MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Pressley Has Led Efforts in Congress to Address Childhood Trauma, Championed Policies to Support Child Health, Education, Safety

Pressley Has Stood in Vigorous Defense of Immigrant Communities in MA 7^th and Nationwide, Fighting to Bring Detained Neighbors Home

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) plans to boycott Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and uplift children detained and traumatized by ICE as honorary guests.

“The state of our nation is traumatized. Because of this President’s terror campaign targeting our immigrant neighbors, families are terrified to leave their home and children are terrified they will return home from school to find their parents taken. From the Massachusetts 7^th to Minnesota to the Dilley Detention Center, the stories I have heard are gutting,” said Rep Pressley. “A childhood should be a right, not a privilege. But this White House has ripped parents away from children, deported families with vulnerable infants, and imprisoned hundreds of children in Texas. I will continue to use every tool I have to fight for their freedom and safety, to fight for their dignity and their childhoods.”

On Tuesday, Rep. Pressley will highlight the stories of four impacted children and participate in MoveOn’s counter programming during the address.

Press interested in availability should email Pressley.press@mail.house.gov.

As a leading voice and legislator, Rep. Pressley’s advocacy to protect children from abuse and trauma dates back to her days as a Boston City Councilor. In her first term in Congress, she partnered with the late Chairman Elijah Cummings to hold the first Congressional hearing on childhood trauma on the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Rep. Pressley leads the STRONG Support for Children Act, which would support communities in addressing childhood trauma through healing-centered, neighborhood-based, gender-responsive, culturally specific, and trauma-informed approaches that acknowledge the impact of systemic racism and inequities over generations. She has called for such trauma-informed and child-centered approaches to every issue, including: surging baby formula to Gaza, addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, addressing sexual harassment targeting children and women girls, committing to end gun violence, and more.

In recent weeks, Rep. Pressley has shone light on the inhumane attacks by ICE on immigrant communities and pushed back against the reckless agency. During Oversight Democrats’ bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley highlighted the urgency of the moment by uplifting stories of traumatized community members she met with during her trip to Minnesota with Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and invoking the horrifying detention case of five-year-old Liam Ramos. In the Massachusetts 7^th, Rep. Pressley has recognized and supported the many families torn apart and children suffering from the detention of a loved one—including harrowing attacks on Massachusetts families in their daily lives, abductions of dedicated workers at the Allston car wash, visiting Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk during her unlawful detention and pushing to bring her home, and more.

At last year’s State of the Union Address, Rep. Pressley was joined by Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and wheelchair user who was terminated during Trump’s mass federal layoffs from her service providing fair housing with HUD. In 2024, Rep. Pressley was joined by Priscilla Valentine, Boston teacher, first-generation American, and student debt relief recipient. In 2023, Rep. Pressley was joined by Jaqueline Sanches, a Mattapan resident, early educator, and mother of two. In 2021, Rep. Pressley was joined virtually by Christina Morris, a Hyde Park resident, union carpenter, and mother of four. In 2019, Rep. Pressley was joined by Estefany Pineda, a DACA recipient, as her guest to the State of the Union Address. In 2020, she invited Nneka Hall, a professional doula and healthcare justice advocate, as her guest to the State of the Union. In 2020 in the midst of the impeachment trial, the Congresswoman personally boycotted the speech and delivered the official response to the 2020 State of the Union Address on behalf of the Working Families Party.

As immigrant communities have been under siege by the Trump administration, Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in pushing back and defending our immigrant neighbors.

This week, Rep. Pressley convened immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners, community advocates, and municipal leaders to hear of the essential role that immigrant-owned small businesses play in Massachusetts’ economy and communities and how they are suffering under Trump’s attacks.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey held a field hearing with members of the Haitian community on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. Testimony was documented in the Congressional Record.

Rep. Pressley also leads a discharge petition that could compel the House vote on a bill to require the Trump Administration to extend TPS for Haiti for three years. 

In February 2026, during Oversight Democrats’ bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley demanded Congress end qualified immunity to ensure federal law enforcement officers are held accountable for breaking the law and murdering civilians. Rep. Pressley called on her colleagues not to settle for bare minimum reforms in funding negotiations for the Department of Homeland Security, instead urging them to fight to rebalance power and restore accountability.

