Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NCS News Central, the place he made clear that Democrats are combating again to guard the American folks from the out-of-control, lawless habits by ICE, DHS Secretary Noem and Donald Trump.
KATE BOLDUAN: Joining me now to speak about that is the Democratic Leader within the House, Hakeem Jeffries. Leader, thanks a lot for being right here. I need to ask you first about Ilhan Omar, the Congresswoman. You heard Sara has performed in depth—she was within the room on the time. Capitol Police have spoken out and mentioned that is horrendous and this man must be dropped at—have the hardest prices introduced in opposition to him potential. The President spoke in a single day about this, admitted that he had not seen the video, however advised ABC News ‘she probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.’ What’s your response to this?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, that’s a disgusting remark and the President’s lies and misinformation proceed to stir up these sort of violent incidents. And it’s at a second like this the place we really need management from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and it’s one thing that we by no means get from this President. Ilhan Omar, in fact, is a powerful, brave, hardworking public servant. This ought to have by no means occurred. I’m grateful that she is bodily okay. She’s mentally sturdy, as is at all times the case, and we stand by her.
KATE BOLDUAN: Much extra to study all of that also. You posted yesterday with regard to DHS, what’s taking place in Minneapolis, the Secretary of Homeland Security. You put out a press release yesterday that mentioned, ‘dramatic changes at the Department of Homeland Security are needed…Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings…We can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ Does that imply you now assist the trouble to try to impeach Kristi Noem?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump wants to fireplace Kristi Noem instantly. We know that she is a malignant, corrupt, pathological liar. She’s unqualified. She by no means ought to have been confirmed by Republicans within the United States Senate. She is creating hurt to the American folks. Taxpayer {dollars} are literally being utilized by the Department of Homeland Security to kill American residents and to brutalize law-abiding immigrant households, that’s unacceptable. So she’s gotta go—
KATE BOLDUAN: Okay, in need of him firing her, you assist transferring in direction of impeachment?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We will begin impeachment proceedings in opposition to Kristi Noem within the absence of her being fired.
KATE BOLDUAN: Do you need to power a vote unilaterally, or do you need to launch an investigation within the minority?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re in dialog with Bennie Thompson, Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia about subsequent steps within the course of. We need to make the case to the American folks as to why Kristi Noem’s continued management creates issues by way of the well being, the security and the well-being of the American folks. And we’ll do this in ways in which Democrats have performed previously though we’re within the minority as a result of the difficulty is critical sufficient. We’ve held hearings on different points comparable to the price of dwelling, defending Social Security, the healthcare of the American folks. We can maintain hearings because it pertains to how damaging Kristi Noem’s continued presence can be.
KATE BOLDUAN: Virtue signaling and a messaging operation is— may be worthwhile, particularly while you’re attempting to talk to the general public, however is that sufficient, if that’s what this finally ends up being?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Congress has the ability to question somebody who has dedicated crimes in opposition to the Constitution and the American folks. So it’s not advantage signaling—
KATE BOLDUAN: But, when you’re within the majority. When you’re within the majority.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, no. As you understand, the impeachment course of is without doubt one of the few areas the place each single Member has the privilege to deliver a decision to the ground of the House of Representatives and, on the applicable time, power an up-or-down vote. By the way in which, though we’ve been within the minority, we’ve compelled Republicans to maneuver laws to launch the Epstein recordsdata. We’ve compelled Republicans to maneuver laws to wipe away one among Trump’s most poisonous government orders, which is stripping rights away from greater than one million totally different hardworking federal workers, collective bargaining rights. And in fact, House Democrats, in opposition to all odds, had been in a position to transfer a clear extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credit—within the minority—and all 213 House Democrats had been joined by 17 Republicans to guard the healthcare of the American folks. If we’ve performed it earlier than, we are able to do it once more.
