Brooklyn, NY – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference with Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke and representatives from Citymeals, early childhood development centers and local violence interruption organizations to highlight how the Republican Rip Off steals taxpayer money from hardworking Americans to reward billionaire donors and wealthy corporations. 

LEADER JEFFRIES: The plane crash above Washington National Airport was a national tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families of all of the victims who were killed during this plane crash, the worst aviation incident in America in more than 20 years. This is a moment that requires leadership, compassion, decisiveness and decency. It’s not a moment that calls for misinformation and misdirection. House Democrats look forward to an administrative inquiry that is fact-based, thorough and comprehensive. It’s my expectation that Congress will also independently conduct hearings in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate that should be thorough, thoughtful and fact-based as well.

House Democrats are committed to driving down the high cost of living here in New York and in the United States of America. Things are too expensive. Housing costs are too high, grocery costs are too high and utility costs are too high. America is too expensive. We must build an affordable economy for hardworking taxpayers here in New York and throughout the country. That’s our commitment. At the same time, House Republicans are ripping off the American people. They are trying to steal taxpayer money from vital initiatives that serve the community. House Republicans want to end Medicaid as we know it, throw off children from Head Start, make it harder for seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels for their nutritional assistance and to cut grants that improve public safety in our community. It’s wrong. And we are determined to stop it. The federal funding freeze that was put into place this week was unlawful, unconscionable and un-American. It was part of an effort to rip off the American people, connected to a Republican scheme to cut taxes for billionaires and wealthy corporations and force everyday Americans, working-class Americans, low-income Americans and middle-class Americans to pay for it. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to fight hard to make sure it never happens. 

Full press conference can be watched here. 

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