- 5 months ago
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) spoke at an Illinois Democratic Party event on Wednesday.
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00:00Good morning. Good morning, Illinois. Is the Illinois Democratic Party in the House right now?
00:09Are the county chairs in the House right now? Are you ready for Democrats to win up and down the ballot next year?
00:20And are Democrats ready to make sure that we take our country back?
00:24What an honor and a privilege to be here with all of you. Thank you so much for the incredibly warm welcome. Thank you, Mark Gately. We really appreciate you and your incredible leadership, Mark, and what you have done in leading the County Chairs Association here in Illinois.
00:48We thank you. Thank you, Robyn Kelly, for your friendship, for your partnership, and for your leadership, for those kind words of introduction. That was pretty impressive. She went from A to Z.
01:03Of course, to my other distinguished colleagues in the United States Congress who are here, Raja Krista-Morthy, Sean Caston, Delia Ramirez, Nikki Bozinski, incredible members of the House of Representatives who work hard on your behalf each and every day.
01:27Let me thank Governor Pritzker for his friendship, his partnership, his leadership, one of the great governors in the United States of America who shows what it means to be a strong, purposeful, get-stuff-done kind of leader.
01:52And, of course, to your two senators, we're thankful for Tammy Duckworth. Thank you for your service to Illinois and the Congress and to the country.
02:05And to Senator Dick Durbin, a legendary icon, so appreciative of all that Dick Durbin has done for this state and for the United States of America and the world decade after decade after decade.
02:27And Dick Durbin, you know, he's had an incredible number of titles throughout the years, of course, now the senior senator of this great state, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
02:44Democratic, Democratic Whip in the United States Congress, but the one that I'm most affectionate about is his title as a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
02:59Because we believe, y'all, all good things start in the House, as Dick Durbin has demonstrated.
03:09But we're appreciative to him for his strategic leadership, for his strength, and Dick Durbin has proved year after year that he's as smart as a whip.
03:25Some of y'all will get that on the way home.
03:29Thank you, Senator Durbin, thank you, Tammy.
03:34And of course, to Kwame Raul, who's doing an amazing job, Juliana.
03:39Kwame's doing an amazing job, Juliana, Lieutenant Governor.
03:42All of the state and county, local, town, elected officials, activists, volunteers, members of organized labor,
03:52so appreciative of what all of you have represented,
03:56the work that you are doing each and every day, every week, every month,
04:01during these incredibly challenging times that we live in here in America.
04:08You know, when my two sons were a little younger,
04:12one was nine, Jeremiah, the other was six, Joshua.
04:17Jeremiah played travel baseball, and for those of you who have been parents to children who played travel sports,
04:26you know, travel sports will take you all over the place, often beyond the beaten path.
04:34And one Memorial Day weekend, Jeremiah had a baseball tournament at a small little town in the Northeast,
04:43in the New England region.
04:45And I said to Jeremiah and his youngest son, Joshua,
04:50Joshua was six years old at the time,
04:52that I was going to take him on the trip with his older brother,
04:58a weekend trip to this travel baseball tournament,
05:02and that it would be like a vacation.
05:08What did I say that for, y'all?
05:12Because Joshua had visions of Atlantis.
05:16We go on this trip,
05:21we finally arrive,
05:22we pull up
05:23to the motel
05:25where we're staying at.
05:29And Joshua, six years old,
05:30looks at the motel,
05:32looks at me,
05:34looks at the motel,
05:36and then looks at me.
05:40And listen, y'all, that motel,
05:41it was a shaky situation.
05:46So finally, he says to me,
05:48oh my God, Dad,
05:51this is a debacle.
05:57Joshua was six years old,
05:59so I look at him,
06:01and I say, Joshua,
06:02what does the word debacle mean?
06:07He says, I don't know, Dad.
06:10It's something bad.
06:13I think this is the moment that we're in right now,
06:16Illinois Democrats.
06:18Crashing the economy
06:19is something bad.
06:22Destroying Medicaid as you know it
06:25is something bad.
06:27Taking a chainsaw to Social Security
06:29is something bad.
06:30Raising costs
06:31on hardworking American taxpayers
06:33is something bad.
06:34Firing veterans
06:36who serve this country
06:38is something bad.
