Hakeem Jeffries

And they are trying to overwhelm the American people with a parade of horribles. And we've got to push back. We've got to be strategic.

But we also have to be relentless in how we push back and define what's happening for the American people, why it's wrong, why it will hurt them, and of course, offer a positive vision for what life could be like if you had more enlightened policies in Washington, D.C.

But we also have to be relentless in how we push back and define what's happening for the American people, why it's wrong, why it will hurt them, and of course, offer a positive vision for what life could be like if you had more enlightened policies in Washington, D.C.

It's a great observation. It's a great question. I think there are three periods of time that many far-right Republicans or even some traditional Republicans would like to roll back. There's the FDR New Deal period. There's the civil rights slash Great Society moment in the 1960s. And then there's the Obama era. And there's a real effort, I think, to try to strike back at all of those things.

It's a great observation. It's a great question. I think there are three periods of time that many far-right Republicans or even some traditional Republicans would like to roll back. There's the FDR New Deal period. There's the civil rights slash Great Society moment in the 1960s. And then there's the Obama era. And there's a real effort, I think, to try to strike back at all of those things.

The Republicans have had a problem with Social Security for decades. They have a problem with Medicare and Medicaid, which came out of the Great Society era in the 60s, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act for decades.

The Republicans have had a problem with Social Security for decades. They have a problem with Medicare and Medicaid, which came out of the Great Society era in the 60s, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act for decades.

And they certainly are trying to do everything that they can to either launch a frontal assault against those issues to end Social Security as we know it, end Medicare as we know it. Certainly they want to end Medicaid as we know it, as well as rolling back the progress that has been made in society.

And they certainly are trying to do everything that they can to either launch a frontal assault against those issues to end Social Security as we know it, end Medicare as we know it. Certainly they want to end Medicaid as we know it, as well as rolling back the progress that has been made in society.

Well, there's definitely a strategy, which is... Demonize, downsize, privatize, right? They want to demonize the functions of government, local government, state government, federal government. And look, of course, can we find additional efficiencies? Yes. Do we need to make sure government is effective in every possible way? Yes.

Well, there's definitely a strategy, which is... Demonize, downsize, privatize, right? They want to demonize the functions of government, local government, state government, federal government. And look, of course, can we find additional efficiencies? Yes. Do we need to make sure government is effective in every possible way? Yes.

We need an efficient government, an effective government, and an equitable government. But they want to attack government, and in this case, civil servants. demonize the government as part of their effort to then downsize the government.

We need an efficient government, an effective government, and an equitable government. But they want to attack government, and in this case, civil servants. demonize the government as part of their effort to then downsize the government.

When they downsize the government so that it can't function properly, so that it can't deliver services that the American people rightly deserve and need, then you make the argument, well, because government is so ineffective and inefficient, because we downsized it, now we should privatize it. So it is definitively a scheme. It's a scheme. Now, What's at the root of the scheme?

When they downsize the government so that it can't function properly, so that it can't deliver services that the American people rightly deserve and need, then you make the argument, well, because government is so ineffective and inefficient, because we downsized it, now we should privatize it. So it is definitively a scheme. It's a scheme. Now, What's at the root of the scheme?

What's at the root of all that we're seeing, the effort to steal taxpayer dollars, to freeze funds, right, to shrink these agencies? At the core of it, I believe, is that the Republicans in the House, the Senate, the administration, They want to enact massive tax cuts for their billionaire donors and wealthy corporations. Follow the money. That's the reality of what's taking place.

What's at the root of all that we're seeing, the effort to steal taxpayer dollars, to freeze funds, right, to shrink these agencies? At the core of it, I believe, is that the Republicans in the House, the Senate, the administration, They want to enact massive tax cuts for their billionaire donors and wealthy corporations. Follow the money. That's the reality of what's taking place.

And in the process, they want to stick working class Americans with the bill. And this is a continuation of an effort where there have been people in this country in power who've been jamming working class people, middle class people, and those who aspire to be part of the middle class, jamming them up for decades. And so, as you've indicated, John, consistently,

And in the process, they want to stick working class Americans with the bill. And this is a continuation of an effort where there have been people in this country in power who've been jamming working class people, middle class people, and those who aspire to be part of the middle class, jamming them up for decades. And so, as you've indicated, John, consistently,

The American people are understandably frustrated. They are understandably upset. They know that the deck has been stacked against them. Now, as Democrats, we probably have to do a better job of explaining that we understand that, and we certainly have a plan to tackle and dismantle it so we can bring economic opportunity to life for every single American.