In January 2026, at the invitation of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Pressley went to Minneapolis to meet with organizers and community members impacted by ICE’s violent operation in Minnesota, where they have murdered bystanders, terrorized schools and small businesses, and abducted children and parents.

Following the ICE murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026, which builds on the lawmakers’ prior work by granting victims the right to sue federal law enforcement officers—not just state and local—for civil rights violations and abolishing the defense of qualified immunity in these suits. The expanded legislation would help deliver accountability for families abused by law enforcement, including ICE agents.

Congresswoman Pressley delivered a floor speech on the need to end qualified immunity for federal law enforcement, including immigration officers. Watch the floor speech here.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley condemned the ICE murder of Renee Good in Minnesota and motioned to subpoena all records and footage related to the shooting, but Republicans obstructed it. Footage of Congresswoman Pressley’s motion to subpoena is here.

In December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened and welcomed home the workers and families impacted by the cruel and unlawful ICE raid at an Allston car wash in November. Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor condemning the Allston ICE raid and defended the vibrant immigrant communities who are being maliciously stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, and unlawfully detained and deported by the Trump Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In June 2025, Congresswoman Pressley convened immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and impacted families to tell Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Hands off our immigrant neighbors. 

Rep. Pressley has also been an outspoken critic against the unlawful detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts PhD student, Somerville resident, and constituent of the Congresswoman’s who was unlawfully detained for weeks in retaliation for her protected speech. After weeks of advocacy and Congressional oversight, including a visit to detention centers in Louisiana, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey welcomed Ms. Öztürk to Massachusetts following her arrival from ICE detention in Louisiana.

Rep. Pressley has also spoken out against reports of ICE activity in the MA 7th and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump did not have authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act:

“President Trump’s global tariffs were illegal from the start. 

“Despite all of his bluster and bravado, Trump’s trade wars have failed. Instead of improving our economy, they produced a record-high trade deficit, cost us manufacturing jobs, drove up prices for American families, squeezed small businesses and cut off farmers’ access to global markets.

“Even with today’s Supreme Court ruling rebuking him, Trump’s obsession with tariffs won’t go away. He has other trade authorities he could choose to abuse. Congress must immediately step in and pass the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act to require congressional approval for any new tariffs.

“Republicans need to start working with Democrats to end Trump’s trade chaos once and for all.”

Background:

Ranking Member Sánchez introduced the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act, a bill that would turn off most of President Trump’s tariffs and require congressional approval for any new tariffs imposed by the president. The bill has the support of all Ways and Means Democrats.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) released the results of their statewide survey asking Granite Staters their thoughts on the proposed ICE processing center in Merrimack. More than 11,000 Granite Staters responded to Pappas and Goodlander’s survey in opposition to building a taxpayer-funded facility in Merrimack amid the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans.

“Granite Staters want law and order, for their communities to be safe and secure, and for decisions that impact their communities to be made at the local level, not in Washington, DC,” said Congressman Pappas. “I stand with the residents of Merrimack, local leaders, and the thousands of Granite Staters who are voicing strong opposition to this plan. It is completely unacceptable for the Trump administration to be bypassing local and state leaders in this process. I will continue to push to stop this plan, for full transparency and accountability from this administration, and ensure that local voices are heard by President Trump, Secretary Noem, and officials at all levels of the federal government.”

“People across New Hampshire have spoken clearly and decisively,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “They want and deserve transparency, accountability, and professionalism from federal law enforcement — they do not want their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to be used by ICE to commandeer an industrial warehouse for the detention of human beings in our state. I will not quit in our fight on behalf of Granite Staters to stop this costly, half-baked plan that will hurt New Hampshire taxpayers and do nothing to make our communities safer.”

In January, Pappas led the New Hampshire Congressional delegation in demanding that Secretary Noem swiftly acknowledge and address concerns raised by the Merrimack Town Council about reports that ICE plans to establish a new processing center in the town. In a letter earlier this month, Pappas also urged Appropriations Committee leaders to include language in any DHS funding to protect states’ and localities’ ability to make decisions about what is best for their communities. Pappas introduced the PUBLIC SAFETY Act to redirect almost $75 billion in funding from ICE to go to local law enforcement programs to help hire and train 200,000 local cops nationwide. He has also called on Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be impeached.

