March 11, 2022

CHAIRMAN JEFFRIES: "HOUSE DEMOCRATS GATHERED AT THE ISSUES CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS HOW WE'RE BUILDING A BETTER AMERICA FOR THE PEOPLE"

Philadelphia, PA – Today, as the 2022 House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference came to a close, House Democratic leaders outlined the Caucus' vision for the future and marked the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan, an extraordinary intervention by President Biden and Democrats that helped crush the virus, save our economy and Build a Better America For The People. 

CHAIRMAN JEFFRIES: I'm not sure whether it's day two or day three of the House Democratic Issues Conference, but I can tell you it's going to be another good day — another good day because House Democrats have been gathered together, here as a family, continuing to discuss how we're Building a Better America For The People, fighting to continue to strengthen the economy, lower costs, create millions of good-paying jobs.

It's a good day because it is the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan — a transformative piece of legislation that saved the economy and set us off on a trajectory where 7.4 million jobs were created during the first 13 months of President Biden's presidency, the fastest rate of economic growth in 40 years, unemployment at pre-pandemic lows of 3.8%.

And so, we're thankful that President Biden, House Democrats — led by Speaker Pelosi and Senate Democrats were able to come together, pass this transformative piece of legislation and set us off on a course where we're continuing to make progress for the American people — we still have challenges that we are working to resolve, but making progress for the American people.

And lastly, it's a good day because we're going to hear from President Joe Biden as he articulates his continuing vision for lifting up everyday Americans — for lowering costs, making their lives the best that it can possibly be, ensuring that we can, in every single zip code across America, have opportunity and prosperity and that the American people can pursue that great American dream.

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SPEAKER PELOSI: […] I'm very proud that in a very strong bipartisan way, we took action in the House, this week, to lift the purchase of Russian oil and we have the Magnitsky legislation part of that — renewing that law, and then today we go further. And I want to commend the President for his extraordinary leadership of the — I just say this, and some of you have heard me say this, I was at the Kennedy inauguration and he said, everybody knows, "Citizens of America, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." The very next sentence that he said is what hit me hard. It was, and I'll never forget it. "To the citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind." Joe Biden is exemplifying that, working together for the freedom of mankind. We look forward to seeing him today, and when we do, we will congratulate him on his leadership in passing the American Rescue package. This is something that was — not only helped people survive from COVID-19, something that not only helps them reach their success, it was transformational in how they do so. We want to continue that work in certain aspects of BBB with the Child Tax Credit, universal pre-k, the list goes on, affordable child care.

[…] I'm very proud of our President and what we did in these two days, and I thank Chairman Jeffries and Vice Chair Aguilar and Katherine, who is very much a part of this, for the magnificent intellectual resources they brought together here on subjects that relate to jobs, women in the workplace, saving our planet, the list goes on and on. Very successful as we hone our message so that we can win the election.

MAJORITY LEADER HOYER: […] Very frankly, the American people in this country and the world received a gut punch from the pandemic, and we have responded with vigor and with effectiveness to that gut punch — which is why we are confronting an economy that is one of the fastest-growing economies that we've seen in many decades. We mentioned the number of people employed at 7.4 or .5 or .6 million people. That's in the context of in the previous four years prior to the Biden administration losing 2.2 million jobs in America —what an extraordinary turnaround. Unemployment now down 4% and lower.

[…] I know that I speak for all of our Caucus saying that we are not going to flag in our commitment to making sure that the American people and the global community stays together and lifts ourselves up. I know the president of the United States is going to come here and he has empathy for the American people because they're being challenged by inflation. And yes, he said in the State of the Union, we're bringing those costs down. We're going to continue to fight for the COMPETES Act, we're going to continue to fight for the Build Back Better Act. And I hope all of you have noticed this Congress over the last 18 months, the unity of purpose and the actions of the Democratic Party For The People.

WHIP CLYBURN: […] I can think of no other time in my life when we have really been faced with real trials. When we look at what's happening around the world, the war that we all have emotionally attached ourselves to, the challenges that we've had coming back from COVID-19 and the future for our children and our grandchildren. These are times that try men's souls. But what I am pleased with is the fact that these people that I'm standing with, these people we are meeting with are not summer soldiers, they are not sunshine patriots, they are measuring up to these times. And I think that when we leave this retreat…we are going to rededicate ourselves to making this country and all of its greatness accessible and affordable for all of its citizens.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER CLARK: […] We stand here today on this anniversary of the American Rescue Plan and anticipating a visit and words from our President, it really is about a focus on the American family. And that is what we have heard throughout this conference, reaffirming that this is not about Wall Street. It's about Main Street. It's about rebuilding our schools, not prisons. It's about making sure that we put the American family and how they meet this time of great challenge with great progress. And that's exactly what the American Rescue Plan did. And I can tell you, as I travel around my district and meet with families that are now saving money on their health care because we allowed them to expand those health care options, who are saving money on their energy bills because of the weatherization programs we put into place, the child care providers and the moms who saw a collapse of a system of care that they need to get to work, and there won't be an economic recovery without women in this economy. They are saying that $40 million that was in the American Rescue Plan come to work and make that connection. We see the American people, we see the American family and they are our priority. And this agenda came out of conversations that President Biden had with Americans across our great nation.

VICE CHAIR AGUILAR: […] When the President was inaugurated, there was no infrastructure to deliver the vaccines. Over 200 million shots in arms, making sure that we paved the way to reopen schools, support small business — those are the items that are important in our districts. Those are the pieces that are important in our communities, making sure that we reopen schools — 46% of schools were closed when the President took office. 99% of schools are open now... the President has helped, with House Democrats, create 7 million jobs. Those are the tangible efforts that we can do together. We've been partners in that progress. And so, we appreciate the President continuing to meet with us, continuing to work with us and give us updates, and join us as partners as we deliver for the American public. That is what we are focused on, whether it is a retreat or any other setting. We are partners in this progress with the President and we appreciate him coming in and joining with us.

DCCC CHAIR SEAN PATRICK MALONEY: I will just say, we come to Philadelphia with a record of results and a plan for the future. And the Republicans have a ploy to win back power. And that's the difference. We have a vision for America, and all of you are part. There's room in our America, for every one of you and your families. We are building that future every day. […] We're doing hard things, and it takes hard work and great leadership, which we are blessed with. We round the bend on the halfway mark of this term with a record we're proud of, with a list of work to do, with the strongest economic growth in 35 years, with hundreds of millions of shots in arms in a pandemic that's ended, with 550 bills passed in the House and 90 signed into the law into law by the President. We're proud of that record. We're happy to stack it up against the other team's absence of a vision... Give us another two years will keep working for you and your family. The other side will keep working for themselves.

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Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be found here.