KATE BOLDUAN: On this subject, many Republicans should not okay with what they’re seeing in Minneapolis both. As I discussed, this appears a break from the President on this immigration effort in a much bigger approach than we now have seen earlier than. I imply, John Thune yesterday referred to as this second after Alex Pretti’s demise an inflection level. I need to play for you additionally what Thom Tillis mentioned, as a result of he’s now the primary, I might say, suppose it’s the primary in his get together to name for Noem’s firing. Let me play this for you.
RECORDING OF SENATOR TILLIS: I feel if Noem appears at her physique of labor, I couldn’t be—if I had been in her place, I can’t consider any level of pleasure during the last 12 months. She is taking this administration into the bottom on a problem that we must always personal. We ought to personal the difficulty of border safety and immigration. But they’ve destroyed that for Republicans, one thing that obtained the President elected. They have destroyed it by way of their incompetence.
KATE BOLDUAN: Bipartisanship will not be one thing we discover on Capitol Hill fairly often, for certain. Do you see an ally in Thom Tillis?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Thom Tillis is appropriate in his observations. The administration has been a catastrophe for the American folks. They failed on the financial system, didn’t decrease the excessive price of dwelling, failed on healthcare. They’re ripping healthcare away from the American folks. By the way in which, of their One Big Ugly Bill, they enacted the biggest minimize to Medicaid in American historical past and, in the identical invoice, gave the Department of Homeland Security $191 billion in taxpayer cash, $75 billion of which went to ICE. That taxpayer cash is now getting used to kill American residents. It’s all unacceptable. We want Department of Homeland Security brokers to behave like each different regulation enforcement company within the nation, not like a poisonous paramilitary group.
KATE BOLDUAN: Do—you say he has his details proper, however do you commend him for talking out the place a number of Republicans don’t? Even John Thune calling this an inflection level. Do you see allies in them on this effort?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re going to work with anybody on the opposite facet of the aisle who really understands that dramatic adjustments are wanted to the way through which the Trump administration has been conducting itself with respect to immigration coverage. The American persons are demanding change, and we’re going to aggressively assist it.
KATE BOLDUAN: Change. Define change. I do know—and don’t give me the road of I’m not going to barter in public. Thune mentioned—
LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s not a line that I typically use, by the way in which—
KATE BOLDUAN: True, true, true. Thune mentioned, ‘What do Democrats want?’ by way of adjustments to be able to approve the funding that’s now earlier than you. Is Noem out sufficient to assist DHS funding?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Kristi Noem being fired or faraway from workplace is, in fact, not sufficient. It’s a begin—
KATE BOLDUAN: What is the change?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there’s quite a lot of various things which were placed on the desk. First of all, there’s the fundamental worth and precept that taxpayer {dollars} can’t be used to kill American residents, to brutalize American communities and to focus on—violently—law-abiding residents—
KATE BOLDUAN: Currently, that’s not a coverage that claims you need to use taxpayer {dollars} to kill American residents, you see what I’m saying?—
LEADER JEFFRIES: No, that’s clearly what’s taking place. We have a DHS killing machine. The American folks have seen it. That’s the fact of what occurred to Alex Pretti. It’s the fact of what occurred to Renee Nicole Good. It’s the fact to the truth that dozens of individuals have really died in ICE detention during the last 12 months. This is an administration that promised to deport violent felons. We all assist that, however that’s not what’s taking place proper now. We additionally want ICE to conduct itself like each different regulation enforcement company within the nation. That means judicial warrants. That means no masks. That means physique cameras. That means when officers really break the regulation, they need to be held criminally accountable for his or her habits. That’s what occurs to each different regulation enforcement company within the nation. But you may have this administration saying ICE is completely immune, which is a part of the rationale why you see these folks behaving in this sort of rogue vogue.
KATE BOLDUAN: I see. Heard three strategies not less than for adjustments to DHS coverage. Let’s see what occurs. Thank you very a lot for coming in on a really important day.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.
Interview may be watched here.
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