06:39Canceling medical research
06:41for children with cancer
06:43is something bad.
06:44destroying the retirement accounts
06:46of everyday Americans,
06:48that's something bad.
06:49Trying to whitewash
06:50the most painful parts
06:52of American history,
06:54something bad.
06:54Unleashing mass ICE agents
06:57on law-abiding immigrant families,
06:59which should never happen,
07:01is something bad.
07:02And undermining the rule of law
07:03is something bad.
07:05The first six months
07:06of the Trump administration
07:07have been a debacle.
07:09America is better than this.
07:12We're better than this.
07:16We're better than this.
07:17You deserve better
07:18than what we
07:21are confronting.
07:25And the situation
07:26is just as bad
07:28in the House of Representatives.
07:30These folks
07:32are nothing more
07:34than a reckless rubber stamp
07:35for Donald Trump's
07:38extreme agenda.
07:40The only thing
07:41that they've accomplished
07:43is to pass
07:44this one big ugly bill
07:46into law
07:47that rips away health care
07:50from millions of people.
07:52Hospitals will close.
07:53Nursing homes
07:54will shut down.
07:57Community-based health clinics
07:58will be unable
07:59to function.
08:02Premiums, co-pays,
08:03and prescription drug prices
08:05are going to increase
08:05for everyone else.
08:07Folks will
08:08die as a result
08:10of this one big ugly bill.
08:12They're stealing food
08:13from the mouths
08:15of children,
08:16veterans, and seniors.
08:17And all of this
08:17is being done
08:18so they can enact
08:21massive tax breaks
08:22for their billionaire
08:23donors
08:25who don't need it.
08:28This is
08:29what House Republicans
08:32have done.
08:35Hurting everyday Americans.
08:37Donald Trump
08:38hurting everyday Americans.
08:40Senate Republicans
08:40hurting everyday Americans
08:43to reward
08:44their billionaire donors.
08:47Donald Trump
08:47is pretending
08:48as if
08:49he cares about
08:50public safety
08:51in Washington, D.C.
08:54I have a message
08:55for him
08:56and the American people.
08:57The biggest crime scene
08:59that hurts everyday Americans
09:00in Washington, D.C.
09:02right now
09:03is 1600
09:04Pennsylvania Avenue.
09:06That's the crime scene
09:07that we need
09:08to clean up
09:09on behalf of you
09:10and the American people.
09:17Situation just as bad
09:18in the House of Representatives.
09:21this is no longer
09:22the party of John McCain.
09:26It's not the party
09:27of Mitt Romney.
09:28Not the party
09:29of Bob Dole.
09:31Many of us
09:32in the delegation
09:33we serve with
09:34Speaker John Boehner,
09:35Speaker Paul Ryan.
09:37They were deeply
09:38conservative men.
09:39Disagreed with them
09:40on a whole host
09:41of issues.
09:42But it's not
09:44the party
09:46of those
09:46individuals.
09:48They also cared
09:49about the institution.
09:51They cared about
09:52the American way
09:52of life.
09:53They cared about
09:54our democracy.
09:55Disagreed with them
09:56on a whole host
09:57of issues.
09:58But it's not the party
09:59of John McCain,
10:03John Boehner,
10:04or Paul Rice.
10:05It's the party
10:06of Marjorie Taylor Greene.
10:07Lauren Boeber.
10:13Jim Jordan.
10:17And Mary Miller.
10:23I mean,
10:25who knew I would miss
10:27John Boehner
10:27and Paul Ryan
10:28so much?
10:32But this group
10:33of people
10:33acting like
10:36nothing more
10:37than a reckless
10:38rubber stamp
10:39in the House
10:41and in the Senate
10:42for Donald Trump's
10:44extreme agenda.
10:45Our view
10:46as Democrats
10:47is very different.
10:49We don't work
10:49for Donald Trump.
10:51We don't work
10:51for J.D. Vance.
10:53We don't work
10:53for Elon Musk.
10:55We don't work
10:55for billionaire donors.
10:56We work
10:57for all of you,
10:58the American people.
11:00And that is
11:00what will continue
11:01to drive us
11:02as we
11:04move forward.
11:06Big difference.
