LEADER JEFFRIES: "THIS WAS A VICTORY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL SURRENDER BY RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS"

Press Conference

In a matter of 24 hours, we went from extreme MAGA Republicans breaking their agreement with President Joe Biden and the American people to putting a bill on the House floor with devastating cuts that would have undermined the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people, including, in many categories, 30% or more cut from incredibly important programs like public education, providing food to women, infants and children, ensuring that Social Security recipients could address any interruptions with the checks that they need. We went from devastating cuts that would have impacted the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people in 24 hours to a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people across the board. Entirely consistent with what Democrats have said from the very beginning is the only path forward--a bipartisan spending agreement that keeps government open, avoids a catastrophic government shutdown and meets the needs of the American people in every possible way.

We've said from the beginning that we were going to protect Social Security, protect Medicare, protect Medicaid, protect public education, protect public safety, protect those individuals who secure us all across the land, protect veterans, protect our ability to continue to combat the climate crisis, protect the economy and protect the ability of our government to provide for the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people. And that is what the spending agreement that Democrats overwhelmingly supported on the floor of the House of Representatives accomplished today.

We're on a path to avoid a catastrophic, extreme MAGA Republican shutdown and to continue to meet the needs of the American people. The American people have won. The extreme MAGA Republicans have lost. It was a victory for the American people and a complete and total surrender by right-wing extremists who throughout the year have tried to hijack the Congress. Moving forward, we will continue to work in a bipartisan way to discuss a year-end spending agreement consistent with our values, meeting the needs of the American people, solving problems on their behalf and putting people over politics. That is what the spending agreement that passed the House floor today has accomplished and moving forward, that will be our guiding principle in getting things done for the American people. It's now my honor to yield to Katherine Clark, the distinguished House Democratic Whip.

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