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assistant democratic leader of send our heartfelt condolences to the kildee family as they navigate family, the caucus extended that to representative kildee and we look forward to wcoming him hish open arms. on january 6, donald trump urged a violent mob to attack >> on january 6 donald trump urged a mob to attack the u.s. capitol. podium that he represents a clear and present danger to democracy. his comments ove that if he wero lose the election there would be a bloodbath in this country should be taken both literally and seriously. the january 6 committee only reinforced the accuracy of our findings. that donald trump was at the

center of a conspirac and fair election and he would do it again. for the american people who may think this is just hyperbole and these attacks don't affect them, i would simply say, our veterans, our nation's heroes, sacrificed their protect this country, our way of life, and our democracy. donald trump would sacrifice our way of life in a heartbeat if he thought it could bring him political power. he doesn't belong anywhere near the oval office, and don't just our word for it. the former vice president, his former chief of staff, his former defense secretary and his former secretary of state all b. the dysfunction we see today, taking a vote to avoid a government shutdown for the fifth time this congress, is us republican party has sold out, lock, stock, and barrel, and because donald trump

and maga extremism continue to permeate under this dome. vis chair ted lieu. mr. lieu: thank you, chairman aguilar my out to dan kildee and his family. recently, chief justice john roberts, appointed byesident ged a request from trump associate peter navarro to stay out of prison. today,■ peter navarro reported o prison because he broke the law and america -- and in america, no one is above the law. not the rich. not the powful. and certainly not associates of the rich and powerful. we in the democratic caucus continue to call on speaker supplemental security bill on the floor for up or down vote. it's critical that we get aid to our allies. is to have an up or down vote on that supplemental security package. we also have a discharge call ot

to put country over party to also sign that discharge petition and have a vote on thay supplemental package. mr. aguilar: thank you. questions. julie? eric? reporter: question on the minis but. from what you reviewed, are you supportive of it? s of that from your point of view. also on ukraine, speaker johnson was talking about the idea of loans for ukraine and also seizing russian asss. of those e sense? mr. aguilar: with respect to the minis but -- first of all, we heard from our delauro and the ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction this morning at caucus. i think many of us are waiting to see the details in the text of these bills. but based on what we have heard from our leadership team and wek

forward to putting up votes to pass this minibus. most importantly, is to make important investments to lower costs that everyday americans face. we staved off the thousands of poison pill riders that the house republicans in the appropriations committee sought to put forward to reproductive freedom, to attack so many vitalgovernment underta, including diversity, equity, and inclusion. those are some of the key wins and priorities as well as investments in child care and investments in our national defense. those are things that the caucus is proud to support and has advocated. the went from proposing cuts of 22% last year, to where weeaks volumes tr

jeffries and rosa delauro and their ability to work to find with respect to ukraine, look, the vice chair said it correctly. our fastest and most help provir ukraine is to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental that the. mitch mcconnell raised specific questions on the timeliness of our help and support if we were to send someth a over the united states senate, it could take them weeks or longer to pa. that's a concern of our caucus. we want to help fund ukraine. we want to ensure that there's package. for innocent palestinians in gaza. those are priorities of the

caucus and we want to implemen. but we will consider -- we will consider options.f' but i think the fastest way and the way that leader jeffries and our leadership team would like us the national security supplemental. reporter: you mentioned some of the wins with regard to the poison pill, the pro-life measures. speaker johnson said the hyde amendment made it in. your to some of these poison pills republicans want to put in. mr. aguilar: some of those are legacy riders at h appropriations bills when democrats were in control, you know, as well. that doesn't mean that i or the vice chair or each members approve of these. these are just, you know, items that have, you know, stood within those bills over time.

