Chairman Aguilar: Democrats are doing everything in our power to lower the costs that people face.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference calling out Trump and Republicans for lying about the economy and failing to fix the affordability crisis that they created. You can watch the full press conference here and read the transcript below.
CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Donald Trump and House Republicans know the American people are suffering under their leadership. Gas prices remain at record-high levels. Grocery costs are increasing every day. And health care costs continue to skyrocket. After Trump promised an economic ‘Golden Age’ to bring down costs on day one, hardworking people have seen their wallets get lighter as a result of him in office. And now, Republicans are twisting themselves into knots trying to explain that the economy is actually doing well. Telling the American people not to believe their own eyes. Telling them not to believe their utility bills or their bank accounts. We all watched as the president repeatedly called the affordability crisis a hoax. Well, now he's saying the inflation Americans are dealing with is fake. The spin that we are seeing out of this administration is not just unbelievable or laughable; it shows that they don't trust the American people.
It's clear that the only constituents Republicans are in touch with are their own billionaire donors. And it's no wonder why an NBC poll found that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of inflation. Americans are smart people. They don't believe the lies that Trump is telling them. They trust their own experiences. While Republicans continue to ignore and even exacerbate the affordability crisis, Democrats are doing everything in our power to lower the costs that people face. This Congress, we've used the few tools that we have to pass four discharge provisions. When we take the majority, we'll continue to be laser-focused on delivering results for the American people and driving down the costs that Americans face. Vice Chair Ted Lieu.
VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Feb. 25 of this year, Transportation Secretary Duffy posted a picture of Trump's cabinet and arrogantly boasted, ‘best cabinet since 1776.’ In less than two months, three of those cabinet secretaries are gone. Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and now Lori Chavez-DeRemer. I know that Lori Chavez-DeRemer can now join Kristi Noem at a fake position at the Shield of the Americas. The reality is that this cabinet's out-of-control incompetence and corruption have made it the worst cabinet since 1776, and Kash Patel is next. Kash Patel flew on taxpayers' dime to the Olympics and on taxpayers' dime partied and drank at the Olympics. He's also instilled a culture of fear at the FBI, and he lied about the Epstein investigation when he said that there was no credible evidence that Epstein trafficked any victim to third parties. There are mountains of such evidence. And then this past week, The Atlantic put out an article that shows that Kash Patel appears to be a raging alcoholic. He should not be FBI director. He should go seek help and treatment.
Chairman Aguilar is right that the American people are suffering from a cost of living emergency. Inflation is up. Grocery prices are up. Gas prices are up. The consumer sentiment index hit the lowest ever in its 74-year history. But you know who's doing really well? Trump and his family. According to a report from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, Trump and his family have made over $9 billion in his presidency. The corruption in this administration is out of control, and we saw again last week that there were suspiciously timed market trades right before Donald Trump made statements relating to the Iran war. And this is not the first time it has happened. Media reports have now analyzed this and said that these trades look awfully suspicious. And the only people who would know what Donald Trump is about to say before he says it are people close to Trump. So I call on the SEC to do an investigation into all these suspiciously timed market trades. And if they do not, I guarantee you a future administration will prosecute these criminals.
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