Congresswoman Goodlander has been outspoken in opposition to the proposed ICE detention center in New Hampshire since it was made public in December 2025. She has called on Secretary Kristi Noem to be removed from office or impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. In January, she and the New Hampshire Congressional delegation urged Secretary Noem to address concerns raised by the Merrimack Town Council about the proposed facility and its impact. She also voted against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill and cosponsored the bipartisan PUBLIC SAFETY Act to redirect billions from ICE to local law enforcement, arguing that public safety depends on strong local partnerships. Goodlander and the Congressional delegation also forwarded a letter from a Republican NH state representative to Secretary Noem in opposition to the planned immigration detention center in Merrimack.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision rejecting President Trump’s illegal tariffs:

I’m relieved that the Supreme Court has finally acknowledged Trump’s chaotic tariff policy as a clear case of executive overreach. This is a win for businesses and industries that have struggled to navigate the uncertainty surrounding trade policy that was based on nothing more than the President’s egotistical impulse to impose tariffs on an immediate, boundless basis under the guise of an emergency measure. But while this ruling may provide momentary relief, we must acknowledge that Trump is insistent on reinstating these tariffs through other methods and means. 

Trump’s tariffs have done incredible damage to our economy, to our relationships with key allies, and to the pocketbooks of millions of Americans. Maine’s core industries have suffered greatly: falling lobster exports, family dairy farms being pushed to the brink, our lumber and paper companies hit by retaliatory tariffs and rising input costs—the list goes on. Meanwhile, the increased prices caused by Trump’s reckless tariffs are taking a serious toll on Maine households, at a time when many are already struggling with rising inflation, skyrocketing health care costs, and an economy that’s been increasingly rigged to benefit billionaires and big corporations. 

When used in the right way, tariffs can protect domestic industries. But the president’s chaotic and outright unconstitutional approach—the on-again-off-again threats, the ever-changing numbers, the blatant lies about who actually shoulders the economic burden—has instead destabilized an already fragile economy and isolated us from the rest of the world. 

I strongly oppose any efforts by the Trump Administration to reinstate these tariffs by other means, and will fight alongside my colleagues in the House to reassert Congressional authority on trade—even if Republican leadership fails to do so.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 18, 2026

Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

Rep. Barragán Convenes with Housing Providers, Landlords, Advocates, and Renters to Discuss Cost of Housing in Trump’s Economy

San Pedro, CA – Yesterday, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) hosted a roundtable with housing providers, landlords, advocates, and local renters to discuss one of the highest living expenses in the district: housing. Participants spoke about the challenges Californian families face in finding housing and/or remaining housed, and how Trump and Republicans’ attempts to drastically cut essential housing programs, such as the HUD emergency housing vouchers, mean communities will struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

During the discussion, Lourdes Castro Ramirez, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), explained that the Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, currently has a waitlist of 10-15 years. She added that the average annual income of an EHV holder is about $13,874, and roughly 20% of participants are seniors, highlighting the vulnerability of households relying on the program.

The roundtable comes as a part of House Democrats’ Day of Action on the State of Economy, where Members draw attention to how Trump and Republicans’ economic policies have only made basic living costs more expensive for Americans.   

“When rent goes up, the cost of living goes up,” said Rep. Barragán, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness. “But Trump and Republicans continue to try and make drastic cuts to our affordable housing programs that make it harder and harder for Americans to remain housed. This is unacceptable. Trump and Republicans promised to lower costs on Day 1, but they have only increased the costs of our groceries, rent, utilities, child care, and elder care. Americans deserve better and House Democrats will fight for your right to remain housed.”

To find videos and photos from the roundtable, click HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 18, 2026

Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

Rep. Barragán Holds Day of Action on the State of Health Care Roundtable with Community Health Center Leadership and Physicians to Discuss High Cost of Health Care 

South Gate, CA – Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) gathered leaders and physicians from the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) and AltaMed, a Federally Qualified Health Center, for a Day of Action on the State of Health Care roundtable discussion regarding the high cost of health care and extensive cuts to federal programs like Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid).

