Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he emphasized that House Democrats will continue to push back against Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs which will raise costs on everyday Americans.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good afternoon, everybody. Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans spent all of last year promising to lower the high cost of living in America while at the same period of time, running away from Project 2025 and pretending as if it didn’t exist. They consistently lied to the American people, and now the American people are feeling the consequences of this extreme administration. The Trump Administration is extreme. President Donald Trump and these extreme MAGA Republicans, who are temporarily in the majority in the House of Representatives this year, Republicans have done nothing. Not a single thing to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. The cost of living is too high. Housing costs are too high. Grocery costs are too high. Insurance costs are too high. Utility costs are too high. Child care costs are too high. America is too expensive. And Democrats remain committed to driving down the high cost of living in the United States of America.

Instead of costs going down, which Donald Trump promised would happen on day one of his presidency, costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is going up. Donald Trump and Republicans are actually crashing the economy in real time. You can’t make this up. They are intentionally inflicting pain on the American people. This Trump tax, these reckless tariffs will cost the American people thousands of dollars a year. It’s the largest tax increase on the American people since 1968. This is what Donald Trump’s presidency and Republicans in control of the House and the Senate are delivering to America, not lower costs. Not a more prosperous economy. Not the golden age in America. Economic disaster.

Then at the same period of time, these MAGA extremists are trying to jam a reckless budget down the throat of the American people. Take away health care from the American people. Strip away veterans benefits from the American people. And hurt nutritional assistance and literally take food out of the mouths of babies in America. Why? Because they want to pass massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors and puppet masters like Elon Musk. This is Republican policy in America, and it’s a complete and total disaster. Questions?

Full press conference can be watched here. 

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