speaker 3: a failed government program and a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Speaker 3: Many of the religious right and the Christian conservatives who
Speaker 3: have been involved in this effort have come to that
Speaker 3: place that everyone in society deserves a second chance, that
Speaker 3: we all fall short in the eyes of the Lord,
Speaker 3: and the libertarians have concluded individuals like Ram Paul, who
Speaker 3: I may disagree with on a whole host of issues,
Speaker 3: but on criminal justice reform, we're in lockstep because they
Speaker 3: generally don't like what they view as government overreach, and
Speaker 3: all of us have been able to make the case
Speaker 3: that if you don't like government overreach, one of the
Speaker 3: areas where it can be particularly damaging to the American
Speaker 3: people is when the government can, unjustifiably in some instances,
Speaker 3: take away your life or your liberty. And so, because
Speaker 3: we have authentically arrived at the same place, there's certainly
Speaker 3: an opportunity to continue to move forward. I think some
Speaker 3: of the efforts around making sure when someone has paid
Speaker 3: their debt to society, they don't have to wear that
Speaker 3: record around their neck like a scarlet letter is a
Speaker 3: place where many Democrats and Republicans, I think, are trying
Speaker 3: to get to. So this is a space that I'm
Speaker 3: very cautiously optimistic about our ability to continue to find
Speaker 3: common ground and do what's right for the American people
Speaker 3: and American families.
Speaker 2: Well, it's so important that you continue this effort. You know,
Speaker 2: a critique we Democrats get all the time is that
Speaker 2: somehow our messaging is just not as clear, as strong,
Speaker 2: as powerful, impactful. You name whatever adjective you want as
Speaker 2: the other side, So, Leader, what is the pitch that
Speaker 2: you're trying to make for the party right now as
Speaker 2: we are getting geared up for the critically important election
Speaker 2: of twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3: Well, we're going to continue to put people over politics
Speaker 3: and to fight for things that are important to the
Speaker 3: American people. Lower costs, better paying jobs, safer communities. Fight
Speaker 3: for reproductive freedom because we believe in a woman's freedom
Speaker 3: to make our own reproductive health care decisions. Defend democracy,
Speaker 3: protect and strengthen social Security and Medicare, and certainly build
Speaker 3: an economy from the middle out and the bottom up
Speaker 3: that works for everyday Americans. You are right, Madame Secretary,
Speaker 3: that we as Democrats, haven't always been as precise and
Speaker 3: surgical in how we communicate with the American people. The
Speaker 3: big challenge often has been from a messaging standpoint that
Speaker 3: Republicans talk in headlines and Democrats talk and fine print.
Speaker 3: And it comes from a good place as Democrats, because
Speaker 3: if you care about governing, then you have to master
Speaker 3: the fine print. And throughout the years we've done a
Speaker 3: pretty good job at that as Democrats, going all the
Speaker 3: way back to FDR's presidency, from Social Security to rural electrification,
Speaker 3: then Medicare and Medicaid and headstart Civil Rights Act, the
Speaker 3: Vote Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Elementary and
Speaker 3: Secondary School Act, the Higher Education Act, the Affordable Care Act,
Speaker 3: the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment in Jobs Act,
Speaker 3: the Chips and Science Act, a gun safety legislation, and
Speaker 3: the Safer Communities Act, all the way through to the
Speaker 3: Inflation Reduction Act, all brought to you by your friendly
Speaker 3: neighborhood Democratic Party. That's an incredible track record of success
Speaker 3: and in order to do it, you have to master
Speaker 3: the fine print. But what we've said is, at the
Speaker 3: same time, while you govern and find print, you message,
Speaker 3: you persuade, you communicate in headlines, and we've got to
Speaker 3: draw that distinction between the two. And I think over
Speaker 3: the last few years we've gotten better at doing that,
Speaker 3: and certainly as we approach the twenty twenty four election,
Speaker 3: where we'll be having a real conversation with the American
Speaker 3: people about the differences at this moment between the two parties,
Speaker 3: we've got to lean into those compelling headlines when we
Speaker 3: have that conversation.
Speaker 2: Well, you've convinced me, I don't know that I'm your
Speaker 2: target audience.
Speaker 1: We'll be right back.