During the roundtable, participants shared with the Congresswoman their firsthand insights on patient experiences and operational impacts due to the recent cuts and how federal funding is critical to meet the needs of patients in the communities they serve. The group raised serious concerns about proposed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant reductions, which would eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for California and further strain the state’s community health infrastructure. These cuts would jeopardize HIV prevention programs, weaken disease surveillance efforts, and restrict access to care for underserved populations. Combined with more than $50 million in existing federal, state, and local funding reductions,  along with rising operational costs, clinics have already been forced to close several sites, resulting in the loss of essential services such as vaccinations, STI testing and treatment, and tuberculosis care.

“Americans pay too much and receive too little,” said Rep. Barragán. “Due to skyrocketing health care costs, many working families are forced to have to decide between feeding their families or being able to afford to see a doctor. You deserve better. House Democrats continue to fight to restore critical federal funding, protect Medi-Cal, and extend the expired insurance premium tax credits.” 

Today’s roundtable was part of a national Day of Action on the State of Health Care effort by House Democrats’ to highlight how the cost of living has skyrocketed for millions of Americans.

For photos and videos from the roundtable, see HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2026

Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

Rep. Barragán Reintroduces Resolution to Highlight Serious Risks Posed by Air Pollution and Extreme Heat to Latina Maternal and Infant Health

Washington D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), as part of Maternal Health Awareness Day, reintroduced a resolution drawing attention to the serious risks that air pollution and extreme heat pose to Latina maternal and infant health. 

The resolution underscores mounting evidence that exposure to poor air quality and rising temperatures is closely linked to negative pregnancy and birth outcomes, particularly in Latino communities. These communities are more likely to live and work in environments with elevated pollution and extreme heat, increasing the risk of complications such as preterm birth and stillbirth.

“Extreme heat and dirty air are more than environmental challenges—they are public health and equity issues that place Latina mothers at greater risk,” said Rep. Barragán. “This resolution urges Congress to take meaningful action by expanding clean air investments, ensuring bilingual air quality warnings, strengthening maternal health care, and more. No mother should have to sacrifice her health or her child’s safety simply to get through the day.”

“During my high-risk pregnancy, which was eventually diagnosed as preeclampsia, I was never warned about the dangers of high temperatures. It wasn’t until I joined EcoMadres that I learned about the severe – and even fatal – impacts of extreme heat and air pollution on maternal health, and how Latino communities in the US are disproportionately impacted. As we call on Congress to recognize these risks and take meaningful action, I feel hopeful that we can protect families and prevent other moms and babies from experiencing these harms,” said Luz Drada, Spokesperson, EcoMadres and Moms Clean Air Force.

The resolution calls on Congress to pursue a range of solutions, including increased funding for air quality monitoring, expansion of green spaces, access to bilingual air quality alerts, and enhanced training for public health professionals.

The full text of the resolution can be found HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 20, 2026

Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

Reps. Barragán and Brown Introduce Bill to Open Door for Faith-Based Organizations and Institutions of Higher Education to Build Affordable Housing

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Shontel Brown (OH-11) announced the Yes in God’s Backyard Act, legislation designed to address the nation’s housing crisis by empowering faith-based institutions and institutions of higher-education to build affordable housing on underused land they already own.

The bill will unlock new housing opportunities in communities facing severe housing shortages and rising homelessness. Across the country, housing costs continue to climb while the number of available homes falls far short of demand. At the same time, faith-based institutions and institutions of higher education — often among the largest landholders in their communities — are frequently blocked from building affordable housing because of outdated zoning rules, lengthy permitting processes, and limited access to technical expertise.

The growing Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY) movement offers a solution rooted in local leadership. By empowering trusted community institutions to use their land for affordable housing, YIGBY helps meet urgent needs while strengthening neighborhoods.

“Across the country, communities are facing unprecedented housing shortages and growing homelessness,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “Faith-based organizations and institutions of higher learning want to step up and help address the housing crisis, but too often they’re held back by outdated rules and unnecessary red tape. We need every possible tool to expand affordable housing—that’s why this bill puts trusted community partners at the center of the solution and gives local governments the tools they need to remove unnecessary barriers and build homes people can afford.”

