09/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2026 09:59
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark for a press conference after House Republicans canceled votes and left town while Americans face a cost-of-living crisis. You can watch the full press availability here and read the transcript of the Chairman's remarks below.
CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Thank you, Whip Clark. Thank you, Leader Jeffries. Thank all of you for being here, because I know House Republicans have vacated this and they have abandoned these halls. But we appreciate you being here, because Republicans are nowhere to be found. They're nowhere to be found when the American public is asking for help and support. They're nowhere to be found when it comes to actually lowering the costs that people face.
In fact, House Republicans have canceled 63 days of session just this [Congress]. That's 63 days that we could have been addressing healthcare disparities. 63 days we could have been lowering the costs of everyday goods. And 63 days we could have been talking about our standing in the world and ensuring that we are doing everything we can to put the American people at the center of these discussions. 63 days, House Republicans have given up. They have completely abdicated their authority. They have completely left this place, and in 47 days, as Whip Clark mentioned, we're going to see a change. We're going to see a change in tenor and in tone, and we're going to put the American people back at the front of what we are doing every day.
Leader Jeffries is going to guide this chamber in a way that is going to put the American people first. We're going to talk about real strategies on how we lower the costs that people face. It's a genuine commitment that we are making to the American public, not these phony fake promises that J.D. Vance and Donald Trump are making where they're practically begging for more time because they know their policies have failed. House Democrats are going to put the American people first. That's our north star, and that'll be our guiding point in the future as well. Leader Jefferies.
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