!x the important piece is, you know, hundreds and hundreds of riders that republicans put in place in the appropriations committee that we told th committee were never going to become law. but they were there because speaker mccarthy madefor a righs party to put those members on the appropriations committee to advocate for these and those individuals held these bills hostage. until they got the riders that they wanted. we told them that they were going to become law. they did it anyway. thankfully with the leadership of rosa delauro and leader jeffries and our ranking members in appropriations we were able to and so, none of those were able to -- none of those made it across the finish line. i think it's a testament to,knoa little late in this process. later than many of us wanted to. this is exactly the same place

olse republican colleagues we were going to end up. we told them this in committee in june. it's taken them this long. but ultimately we're passing these and that's what's important. reporter: if i could follow up on the ukraine question you said you're going to cons other opti. sounds like speaker johnson is not going to bring this up until you're back from recess in april anyway. is t potential leverage point democrats can use, like humanitarian aid in gaza, something leadership have said they don't want to do, in exchange for using loans for aid? mr. aguilar: the vice chair's comments are still the most timely. that is a bipartisan senate package. 70bers in the senate sent this over. it was not easy. it was not quick. it is the fastest way to help ukraine. some of those other about,

there are some legal, you know, pieces and components that probably need to be worked through. with allies and the administtion. all of that takes time. we want the fastest, most certain path to aid going to ukraine. and just, younow, ask some of those national security republicans who said march 22 was the date that they were looking at. where is[b t leadership, you know, on this. they have been so deferential to speaker johnson throughout this, saying he has a plan or he will have a plan. what they should be doing is putting democracy first,utti advocated before their own, you know,er party leadehip and ideology. this is about our national security and priorities. and that should take precedence over the deference

offering speaker johnson. so that's what we're asking our colleagues. they can sign the discharge petition. they can work with us on other ways to bring this to the floor in a clear and kompt manner. but everything else they've said is juslip service if they're not willing to actually do something to make that happen. reporter: wh doe of this institn that democrats have to put together the votes. this is just the latest thing coming up under suspension. why not let republicans hang out to dry? mr. aguilar: well, because our caucus believes in gover. you know, ultimately, we all wake up and we come here wanting to make people's lives better. wanting to try to find a way to to legislation. to improve people's lives. that's what the democratic caucus does. that's why ted and i are s■obley

this role, to help guide these discussions. because that's just who we are. we aren't interested in scori political points, letting republicans fail at passing bills that are important for our national security or to fund government. we want tofi you know, within that political lens, nick, it's not lost on me that truly his the house but definitely leader of the democratic caucus, probably leader of the congress, is hakeem jeffries. he has the votes. he has the confidence of a significant portion of members. five times we have now funded and we will put votes to fund gt because ours is a group and a caucus that believes in governg. mr. lieu: i agree with everything chairman aguilar said. as you saw what happened this term, the depps were the adults in the room, we put upoñ a

catastrophic default on our nation's debts, to keep the government running. what are republicans doing? stupid literally today, they're holding yet another hearing trying to impeach hundreder biden. with some guy named tony bobolinski. who is that guy? the star witness for the republican was recently indicted by the department of justice for lying about hunter biden and joe biden. reporting is that that star witness met with russiane have g stupid stuff, spreading russian disinformation and democrats are here trying to help american families and trying to make sure r couny mr. aguilar: i think some of us were just surprised. usually republican witnesses get indicted after they testify to congress. they're actually bringing in someone from jail to testify. so it's just an interesting turn of events.

< far -- how do you feel the approach worked out for the fiscal year? what's your thoughts on this c.r. the speaker executed? mr. aguilar: the important thing is that we're gti we're putting these behind us. we're funding government. i do think that this was the laddered approach, somethi the i buses that met that threshold. and then dewe d to do any delays. but we're exactly in the position we knew we were going to end up. we knew■[ democrats, senate democrats, senate republicans, and the white house weren't going to tolerate any significan you harmful

cuts and crazy policy riders. it was only house republicans who insisted on moving forward. with those porities. and so we ended up in the same place that we thought we would. it's a lesson moving into f. 2 our republican colleagues can tune out the crazy and work with us on funding bills on time. and i think we've guinn the thas like. even in divided government. that we can meet the needs of the american people and that's what we should continue to strive■( reporter: there seems to be a split on the republican side about how much time they should have bfn■@efore e minis but, thy have that 72-hour rule. what do you think when you have a big bill, $trillion dollar -- trillion dollars, when the deadline is friday?

