Chairman Aguilar: Republicans are ready to spend, spend, spend, just not on anything that will make life more affordable for you.

Chairman Aguilar: Republicans are ready to spend, spend, spend, just not on anything that will make life more affordable for you.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference calling out Trump and Republicans for spending billions of taxpayer dollars on the costly Iran war, an out-of-control ICE and Trump's ballroom while working Americans are being crushed by record-high gas prices and inflation. You can watch the full press conference here and read the transcript below.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. As we return to Washington, one thing remains crystal clear: Republicans are out of touch with the American people. While Americans are bracing for high prices heading into the summer, the Secretary of Transportation filmed a reality TV trip with his family. The Defense Secretary is asking Congress for $500 billion more in spending. While families struggle to keep a roof over their heads and to feed their families, Republicans want to spend $1 billion on a ballroom that most people will never set foot in. And while families are making the impossible decisions about affording their prescription drugs or groceries this week, Republicans are giving ICE another $70 billion to terrorize our communities. There's a theme here. Republicans are ready to spend, spend, spend, just not on anything that will make life more affordable for you. Trump and House Republicans are more than happy to use taxpayer funds to bail out their billionaire friends or the businesses that they stand to benefit from. But when it comes to actual things that the American people want-like lowering gas prices, affordable health care or groceries that don't cost an arm and a leg-Republicans turn their backs on the people that they represent.

Republicans know that they are doing things that are harmful to the American family, and they just don't care. The President said yesterday, 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody.' I don't think truer words could be said on the South Lawn than what the President said yesterday when he was asked about the war's effect on prices that everyday Americans are facing. Republicans only care about staying in power, and since they know they can't win on these policies and their agenda, they're trying to rig the elections. They've gutted the Voting Rights Act, and now they're actively gutting minority districts across the South. Republicans can cheat all they want, but the American people are smart. They see what is ahead of them. And they see that Republicans are lying time and time again to hold and consolidate power, and they know that Republicans are making things worse for them and their family. They know who has their interests at heart, and that's why we're confident that we will have success later in the year. Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. We have a cost of living emergency. The American people are drowning in debt and in bills. We know from the data that inflation has now surged to 3.8 percent-the highest in three years. We also know that gas and diesel prices are skyrocketing. We have record-high diesel prices-the highest in the history of the United States in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. And what are Trump and Republicans doing about this? What are they focused on? Well, a $1 billion White House ballroom, a giant arch in Washington, D.C. to honor Trump and putting Trump's face on U.S. passports.

And then yesterday, as Chairman Aguilar noted, Trump said the quiet part out loud. When asked by a reporter, 'Mr. President, to what extent are Americans' financial situations motivating you to make a deal with Iran?' The President said, 'Not even a little bit.' A little bit later, Trump also says, 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation.' And so when the President of the United States doesn't think about Americans' financial situation, and when the Republicans here are focused on other issues, this is what happens. Your prices go up. So I'm going to give you some examples. $8 worth of coffee from a grocery store last year is now costing $9.48, an 18.5 percent inflation rate. $3 worth of tomatoes now cost $4.19, which is a 39.7 percent inflation rate. A $20 steak from a grocery store last year now costs $23.22, a 16.1 percent inflation rate. And a $300 flight last year now costs $362, which is a 20.7 percent inflation rate. And as we all know, with gas prices skyrocketing, $50 worth of gas last year now costs $64.20, which is a 28.4 percent inflation rate. We need Trump and Republicans to start focusing on the economy. Unfortunately, they're unwilling to do that. November is coming.

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