Speaker 2: Everyone who knows you, who has seen you in action,
Speaker 2: marvels at how you're able to stay so calm under pressure.
Speaker 2: Does that come naturally to you or is it something
Speaker 2: you've had to work on over the years.
Speaker 3: I certainly think that it's important for all of us
Speaker 3: in public office, particularly during a fraught time where we're
Speaker 3: dealing with a lot of extremism and incoming fire and
Speaker 3: people critiquing your every move, as you've experienced throughout your career,
Speaker 3: all of us who are in the arena experience. But
Speaker 3: what I've concluded one is an honor and a privilege
Speaker 3: to be able to be in this position of trying
Speaker 3: to make a difference in the lives of people in
Speaker 3: Brooklyn and New York City and throughout the country and
Speaker 3: communicating with some of my colleagues. And I was just
Speaker 3: having this conversation with a very high ranking democrat the
Speaker 3: other day. I said, you know, when you think about
Speaker 3: the best quarterbacks in the NFL, they don't get jittery
Speaker 3: in the pocket when the pressure comes, even when you
Speaker 3: have three hundred pound defensive alignment and super strong linebackers
Speaker 3: heading in their direction. They stay in that pocket. They're calm,
Speaker 3: cool and collected, and with the greatest degree of precision
Speaker 3: possible try to get that ball to their receivers in
Speaker 3: a way that allows the team to move forward. And
Speaker 3: I think all of us who are in this position
Speaker 3: when the pressure comes, understanding, as Tom Brady and others understood,
Speaker 3: there will be times that you're going to get hit,
Speaker 3: it's going to get a little rough, but you can
Speaker 3: have success as long as when you're in the pocket,
Speaker 3: you stay calm and focused on releasing the ball, getting
Speaker 3: it to a receiver and hopefully getting it into the
Speaker 3: end zone. And we're trying to get it into the
Speaker 3: end zone on behalf of the American people.
Speaker 2: Well, let's use that football analogy because that does connect
Speaker 2: with a lot of people, you know, and boy do
Speaker 2: I relate to it. It is a little challenging in
Speaker 2: these times when people get their kicks off of insults
Speaker 2: and attacks, to stay calm and try to keep delivering.
Speaker 2: So now you are a legislator, you are a leader,
Speaker 2: you are a husband, and you are the father of
Speaker 2: two sons. So how do you balance your work in
Speaker 2: public life with your family life? And you know, I'm
Speaker 2: starting to ask all of my male guests this question
Speaker 2: because ordinarily this is a question you only ask women
Speaker 2: who are doing something in the public arena.
Speaker 3: It's a wonderful question. And you know, when one person
Speaker 3: and serves, the entire family serves. And that's just part
Speaker 3: of the reality of the moment that we're in. But
Speaker 3: I think all of us and I've tried to take
Speaker 3: this approach from the very beginning, try to shield, you know,
Speaker 3: our family from the rough and tumble of it all,
Speaker 3: and try to be there for our families, particularly during
Speaker 3: important moments. And when I first came to the legislature,
Speaker 3: my oldest son was five, my youngest son was two.
Speaker 3: You know now you know one is twenty two to
Speaker 3: the others nineteen. Even as I say that I'm going
Speaker 3: through a midlife crisis, but I remember when I was
Speaker 3: up in Albany, and no matter what was happening in Albany,
Speaker 3: around seven seven point thirty at night, I would always
Speaker 3: pick up the phone to check on the family, talk
Speaker 3: to my two sons, figure out how their day went.
Speaker 3: And when I was back at home, no matter what
Speaker 3: would happen, whenever I had the opportunity, I always started
Speaker 3: my day by dropping them off at school and value
Speaker 3: that time and being in the car or walking them
Speaker 3: to the bus stop, and the constancy of it and
Speaker 3: figuring out what works for every family in creating that
Speaker 3: consistent moment will be different, but the importance of finding
Speaker 3: the consistent moment should be the same.
Speaker 2: You know, in between everything you're doing, because I know
Speaker 2: you're crisscrossing the country, you're already raising money for Democrats.
Speaker 2: Obviously you are fielding candidates with the hope that in
Speaker 2: twenty twenty four we can pick up those few seats
Speaker 2: that are needed, and then I'll be able to call
Speaker 2: you mister speaker. But in the midst of all of this,
Speaker 2: how do you find any time to relax and recharge?
