WEBVTT - Rep. Katherine Clark Talks DNC

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>Some of the messaging from President Biden last night and

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<v Speaker 2>also was talking about women in particular. That is something

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<v Speaker 2>that we heard from the incumbent president on the issue

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<v Speaker 2>of diversity, not just for women, but all kinds of

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<v Speaker 2>demographics across America.

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<v Speaker 3>In America where the fund amount created this nation that

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<v Speaker 3>all of us are created equal, it's still very much

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<v Speaker 3>alive and abroad. Coalition of Americas joined with me. Eighty

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<v Speaker 3>one million voters voted for us day time in all

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<v Speaker 3>of history. Because of all of you in this room

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<v Speaker 3>and others, we came together in twenty twenty to save democracy.

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<v Speaker 3>As your President, I've been determined to keep America moving forward,

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<v Speaker 3>not going back, to stand against Hayden violence in all

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<v Speaker 3>its forms, to be a nation where we not only

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<v Speaker 3>live with, but thrive on diversity, demonize you know, one,

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<v Speaker 3>lead you know behind, and becoming a nation that we

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<v Speaker 3>profess to be.

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<v Speaker 2>For more on that message and this convention as a whole.

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<v Speaker 2>We're joined now by Congressman Catherine Clark of Massachusetts, the

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<v Speaker 2>House Minority, which he's here with us in our studios

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<v Speaker 2>in Chicago. Congressman, thank you so much for being.

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<v Speaker 1>Here my pleasure.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course. We heard the President last night referring to diversity,

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<v Speaker 2>talking as we heard many about the big tent in

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<v Speaker 2>the Democratic Party. It is literally your job in the

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<v Speaker 2>House to bring all those diverse forces together to be

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<v Speaker 2>singing the same song. Can you just walk us through

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<v Speaker 2>what it was like within the membership of the House

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<v Speaker 2>to line everybody up behind what is now the Harris campaign,

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<v Speaker 2>not the Biden campaign.

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<v Speaker 1>I have to say, out of all the tasks I've

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<v Speaker 1>had as a whip in the House for the Democratic Party,

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<v Speaker 1>this was perhaps the easiest. People immediately gravitated to Kamala

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<v Speaker 1>Harris and saw her as our standard bearer for all

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<v Speaker 1>the things that we have worked on with her as

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<v Speaker 1>Vice president and her vision for the future. So whether

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<v Speaker 1>that's lowering costs, whether it is growing the middle class,

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<v Speaker 1>protecting our fundamental freedoms like reproductive freedom, Kamala Harris has

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<v Speaker 1>been our partner. And that was truly just almost instantaneous,

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<v Speaker 1>that movement from President Joe Biden to her candidacy, because

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<v Speaker 1>we knew she was the candidate for the moment.

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<v Speaker 4>It's a very delicate thing we're witnessing, though, and witnessed

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<v Speaker 4>last night to see Joe Biden talking to the delegates there.

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<v Speaker 4>I know it went very late into the evening, but

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<v Speaker 4>the people in the room weren't concerned about the time.

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<v Speaker 4>Obviously it had a rally feel to it, but there

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<v Speaker 4>was a bittersweet emotional feel to this. It happens so fast. Congresswoman,

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<v Speaker 4>how does he feel when you talk to him? What

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<v Speaker 4>kind of emotions was he experiencing?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I think we saw it on display, a

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<v Speaker 1>true pride. And what has always been a hallmark for

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden is his gratitude to be able to serve.

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<v Speaker 1>What an incredible quality in a politician and a leader,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is what has made him a transformative president,

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<v Speaker 1>that idea that there is a bigger calling here, that

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<v Speaker 1>the American people are always at the center of his work,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's at the center of this extremely patriotic decision.

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<v Speaker 1>And so last night he deserved every minute of those

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<v Speaker 1>accolades from the crowd, that genuine affection for him, respect

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<v Speaker 1>for the job and his service. And we look across

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<v Speaker 1>the aisle at Donald Trump and you see the exact opposite.

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<v Speaker 1>He says, Democrats state it's in one eighty because he

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<v Speaker 1>cannot fathom giving up power for something bigger than himself.

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<v Speaker 1>That is where Donald Trump is. It is always about

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<v Speaker 1>how he will benefit, not how the American people will,

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<v Speaker 1>not how the Democratic Party that is based on values will.

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<v Speaker 1>So I'm sure he is wrestling with this moment, calling

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<v Speaker 1>it a coup because he cannot understand it, because he

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<v Speaker 1>could never do what Joe Biden did well.

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Biden has suggested his decision wasn't even as much

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<v Speaker 2>about his ability to defeat Donald Trump, but instead the

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<v Speaker 2>impact he could have, perhaps detrimentally on House and Senate

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<v Speaker 2>races and the ability for other Democrats to win. What

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<v Speaker 2>has changed for the Democrats' odds of retaking the majority

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<v Speaker 2>in the House since Harris assumed her role as the

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<v Speaker 2>Democratic nominee. How many seats realistically do you think you

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<v Speaker 2>can pick up?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I have always been bullish on the Democrats

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<v Speaker 1>retaking the House because what we've seen are do nothing

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<v Speaker 1>at best and real extremism that the American people are rejecting.

