Chairman Aguilar: Republicans should be doing everything that they can to lower costs like they promised. If they don’t, Democrats will when we take back the majority.

Chairman Aguilar: Republicans should be doing everything that they can to lower costs like they promised. If they don't, Democrats will when we take back the majority.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Brian Schatz, Senator Angela Alsobrooks and House and Senate Democrats for a press conference pushing back against Republicans' reckless budget bill that does nothing to bring down costs for working Americans. You can watch the full press conference here and read the transcript of the Chairman's remarks below.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Americans were promised lower costs on day one. They were promised lower inflation. They were promised lower utility bills. But what have Trump and Republicans delivered? The highest gas prices and inflation in years. Multiple new wars. Massive cuts to healthcare and food assistance. And now, $70 billion in taxpayer dollars for an out-of-control ICE without any reforms in place to stop them from terrorizing people.

In my own community of San Bernardino, the place that I grew up and am proud to represent, I've seen the lasting impact that the violent immigration agents can have on innocent families. In August, my constituent Martin Rascon, a U.S. citizen, was lucky enough to survive a terrifying incident where masked federal immigration agents fired multiple shots at his car. All of their windows were shattered, broken glass was everywhere and Martin's family thought they were under attack. During this unlawful stop, agents refused to show their identification and the family was so scared for their lives that they called 911, their local police. They didn't know who these masked agents were, and they called the only people who they trusted, local law enforcement. Thankfully, no one was physically hurt, but this day could have ended very differently.

And as our colleagues in Minnesota and across the country know, for many innocent individuals, it cost them their lives. Martin and his family, and too many others, have been traumatized for life and continue to experience the fallout. That's why Democrats are united in standing against this Republican bill, which wastes taxpayers' hard-earned dollars to fund an agency that is endangering American communities with no strings attached. Instead of investing even more in this brutal mass deportation machine, Republicans should be doing everything that they can to lower costs like they promised. If they don't, Democrats will when we take back the majority.

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