Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu released the following statement:

From the beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have made clear that we will always put people over politics, seek bipartisan common ground wherever possible and fight Republican extremism whenever necessary.

On the House Floor, we passed a spending bill that meets the needs of hardworking American taxpayers and provides billions for disaster assistance at the level requested by President Biden. House Democrats stopped reckless House Republicans from shutting down the government, protected Social Security and Medicare and prevented MAGA extremists from jamming their right-wing policy wish list – like further criminalizing abortion care and taking food out of the mouths of children – down the throats of the American people. We thank the Biden administration and the House Democratic Caucus for their unity and strength throughout this process. We also thank Leader Charles Schumer and Senate Democrats for diligently advancing a bipartisan spending agreement over the last several weeks that helped force House Republicans to do the right thing.

Moving forward, there is still work that needs to be done, including by renewing support for the valiant Ukrainian effort to defeat Russia on the battlefield in the name of freedom and democracy. When the House returns, we expect Speaker McCarthy to advance a bill to the House Floor for an up-or-down vote that supports Ukraine, consistent with his commitment to making sure that Vladimir Putin, Russia and authoritarianism are defeated. We must stand with the Ukrainian people until victory is won. 

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