mr. aguilar: we'll get the bill and take a look. i think you're asking philosophical questions. every member will make their own decisions, some mens, myself being one of them, have seen a lot of this text. we have not seen the exact dollar am but text over time, er in prior years or in committee work i do on the appropriations committee. so there aren't a lot of surprises within this. but every me can make their own determination on how much time and what process they need in order to get to their final decision.49 you know, ultimately, being in the minority, this is leadership's call. this is republican leader ship's when they bring the bill to the floor. our job is to, no matter the time line, be ready to vote and to of our constituents when we do that. reporter: just as a rank and file member, how much time do you think you need? you say some of

how much time -- speak for yourself, how much time to go throug it? mr. aguilar: mine is a little different. i've sat through committee presentations and hearings specific on the subcommittees i'm in in defense. language over the last few years and sat with witnesses who have helped shape the financial priority, the fiscal priorities that are transportation and the subcommittees i'm on. so my staff and i have spent, you know, a lot of hours on these topics an on these numbers. i think other members, when we used to go throu a process and when we used to have appropriations that worked, and you know, two-minute voteshose i think that can be helpful for remembers. to advocate for their districts. but also to go through the material and go through the detail. i think our final product is so

far removed from what house republicans started and where they -- when they did weren't ag bills to the floor which was very limited, but i leave it to members to make thos on what times. but different pieces. the answer is at different points in time members will get into those details. last summer when these bills came to the floor the ones that did, and through the c.r. process and now you more comple, members will arrive at those decisions. reporter: following senator schumer's statement about israel, there's been some chatter from the republicans about a possible israel standalone aid bill. i was wondering if republican leaders had reached out to you guys about that, and would therr

that bill? mr. aguilar: i read the speaker's comments last week. i don't have anything else to share. he's tried to lit sizing israel aid in the past. we hope we don't goat down that route again. if we are truly interested in helping our democratic allies in ukraine and israel, there needs to be humanitarian assistance associated with the pac have ine national security supplemental. that should be the priority of the speaker. and that should be the priority speaker said, and the leader reflected this, that the house should work its will. he hasn't said the republican conference should work its will. the house should work its will. we're confident that the votes are there for this national securitypl if he was willing to put the bill on the floor, that's what he should do. if he was truly interested in the house working its will.

reporter: i wasñh won years, thn the house democrats was pelosi, hoyer, clyburn. with clyburn moving off, with neguse taking over today, is this the formal end of an -- i't into too much intowhat happens in caucus. i think joe the gus gave anpoke this morning on the contributions of jim clyburn, his cricks to the state of south carolina, to the democratic ca, t he did an amazing job. we all stand on the shoulders of nancy pelosi, steny hoyer, jim are the mount rushmore of

democratic politicians. the fact that we get to benef ir thoughts even today, we don't have -- it's not like picking up the phone and calling someone who has left. they're here. th'rthey're sitting in meetingsh us. they're sharing their expertise and knowledge. it's a benefit to the democratic cauc. every member who gets an opportunity to spend with those leaders. but it particularly, for those of us who are in leadership positions now, it's an learn fr, to listen. many of us have done that. whether ted was on dpcc. iair. we have sat at these leadership tables, been in meetings and heard the dynamics and have seen them lead and learned so so i'm happy that assistant democratic leader neguse was able to share those reflections about mr. clyburn. certain over time there will be other opportunities to

reflect on the leadership that he, nancy pelosi, and hoyer have continued to proo vied to the democratic caucus. i'll tell you, steny hoyer presented today as ranking member of financial services general government. we're not done getting leadership out of him. i think it's a tribute to the caucus and to those individuals. mr. lieu: i want to say, mr. clyburn is a legendary member of caucus who ha provided principled, inspiring leadership to the democratic caucus. he has -- his wisdom and experience are irreplaceable. that's w■hy i'm grateful he'll e back next term, continuing to help steer our caucus and i also want to welcome joe in his new role.. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024]