11:11Big difference
11:12between who we are
11:13as Democrats
11:14and what the other side,
11:17the extremists,
11:17the MAGA extremists
11:18represent.
11:20We want to move
11:21America forward.
11:24They're trying
11:24to turn back
11:25the clock.
11:26We want to bring
11:27people together.
11:29They are tearing
11:30America apart.
11:33We believe in truth
11:35and reconciliation.
11:37They want to
11:37cancel our history.
11:41We fight for the people.
11:43They fight for the privileged few.
11:45We believe in unions
11:46and the right
11:47to collectively bargain.
11:49They want to destroy
11:53our freedom
11:56to negotiate.
11:58But here's a newsflash
11:59straight out of Congress.
12:01Democrats will stand
12:02with organized labor
12:03today.
12:04Democrats will stand
12:05with organized labor
12:06tomorrow.
12:08Democrats will stand
12:09with organized labor
12:10forever.
12:11We are the party
12:12of organized labor.
12:14Your values
12:14are our values.
12:16And our values
12:17are your values.
12:18and no one
12:19has done more
12:20to bring to life
12:21the American dream
12:22than our partners
12:24in organized labor.
12:25We stand
12:26with you
12:26now
12:27and forever.
12:33That's who we are
12:34as Democrats.
12:36The party
12:37of everyday Americans,
12:40of hardworking
12:41American taxpayers,
12:42we believe
12:43that hard work
12:44should be rewarded.
12:45That everyone
12:46should be able
12:48to make
12:49a living wage
12:50and certainly
12:51that the minimum wage
12:53$7.25
12:55an hour
12:56in America
12:56is unacceptable
12:57and needs
12:59to be raised.
13:02And that will be
13:03one of the first things
13:04we do.
13:04We believe
13:05as Democrats
13:06in this country,
13:07the wealthiest country
13:08in the history
13:09of the world,
13:10that no child
13:11should ever
13:12go hungry
13:13in the United States
13:14of America.
13:15Not a single child
13:16in Illinois
13:17or anywhere else
13:19here in this country.
13:22And we, of course,
13:23believe
13:23in a woman's freedom
13:26to make her own
13:27reproductive health
13:29care decisions
13:30at all times.
13:32Thank you,
13:33Governor Pritzker,
13:34for protecting it
13:35here
13:36in the land
13:39of Lincoln.
13:41And, of course,
13:42as Democrats,
13:43we recognize
13:44that America,
13:45most importantly,
13:46is too expensive.
13:48That far too many people
13:50are struggling
13:51to live.
13:52Paycheck
13:53to paycheck.
13:56Barely can
13:57survive.
13:59Impossible
13:59for so many people
14:01to thrive.
14:02Donald Trump promised
14:03that they would
14:03lower costs.
14:04In fact,
14:04on day one.
14:06But here in America,
14:07costs haven't gone down.
14:09Costs have gone up.
14:11Inflation
14:11is on the way up.
14:13Job creation
14:14is coming down.
14:17They have failed
14:18to keep their core promise
14:20of making life
14:21more affordable
14:22for the American people
14:24while they enrich
14:25their billionaire donors.
14:27As Democrats,
14:27we understand
14:28that it's time
14:29to build
14:30an affordable economy.
14:32We have to lower
14:33the high cost
14:34of living
14:35in the United States
14:36of America
14:36and we need
14:37to do it now.
14:42We also recognize
14:44that we have to fix
14:46our broken healthcare system.
14:47Make sure
14:48that everyone
14:49has access
14:52to high quality,
14:54affordable healthcare
14:55whenever
14:56and wherever
14:58you need it.
14:59And yes,
15:00as Democrats,
15:02we're going to focus
15:05on cleaning up corruption
15:07in Washington, D.C.
15:09and make sure
15:10we deliver
15:11a government
15:12of the people,
15:13by the people,
15:14and for the people.
15:17Clean up corruption
15:18in Washington, D.C.,
15:21which is hurting
15:21everyday Americans.
15:29As Democrats,
15:29we believe
15:30in rewarding hard work
15:32that when you work hard
15:33and play by the rules,
15:36you should be able
15:37to live
15:38a comfortable life,
15:40live the good life.