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<v Speaker 1>And so what we're seeing is this incredible energy and

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<v Speaker 1>momentum that we are going to turn into action and

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<v Speaker 1>in real time that is meaningful. Our candidates have seen

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<v Speaker 1>a surge in volunteers of small first time donors. When

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<v Speaker 1>you get that ten fifteen to twenty dollars donation, that's

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<v Speaker 1>a vote, that.

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<v Speaker 2>Is a boat of translate into ten fifteen extra seats

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<v Speaker 2>in the House.

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<v Speaker 1>Though well, we certainly hope so. But my number is

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<v Speaker 1>the whip and I like to keep tagging the numbers

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<v Speaker 1>is to eighteen. That's our goal to win that majority

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<v Speaker 1>and be able to bring the voices of everyday people

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<v Speaker 1>back into the process. We have seen from the GOP

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<v Speaker 1>is this complete focus on their own power, their own

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<v Speaker 1>civil war that they're engaging in, and the American people

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<v Speaker 1>feel like they're outside looking in. When we've continued to

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<v Speaker 1>work with the Biden Harris administration to bring down the

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<v Speaker 1>costs of healthcare, cap insulin at thirty five dollars a month,

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<v Speaker 1>take on big pharma and say it is time that

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<v Speaker 1>people be able to afford their life saving medication. Make

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<v Speaker 1>those investments in climate change that also are great for

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<v Speaker 1>the economy, and all of that work was done and

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<v Speaker 1>brought down our deficit at the same time. These are

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<v Speaker 1>the kind of investments that we are going to build

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<v Speaker 1>upon and continue to help families meet the very real

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<v Speaker 1>challenges they're facing still in this economy with Kamala Harris.

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<v Speaker 4>The issue of Israel and it's war against Tomas has

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<v Speaker 4>been obviously a big one in this campaign in the

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<v Speaker 4>primary cycle, and it's brought some fissures to the Democratic

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<v Speaker 4>conference in the House. We've got tens of thousands of

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<v Speaker 4>protesters here in Chicago that have been part of the story.

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<v Speaker 4>You've also got a couple dozen delegates who are not

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<v Speaker 4>committed for this reason, Important congresswomen, will it be for

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<v Speaker 4>the Biden administration, the Biden Harris administration to strike a

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<v Speaker 4>ceasefire deal this week?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it is all hands on deck and they

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<v Speaker 1>are working so hard to make sure that we end

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<v Speaker 1>this war, that we have a cease fire, that we

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<v Speaker 1>can bring those hostages home, and that we can surge

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<v Speaker 1>aid to Palestinian civilians who, through no fault of their own,

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<v Speaker 1>have suffered horrendously and continue to suffer. So we appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>that there are protesters here, that's part of the democratic process.

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<v Speaker 1>We respect their right to be here, and we hope

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<v Speaker 1>that remains peaceful. But it is the goal of the

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<v Speaker 1>Democratic Party to bring peace and security not only to Israel,

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<v Speaker 1>but to the region.

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<v Speaker 2>And of course we know those conversations are ongoing. We'll

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<v Speaker 2>still wait to hear more from Hamass to whether or

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<v Speaker 2>not it will agree. I'm also curious the conversations you're

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<v Speaker 2>having related to your everyday job in Washington. Obviously still

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<v Speaker 2>on the August recess, but when you come back in September,

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to be a race against the clock to

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<v Speaker 2>avoid a government shutdown. Are you in conversations already with

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<v Speaker 2>leadership and Republican leadership about how that's going to be

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<v Speaker 2>avoided when you return to Washington in a few weeks,

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<v Speaker 2>What exactly are you going to have to whip.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I'm so glad you brought that out because

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<v Speaker 1>one thing we realized from the very start, when we

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<v Speaker 1>were in the fifteen rounds of Kevin McCarthy be trying

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<v Speaker 1>to become a speaker, that we are in the minorities.

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<v Speaker 1>So we have reached our hand out to them at

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<v Speaker 1>every turn to say, work with us, help us prevent shutdowns,

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<v Speaker 1>help us get to a budget process that matters. And

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<v Speaker 1>what we have seen from them is a rejection of

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<v Speaker 1>that and a move to try and coddle the most

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<v Speaker 1>extreme members of their extreme party. And so it is

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<v Speaker 1>really like such a basic fundamental job and response on's

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<v Speaker 1>ability of the House of Representatives to pass our budgets,

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<v Speaker 1>and they have utterly failed to do that. So once again,

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<v Speaker 1>it will be Democrats, as we have done repeatedly, who

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<v Speaker 1>will keep government functioning, who will come to the table

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<v Speaker 1>forge a compromise. Because we work for the American people.

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<v Speaker 1>They are working to try and hold their own coalitions together,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's the fundamental difference. We're seeing it play out

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<v Speaker 1>around reproductive freedom for women. We're seeing it play out

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<v Speaker 1>and bringing down the cost of groceries and housing, these

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<v Speaker 1>issues that I hear about as I not only travel

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<v Speaker 1>my district but travel the country. That is what people

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<v Speaker 1>are worried about. That is what they want to see

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<v Speaker 1>in Congress. It's why we're going to win the majority back.

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<v Speaker 4>Meet us back in Washington so we can continue this conversation. Congressoman,

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<v Speaker 4>it's great to see you. Love to thanks for the

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<v Speaker 4>Times Today on Zoomberg TV and Radio.