Speaker 2: Like have you seen any good movies this summer or
Speaker 2: listen to any good music?
Speaker 1: Or is that just impossible?
Speaker 3: I do try to pick up on good music, although
Speaker 3: I've got to admit in my boys and others say
Speaker 3: that my taste is limited because I'm still kind of
Speaker 3: confined to early to mid nineties, early two thousands hip
Speaker 3: hop music. But you know, that's the golden era. It's
Speaker 3: Biggie small As, It's Tupac, It's jay Z, it's the
Speaker 3: Wu Tang Clan, It's nas. I mean, I can go
Speaker 3: on and on, but it's hard to break free from that.
Speaker 3: So those are those continue to be my workout tracks.
Speaker 3: We do as a family like to go to the movies.
Speaker 3: In the most recent movie that we've been able to see,
Speaker 3: actually the only movie over the last few months that
Speaker 3: we've been able to see, is Oppenheimer and it was
Speaker 3: incredibly well done. You know, I think just the history
Speaker 3: and the perspective of it. As they were dealing Oppenheimer
Speaker 3: and others were dealing with sort of the weighty issues
Speaker 3: of the atomic bomb and what was going to happen
Speaker 3: and how to navigate that with the challenges of World
Speaker 3: War two was pretty intriguing and also was food for
Speaker 3: thought for the moment that we're in right now.
Speaker 2: Absolutely Bill and I saw it last week and we
Speaker 2: can't stop talking about it, because you're absolutely right. It
Speaker 2: captured a particular moment, but one that has implications for
Speaker 2: the challenges that we face both here at home and globally.
Speaker 1: Well.
Speaker 2: As I said in the beginning, I could talk to
Speaker 2: you all day.
Speaker 1: I'm one of your biggest fans.
Speaker 2: Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much for joining me
Speaker 2: on you and me both because you and me both
Speaker 2: care a lot about our country, We care a lot
Speaker 2: about our future, and I'm so happy that you're devoted
Speaker 2: to public service and providing the leadership that not just
Speaker 2: Brooklyn and New York, but the entire country and world
Speaker 2: need well.
Speaker 3: So good to be with you, Madame Secretary, and thankful for,
Speaker 3: of course your continued advice and guidance and support all
Speaker 3: that you've done for the country, all that you continue
Speaker 3: to do for us as House Democrats and charting a
Speaker 3: way forward to put the country in the best possible position.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much.
Speaker 2: All Right, everybody keep your eye on Hakim Jeffries. I
Speaker 2: fully expect to calling him Speaker Jeffries before too long,
Speaker 2: that is, if we all do our part to help
Speaker 2: the Democrats take back the House. But you know, speaking
Speaker 2: with a keen brought to mind the extraordinary conversation I
Speaker 2: had on this podcast with his esteemed predecessor, former Speaker
Speaker 2: of the House, now Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. It was
Speaker 2: just a few weeks after the shocking, horrible events of
Speaker 2: January sixth. The courage and leadership she showed that day
Speaker 2: will surely go down in history as one of the
Speaker 2: greatest examples of congressional really American leadership in the face
Speaker 2: of violence and intimidation. Here she is talking about her
Speaker 2: determination to get back into the capital on that day
Speaker 2: to finish the business of certifying the twenty twenty presidential election.
Speaker 6: Okay, so in a bipartisan way. Mis McConnell, Chuck Schumer
Speaker 6: and I stain Joy was there too, and Kliburn. We
Speaker 6: all agreed we had to go back to the Capitol.
Speaker 6: The security was making suggestions that we would all be
Speaker 6: transported by buses to an undisclosed location. The members would
Speaker 6: come there and said, now the world has to see. Now,
Speaker 6: just get it ready, we're coming back, and so you
Speaker 6: give us a reasonable estimate as to when that could be.
Speaker 6: But understand this, we're coming back and we're opening the
Speaker 6: session in the capital of the United States.
Speaker 2: You can find this and lots of other conversations with
Speaker 2: remarkable leaders by scrolling through our archive. Just go to
Speaker 2: You and Me Both wherever you listen to podcasts. You
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Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and I'll see you next week,