15:43Can I break that down
15:44for you?
15:45Good paying job,
15:47good housing,
15:49good healthcare,
15:50a good education
15:51for your children,
15:53and a good retirement.
15:55Live the good life.
15:57Good housing,
15:59good paying job,
15:59good healthcare,
16:00good education
16:01for your children,
16:02and a good retirement,
16:04which means
16:04as Democrats,
16:05we're going to continue
16:06to stand up
16:07and make clear
16:08to our Republican colleagues,
16:09keep your hands
16:10off the Social Security
16:12and the Medicare
16:13of the American people.
16:15Those aren't
16:16entitlement programs,
16:17those are earned benefits.
16:19You work hard
16:20for those benefits.
16:21You deserve those benefits.
16:23You've earned those benefits,
16:25and we're going to
16:25protect those benefits.
16:27Hands off.
16:28Hands off today,
16:30hands off tomorrow,
16:31hands off this week,
16:33hands off next week,
16:34hands off this month,
16:36hands off next month,
16:37hands off this year,
16:39hands off next year.
16:40Keep your hands
16:41off of Social Security
16:43and Medicare,
16:44always and forever.
16:46That's the Democratic Party position.
16:49I approve that message.
16:51And so,
17:00these are challenging
17:02times.
17:06We're in a more is more environment.
17:09As Democrats,
17:10as all of you
17:11have been doing,
17:12we're going to have
17:13to continue
17:14to do more.
17:17More rallies,
17:18more demonstrations,
17:20more protests,
17:22more press conferences,
17:23more speeches
17:24on the House floor,
17:25more speeches
17:26on the Senate floor,
17:28more town hall meetings
17:29in Democratic districts,
17:30more town hall meetings
17:31in Republican districts,
17:33more hearings
17:34on the Hill,
17:36more hearings
17:36off the Hill,
17:38site visits
17:38in country,
17:40site visits
17:41out of country,
17:44and more extraordinary
17:46actions,
17:48like those being taken
17:49by courageous
17:51Texas Democrats
17:53to block this
17:54gerrymandering scheme
17:56and this Republican effort
17:57to steal
17:58the midterm election.
17:59More is more.
18:04And that's our charge.
18:07That's our collective promise
18:08to each and every one of you.
18:11But let me say
18:13as I prepare to close
18:15that as someone
18:18who grew up
18:19in a working-class
18:20neighborhood,
18:21union household,
18:22both my parents,
18:23union members
18:24throughout their entire careers,
18:27I'm proud
18:29to be a Democrat.
18:32Proud to be a Democrat.
18:35We've made some mistakes.
18:37There's some things
18:37that we've got to improve on.
18:39That's the reality
18:40of life.
18:44Churchill once said
18:45that success is not final,
18:47failure is not fatal,
18:48all that matters
18:49at the end of the day
18:50is the courage
18:51to continue.
18:53I put it a different way,
18:56Robin knows this,
18:57a knockdown
18:58is different
18:59than a knockout.
19:01That's the
19:02Hakeem Jeffries remix, y'all.
19:05Success, not final,
19:07failure is not fatal,
19:07all that matters
19:08is the courage
19:09to continue.
19:09Of course,
19:10there's some things
19:11that we can do differently.
19:13But I'm proud
19:14to be a Democrat
19:16because we are the party
19:18that is actually committed
19:20to making life better
19:21for everyday Americans.
19:23We don't just talk about it,
19:25we are about it.
19:26We have a track record
19:28that demonstrates it.
19:31Social Security,
19:32rural electrification,
19:34the GI Bill,
19:36Medicare, Medicaid,
19:38Head Start,
19:38the Civil Rights Act,
19:39the Voting Rights Act,
19:41the Fair Housing Act,
19:42the Elementary and Secondary School Act,
19:44the Higher Education Act,
19:46the Children's Health Insurance Program,
19:48the Affordable Care Act,
19:49the American Rescue Plan,
19:51the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
19:53gun safety legislation
19:54for the first time in 30 years,
19:56the PACT Act
19:57to stand up for our veterans,
19:58the Chips and Science Act,
20:00the Inflation Reduction Act,
20:01and so much more.