“We need to use every tool we have and work with every partner we have to lower housing costs. Because the last thing any working family should have to worry about is finding a safe and affordable place for their children to lay their heads at night. The YIGBY Act helps religious institutions address the housing crisis and cut through the red tape so that we can remove the barriers, lower the cost of housing, and expand the options Americans have. I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Barragan on this legislation to lower housing costs and help religious institutions serve their communities,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown. 

“The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is grateful for Rep. Barragán’s leadership in introducing the Yes in God’s Backyard Act”, said Nicole Williams, Executive Director, LISC Los Angeles. “We’ve seen firsthand the increasing challenges families are facing with rising housing costs in our communities. At the same time, many faith-based organizations have expressed a desire to mitigate the housing crisis by developing affordable housing on their land. The Yes in God’s Backyard Act would provide flexible resources to support the development and preservation of affordable housing, ultimately increasing housing options in the communities we serve.”

States and cities are already showing what can happen when these barriers are removed. In California, SB 4allows qualifying faith institutions and higher education institutions to build 100 percent affordable housing by right. As a result, at least 80 congregations in Los Angeles alone are now exploring housing development on their property. Similar efforts are underway or being considered in New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, and New Jersey, signaling growing national momentum behind this approach.

The Yes in God’s Backyard Act would extend this progress nationwide by:

– Offering technical assistance to faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education seeking to use existing land to expand or preserve affordable rental housing;

– Providing technical support to local governments to share best practices and streamline the development of affordable housing on faith and university property; and

– Establishing challenge grants to reward communities that adopt policies removing barriers to affordable housing on these sites.

The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of national organizations, including NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), United Church of Christ, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) Los Angeles, LeadingAge, Enterprise Community Partners, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National Housing Conference, and True Ground Housing Partners.

Original cosponsors of the bill are Reps. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Danny Davis (IL-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).

