WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) appeared on WCVB’s On The Record to discuss Democrats' work to defend democracy at home and abroad while working to meet the needs of families. Below are highlights from her interview:
On the Rising Tide of Antisemitic Hate Speech on University Campuses:
“What we're seeing on college campuses is an alarming rise of antisemitism. None of us can tolerate calls for genocide of any group, be that Jewish students [or] any ethnic or racial group.
“That is a point of moral clarity that everyone has to be able to agree on. We need to call out hate speech wherever we see it and make sure that every single student feels secure on their campus.
“We all have a role to play — whether it's on campus or in our communities — in making sure that we are having an exchange of ideas around [the] very complex and horrendous crisis we're seeing in the Middle East. But we can do it in a way that is not rising to the level of hate speech.”
On the Path Ahead for Immigration Reform:
“There isn't a person you can find who says that the system is working well. It is a broken system, and we have to do better.
“President Biden put forward a plan that has been rejected. He also put forward a Dreamers Act that has been rejected by the Republicans. Let's go back to the Farm Workers Modernization Act, which was a bill that compromised around how we can begin to heal this system and bring it together so that it works for both our economy, for our national security, and for migrants. That also was rejected.
“So what I'm seeing in the House is a MAGA Majority that is not interested in solutions but is interested in politicizing this critical issue that we need to be coming together [on] — not using it as a political football.”
On the House Republicans Obstructing Aid to Ukraine:
“We have in the House of Representatives a Pro-Putin Caucus that is currently winning the day. There is a majority in the GOP who says, ‘We'll stand for Ukraine.’ The question is, will they stand up to the extremists who frankly are willing to pull back and allow Putin to do what he wants in Ukraine? [This funding] is so critical — not just to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people — but because it will involve our national security and our troops if we allow him to cross into NATO.”
On Massachusetts’ Migrant Crisis:
“Washington needs to do more. And the House GOP has to come and support the President in that supplement that we've been talking about — that security supplement — is money for states like Massachusetts to help us shelter these migrants when they come here.
“I'm very grateful the Administration has started to offer work clinics so that these migrants can get their work authority and begin to make their money. But we have received $2 million in federal funding. We are spending $45 million a month. And that's why the Mass Delegation recently led a letter saying, we appreciate the Administration and the money they asked for, but we need to do more.”
On Avoiding A Government Shutdown In January:
“Our strategy remains the same since we had the GOP-manufactured debt crisis back in May. We came together — and in a bipartisan fashion — set the toplines for our budget. We already know. We've already voted. We've put it into law where those numbers should be.
“We are going to continue to go back to the new Speaker and say, ‘Live up to those numbers.’ It is because of Democrats that we haven't shut down. Those numbers did not come from GOP votes. Those are carried by Democrats. We want to govern.
“What we are seeing out of this Majority in the House is they're doing nothing. They're doing nothing to address what I hear about from my constituents every day — that when they go to the grocery store, they're facing high prices they can't afford.
“They are still facing prescription drugs they can't afford. And what are we seeing? We're seeing a fake, sham impeachment process, censures, civil wars within the GOP. The American people are standing outside looking at the MAGA Majority saying, ‘How do we fit into any of this?’ We will continue to work with them any time they want to come and work for the American people.”
On Democrats’ 2024 Outlook and What’s At Stake:
“I am very much looking forward to Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the House […] What we're seeing as we go into 2024 is that we really are a country at a crossroads. And we have to make a decision: Are we going to choose democracy? Are we going to choose to tackle the problems that families are facing? Or are we going to choose fascism and Donald Trump and a [continuation] of this MAGA extremism that is dividing us instead of bringing us together?”
To view the complete interview, click HERE.
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