WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) appeared on CNN’s News Central to discuss House Democrats’ sweeping victory and their affordability agenda for the 120th Congress. Below are excerpts of the conversation.
On the Priorities of a Democratic House Majority:
“We campaigned as Affordability Democrats. That was the message of every single candidate across this country. And that is exactly how we’re going to govern … we know this: that we are going to put the focus on a people-based agenda.
“And our first bills and acts are going to be about lowering costs, making sure healthcare is affordable for everyone. That is what we have promised the American people. It’s why they voted in this historical way. The voters have really conducted a peaceful revolution in this country, and we are going to govern with their voices as our guides.”
On Democrats’ Fight to End the War in Iran:
“What we have seen is a president who has taken us into a reckless war that had no exit strategy, had no clear goals, and has had a terrible impact on the American people — whether it’s the cost of gas and diesel skyrocketing prices even further.
“We’re going to have very clear discussions about how we have voted repeatedly to end this war, and how they continue to fund this without ever coming to Congress and having a discussion about what these goals are, and how we get out of this and make sure the American people and our troops are safe.”
On Holding Crooks Accountable and Delivering for Working Families:
“Part of our promise to the American people is that we’re going to lower their costs, we’re going to make healthcare affordable and available, and we’re going to hold the crooks accountable. Unfortunately, there are a lot of potential subjects.
“But I can tell you that it will be a continuation of making sure that taxpayers are not paying the costs for personal enrichment, for the corruption that we are seeing from this administration, and that has been tolerated by the Republican Party. It is part of what has led to this landslide victory for Democrats.
“The American people understand they are not the ones who are being enriched in this economy. The metaphors I heard throughout my travels in the campaign is that ‘my family is drowning in bills, we’re barely able to keep our head above water.’ And so our focus, whether it’s lowering costs or looking at corruption, is all going to be through the lens of the working family and making their lives easier.”
On the Diversity and Strength of the House Democratic Caucus:
“We have seen leadership across this country, and certainly in our class, that is emerging. The voices that we are going to bring forward are going to be not only our senior leadership, but those of our newest Members. And we are seeing Members coming in from across this country, coast to coast, from the heartland, from the South, and that is going to be a real strength of this caucus. We’re going to make sure that their voices are heard, because that is representational government. From different parts of our country, different parts of the ideological spectrum, we come together. We make a better product that puts the people of this country at the center of it.”
Watch the full interview, HERE.
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