20:03Every single one of those things
20:04brought to you
20:05by your friendly,
20:07neighborhood,
20:07Democratic Party.
20:08I'm proud to be a Democrat.
20:11We have a track record
20:12of accomplishment.
20:14We don't just talk about it,
20:16we are about it.
20:19And we should embrace that history
20:21as we travel along the journey
20:25and continue to do more
20:30on behalf of the American people.
20:36And we also believe
20:38that in this country,
20:42we are a nation of immigrants.
20:44We are a gorgeous mosaic
20:46of people who have come
20:48from all across the world.
20:52John Lewis, who we serve with,
20:54would say to us that
20:55we may have come over
20:56on different ships,
20:57but we're all in the same boat now.
21:01I like that.
21:02Think about it.
21:03We're white.
21:03This room represents...
21:04We're white.
21:04We're black.
21:05We're Latino.
21:06We're Asian.
21:07We're Native American.
21:08We're Christian.
21:09We're Jewish.
21:10We're Muslim.
21:11We're Hindu.
21:11We're religious.
21:12We're secular.
21:13We are gay.
21:14We are straight.
21:15We are young.
21:15We are older.
21:16We are women.
21:17We are men.
21:18We are citizens.
21:19We are dreamers.
21:20Out of many,
21:21we are one.
21:22That's what makes America
21:24a great country.
21:25And no matter what kind
21:26of xenophobic behavior
21:28is coming from
21:29the other side of the aisle,
21:30we're not going to let anyone
21:32take that away from us.
21:33Not now.
21:34Not ever.
21:35We are one nation
21:36under God,
21:37indivisible,
21:38with liberty and justice
21:40for all.
21:41That's the United States
21:42of America
21:42and that's the country
21:44we're fighting hard
21:45to preserve.
21:48Fighting hard to preserve.
21:50So this last observation
21:55about democracy,
21:58the moment that we're in,
22:00the American way of life,
22:03what this struggle
22:05at the end of the day
22:06is all about.
22:08story is sometimes told
22:11of that moment in 1787,
22:13the convention hall
22:14in Philadelphia.
22:16Framers of the Constitution
22:19completed their work.
22:21And Ben Franklin,
22:22one of the great thinkers
22:23of all time,
22:24he emerges from this convention hall
22:26and he's approached
22:27by a woman named
22:27Elizabeth Powell.
22:28Miss Powell
22:30was the first lady
22:31of the city of Philadelphia,
22:33close friend of George
22:34and Martha Washington's,
22:35prominent philanthropist
22:37at the time.
22:40She approaches Ben Franklin
22:42after they completed
22:43their work.
22:44She says,
22:44Dr. Franklin,
22:45what have you gentlemen
22:47just done?
22:49Have you created
22:50a monarchy
22:51or republic?
22:55And Dr. Franklin
22:56famously responds,
22:59Mrs. Powell,
23:00we've created
23:01a republic
23:02if
23:03you can keep it.
23:06Think about that
23:08a lot
23:09during these challenging
23:11times.
23:14Dr. Ben Franklin
23:15expressing skepticism
23:17about our
23:18collective ability
23:20to maintain
23:22the republic.
23:24And he expresses
23:24that skepticism
23:26at a triumphant moment.
23:28America
23:29had just defeated
23:31the British Empire,
23:33the world's greatest
23:34superpower
23:35at the time.
23:38And yet,
23:38Dr. Franklin,
23:39when he's asked
23:39this question
23:40by Elizabeth
23:41Powell,
23:42responds,
23:43with a healthy
23:45degree of skepticism.
23:47Why
23:47was that the case?
23:51I think it's because
23:52everything that was done
23:53in that convention hall,
23:57checks and balances,
23:59separate and co-equal
24:00branches
24:01of government,
24:03the independent
24:04judiciary,
24:05the free and fair press,
24:07the preeminence
24:08of the rule of law,
24:09all of those values,
24:11all of those ideas,
24:12all of those institutions
24:14had never before
24:15been put together
24:16in one form
24:18of government
24:19in the history
24:20of the world.
24:22And so perhaps
24:23the framers were
24:24somewhat skeptical
24:25about America's
24:27ability
24:28to maintain it.
