LEADER JEFFRIES: "WHAT DOES THIS IMPEACHMENT EFFORT HAVE TO DO WITH FIXING THE CHALLENGES AT THE BORDER? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING."

Interview

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Well, we have a broken immigration system, and common sense dictates that we should address it in a comprehensive and bipartisan way so we can have a secure, a strong and a humane border. For months, the extreme MAGA Republicans were demanding that Democrats sit down and have a discussion about ways to address the challenges at the border. Under the leadership of Senator Schumer, that's exactly what has happened. And now, because the House Republicans have been ordered by Donald Trump not to do anything to fix our broken immigration system, they are walking away from the issue. And in doing so, they're walking away from the American people.

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Well, let's cross that bridge when we get to it. It certainly is the starting point for conversations amongst House Democrats, and should be the case for all of us here in the Congress who recognize that we have a broken immigration system and that we need to fix it. It should be done in a manner consistent with our values as a nation of immigrants and as a nation anchored in the rule of law. But what the extreme MAGA Republicans have done is basically to say, we would rather chaos prevail than exercise the common sense that should exist in a period of divided government and sit down with Democrats, led by President Biden, to have a conversation about the path forward.

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Well, we're going to sit down over the next few days and have a conversation about the path forward in terms of fixing our broken immigration system and addressing the challenges at the border. Today, of course, we're dealing with a sham political stunt in terms of the impeachment effort of Secretary Mayorkas. An impeachment effort, I should note, that was demanded by Donald Trump and is being led by Marjorie Taylor Greene. What does this impeachment effort have to do with fixing the challenges at the border? Absolutely nothing. But it's another example of the fact that House Republicans aren't really interested in solving those challenges. We are ready, we're willing we're able to sit down with our Republican colleagues and have a conversation about fixing our broken immigration system, addressing the challenges at the border, making sure that the border is strong, it is secure and it's humane.

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Well, that's outrageous. And it's consistent with the type of xenophobic rhetoric that extreme MAGA Republicans in this town have become known for utilizing and deploying. Certainly, that's been the case since 2015. Again, what does the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas have to do with building a healthy economy? Nothing. What does the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas have to do with addressing the inflationary pressures that have existed on the economy since the shutdown of the economy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Nothing. And it has nothing to do with fixing our broken immigration system. And so, we at this point really need our Republican colleagues to choose to walk away from chaos, which is what they want, and their purveyors of chaos, of dysfunction and extremism, and join us in a common sense approach to meeting the needs of the American people.

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That was a decision that was made by the previous Speaker, who made clear that he would not, or Republicans would not, provide any support for our democratic ally, Ukraine, in its war against Russia and pushing back against Russian aggression without us dealing with the issue of border security. That was a decision that was made by Republicans months ago. They've held up our national security priorities based on a decision that they wanted to have a discussion about the border. But then when Donald Trump stepped into the situation because, for political reasons, the Republicans do not want to address the challenge at this moment, they're walking away from their own idea.

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It's certainly a problem for the Republicans at this point in time that there is a bipartisan bill that has been introduced and negotiated over a period of several months, supported by conservative Senators like Lankford and that the Republicans are walking away from it. Tom Suozzi is running for all the right reasons. Ultimately, the people of the Third Congressional District will make the decision as to the best path forward. But we know that Tom Suozzi is someone who wants to come back to Washington to solve problems, to fix the challenges that are confronting the American people and to work in a bipartisan way. We need more of that, not less. But unfortunately, the extreme MAGA Republicans have shown no interest in working with House Democrats to address the challenges facing the American people.

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I think the American people understand the difference between common sense and cynicism. And this is a cynical political effort by Republicans. Donald Trump has been very vocal about the fact that he wants the extreme MAGA Republicans in the House to block any effort at fixing our broken immigration system. And I think the American people see that for exactly what it is, a reckless political stunt. We're going to continue, as Democrats, to put people over politics and to fight for the issues that matter, lower costs, growing the middle class, safer communities and getting things done.

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Thank you

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