WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Members of the House Democratic Caucus held a press event at the Capitol where they emphasized that while House Republicans are tripling down on chaos, dysfunction and extremism, House Democrats remain ready to find a bipartisan path forward.  

LEADER JEFFRIES: To Whip Clark, Chairman Aguilar, House Democrats, all those assembled. It's my honor and privilege to stand before you with the House Democratic Caucus, which has made clear from the very beginning of this Congress that we will put people over politics and do everything possible to find common ground whenever and wherever possible with our Republican colleagues in order to chart a bipartisan path forward to get things done for the American people. That's been our position from day one of this Congress, and it remains our position because we are here as Members of the House of Representatives, to make life better for everyday Americans, not play political games. 

House Democrats will continue to fight for lower costs, better-paying jobs, safer communities, reproductive freedom, defend democracy, fix our broken immigration system, protect the right to vote and build an economy that works for everyday Americans from the middle out and the bottom up. And we want to find a bipartisan path to reopening the House of Representatives so we can solve problems for the American people and stand with our friends like Israel and Ukraine and others throughout the free world. 

But the House Republican civil war continues to rage on, miring the Congress in chaos, dysfunction and extremism. House Republicans have chosen to triple down on the chaos, triple down on the dysfunction and triple down on the extremism. House Republicans have selected as their nominee to be the Speaker of the People's House, the chairman of the Chaos Caucus, a defender in a dangerous way, of dysfunction and an extremist extraordinaire. 

When we had a narrow majority under the last Congress, led by Speaker Pelosi, in partnership with Senate Democrats, under the leadership of President Joe Biden, we were able to pass bills to make a difference in the lives of the American people. House Democrats passed legislation to save the economy through the American Rescue Plan and put shots in arms, money in pockets and kids back in school and allow America to be reopened as the strongest economy of any in the developed world. House Democrats were able to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fix our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, airports, our sewer and water systems, mass transportation systems and to ensure that there was high speed Internet access and clean water in every community. House Democrats, with our majority, were able to pass gun safety legislation for the first time in 30 years, that will save lives. House Democrats were able to pass legislation to stand up for our veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, Agent Orange, and things to undermine their health, their safety and well-being, and to provide millions of veterans with the health care they need to live the lives that they deserve. House Democrats were able to pass the CHIPS and Science Act to bring domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the United States of America. 

And House Democrats were able to pass the Inflation Reduction Act to strike a dramatic blow against the climate crisis, set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward lower energy costs, strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lower health care costs and drive down the high price of lifesaving prescription drugs for millions of Americans, including dropping the price of insulin from thousands of dollars a year to $35 a month for millions of Americans. That is the track record of legislative accomplishments under a House Democratic majority. House Republicans have just elected a Speaker nominee who, in 16 years in this Congress, hasn't passed a single bill because his focus has not been on the American people. His focus has been on peddling lies and conspiracy theories and driving division amongst the American people. House Republicans now have a choice. There are only two paths forward. On the one hand, House Republicans can continue to triple down on the chaos, the dysfunction and the extremism that has been visited upon the American people as a result of the House Republican Civil War. On the other hand, traditional Republicans can break away from the extremism, partner with Democrats on an enlightened bipartisan path forward so we can end the recklessness and get back to doing the business of the American people. And Democrats are ready, willing and able to get that done.