24:31But the majesty
24:32of our journey,
24:33the incredible part
24:34of American
24:35exceptionalism,
24:36is that year
24:38after year,
24:39decade after decade,
24:40century after century,
24:43we've kept
24:44this democracy
24:46thing going.
24:47But now perhaps
24:49for the first
24:50and only time
24:51since the Civil War,
24:54all of those values,
24:56all of those ideas,
24:58all of those institutions
24:59are under assault,
25:01not from without,
25:03but from within.
25:04Mrs. Powell,
25:06we've created
25:07a republic
25:08if
25:10you can keep it.
25:13That's the question
25:14that all of us now
25:15as Democrats,
25:17as citizens,
25:18as community
25:19leaders
25:21and activists
25:21and elected officials
25:23that all of us
25:24are called upon
25:26to answer
25:27at this moment.
25:28We've created
25:29a republic
25:29if
25:31you can keep it.
25:33but we also know
25:35from our history
25:35that we're a resilient
25:37country,
25:38that when times are tough,
25:41just enough of us
25:42have been able to
25:43over and over
25:44and over again
25:44stand up
25:46and show up
25:46and speak up
25:47for what is right.
25:50That's what all of us
25:51are now called upon
25:52to do,
25:53have been doing,
25:55certainly here
25:55in the great state
25:56of Illinois.
26:00Stand up
26:01and show up
26:02and speak up
26:03for what is right.
26:05And I'm very clear
26:06about things.
26:08They want us
26:09to step back,
26:11but we're here
26:12to fight back
26:14for an America
26:15that is the best version
26:17of herself.
26:18the Democratic Party
26:20is not the minority party.
26:22We are the opposition party
26:24fighting for a better America.
26:28Even in the midst
26:29of all of the challenges.
26:33They want to cancel our history
26:35so we don't learn
26:36from our history.
26:38But we can learn a lot
26:39from the resilience
26:41that so many people
26:43have showed
26:43of every race.
26:44We saw this during
26:45the Civil Rights Movement
26:49which of course started
26:51when Rosa Parks
26:53sat down on that bus
26:54in Montgomery, Alabama.
26:56She sat down
26:57so that everybody else
26:58could stand up.
26:59And it started
27:01the Civil Rights Movement
27:02during a very tough time.
27:04And in those early days
27:05of the Civil Rights Movement,
27:06those first few months,
27:09they were under
27:10significant oppression.
27:12Dr. King, Rosa Parks,
27:13so many others.
27:16People of different races,
27:17of different religions
27:18who flocked
27:19down south.
27:22They were arrested,
27:22they were prosecuted,
27:23they were detained.
27:26Some thought it hopeless
27:27that change was possible.
27:30And during those early days
27:31of the Civil Rights Movement,
27:32Dr. King famously,
27:34a few months after it started,
27:35came to a church,
27:37the Concord Baptist Church
27:38in Brooklyn, New York.
27:40And he knew that some people
27:43were discouraged
27:44and so he said to them
27:45that they've got
27:47to keep pressing on.
27:51He said,
27:52if you can't fly,
27:54run.
27:56If you can't run,
27:57walk.
27:58If you can't walk,
28:00crawl.
28:01But press on
28:02and keep pressing.
28:04And at this moment in time,
28:08Illinois Democrats,
28:10that's our charge.
28:13We've got to press on.
28:15Press on for our children,
28:17press on for our seniors,
28:19press on for our veterans,
28:21press on for our farmers,
28:22press on for our unions,
28:24press on for our dreamers,
28:26press on for working class folks,
28:28press on for the middle class,
28:30press on for the poor,
28:32press on for the sick,
28:34press on for the afflicted,
28:36press on for the least,
28:37press on for the lost,
28:39press on for the left behind,
28:41press on for economic justice,
28:43press on for social justice,
28:45press on for racial justice,
28:47press on for civil rights,
28:48press on for voting rights,
28:50press on for reproductive freedom,
28:52press on until we take back control
28:54of the House of Representatives,
28:56press on for our democracy,
28:58we will press on as Democrats
29:00until victory is won. God bless you. God bless the Illinois Democratic Party and the County
29:07Chairs Association and may God continue to bless the United States of America. Press on until victory is won.
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