The full text of the bill can be found HERE. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Statement on SCOTUS Overturning Trump’s Costly Tariffs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on WVON’s The Morning Show with Rufus Williams, where he reflected on the life and legacy of the late great Rev. Jesse Jackson and articulated how House Democrats will continue to keep hope alive and end the national nightmare that Donald Trump has visited on the American people.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: This gentleman, he is, again, the House Democratic Leader, and it’s none other than Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, good morning and welcome back to WVON. Good to talk to you, good brother.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning, Rufus. Great to be on with you.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: And I should also mention, you know, obviously he’s achieving, therefore, he is a good man of Kappa Alpha Psi. Leader Jeffries, let’s talk about this, because we had a great loss in our world earlier this week. Share your reflections on Reverend Jackson.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Reverend Jackson was a profound, legendary, transformational American hero. You know, one of those individuals who, because of his presence and his leadership, his commitment to making life better for the American people, he bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice, inspired millions of people, myself included, with his presidential runs, with his advocacy, his eloquence, you know, and his commitment to building this rainbow coalition, this gorgeous mosaic of people here in America to make this country the best version of herself.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: I’d love to say that we have so appreciated the fight that you’ve been putting up in Washington and I thank you for saying that you were inspired by the Reverend because he did that for so many people and even as we think about his impact there, can you talk about how he’s generally perceived there in Washington and certainly the perception would be greater now that we have him no more.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we certainly recognize this is the case with every single Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, but beyond, that we stand on his shoulders, and those are legendary shoulders. And he was in the fight for economic justice, for social justice and for racial justice. And that baton has been passed to another generation of folks, Members of Congress included, but certainly not limited to, because Reverend Jackson was in the political realm, he was in the civil rights realm, he was in the faith realm. He was just a multi-dimensional leader and that generation, of course, has been transitioning to heaven, but we can continue to be inspired by him, by his life, his leadership, his legacy and what he stood for. His remarks will always be with us, to continue to inspire us. Certainly, the iconic speeches that he gave, including at the Democratic National Convention in both 1984 and 1988 and we’re thankful for the opportunity of having spent some time with him every single time, including in his most recent years, when he was on the Hill with his son, Congressman Jackson, a good friend of mine. He would always be generous with his time, with his advice and with his perspective and I always valued it.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: This is always valued. Thank you so much for that. That leads right into the next thing because one of the things that was really pushed hard for during the Civil Rights era was voting rights and the opportunity to vote. Can you talk about, from your perspective, the importance of this midterm election and the importance for people to vote up and down the ticket no matter where we are?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, Donald Trump’s presidency has been a disaster for our communities and for the American people. He’s failed on the economy, failed on healthcare, ripping it away from millions of people, failed on making sure that immigration enforcement is actually fair and just and humane as opposed to what we’ve seen, Donald Trump unleashing these masked and untrained ICE agents with violent brutality on American communities and on law-abiding immigrant families. So it’s been a failure. And what our system allows for in the midterm elections is for the country to rise up and say, enough. We need to go in a different direction. And in order for that to happen, to have a Congress that actually is a check-and-balance on an out-of-control executive branch, the Trump administration, then it’s important for people to show up to vote and to make sure that the gavels change hands so that Democrats can be in power and actually fight to make your life better, fight to lower the high cost of living, fight to fix our broken healthcare system, fight to get ICE under control and to rein them in and fight to improve the quality of life for everyone in our community and for every single American.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: Leader Jeffries, I know you’re extraordinarily busy, so I don’t know if you heard it this morning, but I saw a clip where he said he had won affordability. Is that even conceivable, given how things are?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I mean, he’s so unhinged and out of touch with reality. This is someone, Donald Trump, who promised to lower the high cost of living on day one. But costs haven’t gone down. We’re more than a year into his presidency, and we know that costs have gone up. Housing costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are under control. It’s one of the things, of course, that Robin Kelly has been leading on, working to fix our broken healthcare system. We know child care costs are out of control. Utility costs through the roof. And, of course, the healthcare costs have been made worse by this guy who refuses to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and enacted a trillion-dollar cut to Medicaid, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And so, of course, the affordability crisis has not been solved. And the fact that he’s trying to convince the American people of it just shows how deranged he has become at this point in time.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: I hope somebody tells the emperor that he’s naked, because he is not only naked, he is inside out. You mentioned Robin, Congresswoman Kelly, and I’m glad you did, because this whole thing that he is doing around immigration, the lawlessness of DHS, the assault on our cities, and again, Congresswoman Kelly brought forth these impeachment charges against Kristi Noem. Can you comment on where we are with all of that, and it leads us to where we stand today with, which is the partial shutdown. there in D.C. Where do things stand?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, we’re certainly thankful for Congresswoman Kelly’s leadership as it relates to holding Kristi Noem accountable. We know that Kristi Noem is deeply unqualified, she’s flawed, she’s unhinged, she’s out of control, she’s a pathological liar and she’s got to go. And we’ve made clear that either she gets fired or those impeachment proceedings will commence forthwith to make sure that we deal with her in the House of Representatives, and we’ll only need a handful of Republicans to join us to make sure that we can end the national nightmare that has become Kristi Noem. At the same period of time, in terms of the current DHS shutdown, our view is that we don’t simply need a change in personnel, but we need a dramatic change in policy that is bold, that’s meaningful, that’s transformational. Things like a judicial warrant requirement so ICE agents can’t simply break into your home without a judicial warrant, rip you out of your house and then detain you, as we know they’ve been doing. We need to make sure we have an explicit prohibition on the excessive use of force, an explicit prohibition on racial profiling, ethnic profiling and language profiling. We believe that sensitive locations, like houses of worship, schools, hospitals and polling sites should be completely and totally off limits. We also believe that there should be independent investigations, because Pam Bondi cannot be trusted to actually hold ICE agents who break the law violently accountable, which is why we need to empower state attorneys general, state and local authorities, to criminally investigate and prosecute anyone, any DHS agent who brutalizes American citizens, breaks the law, violently targets law-abiding immigrant families and then believes they’ll get away with it because the Department of Justice is not going to do anything about it, which is why independent investigations are one of our core demands.

RUFUS WILLIAMS: That is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you so much for your voice, for your fight, and thanks so much for being on with us this morning on WVON. We so appreciate you and look forward to having you back.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Always great to be on with a good Kappa brother. Appreciate what you do.

Full interview can be listened to here.

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