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Some of the messaging from President Biden last night and also was talking about women in particular. That is something that we heard from the incumbent president on the issue of diversity, not just for women, but all kinds of demographics across America.
In America where the fund amount created this nation that all of us are created equal, it's still very much alive and abroad. Coalition of Americas joined with me. Eighty one million voters voted for us day time in all of history. Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in twenty twenty to save democracy.
As your President, I've been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back, to stand against Hayden violence in all its forms, to be a nation where we not only live with, but thrive on diversity, demonize you know, one, lead you know behind, and becoming a nation that we profess to be.
For more on that message and this convention as a whole. We're joined now by Congressman Catherine Clark of Massachusetts, the House Minority, which he's here with us in our studios in Chicago. Congressman, thank you so much for being.
Here my pleasure.
Of course. We heard the President last night referring to diversity, talking as we heard many about the big tent in the Democratic Party. It is literally your job in the House to bring all those diverse forces together to be singing the same song. Can you just walk us through what it was like within the membership of the House to line everybody up behind what is now the Harris campaign, not the Biden campaign.
I have to say, out of all the tasks I've had as a whip in the House for the Democratic Party, this was perhaps the easiest. People immediately gravitated to Kamala Harris and saw her as our standard bearer for all the things that we have worked on with her as Vice president and her vision for the future. So whether that's lowering costs, whether it is growing the middle class, protecting our fundamental freedoms like reproductive freedom, Kamala Harris has
been our partner. And that was truly just almost instantaneous, that movement from President Joe Biden to her candidacy, because we knew she was the candidate for the moment.
It's a very delicate thing we're witnessing, though, and witnessed last night to see Joe Biden talking to the delegates there. I know it went very late into the evening, but the people in the room weren't concerned about the time. Obviously it had a rally feel to it, but there was a bittersweet emotional feel to this. It happens so fast. Congresswoman, how does he feel when you talk to him? What kind of emotions was he experiencing?
You know, I think we saw it on display, a true pride. And what has always been a hallmark for Joe Biden is his gratitude to be able to serve. What an incredible quality in a politician and a leader, and it is what has made him a transformative president, that idea that there is a bigger calling here, that the American people are always at the center of his work, and it's at the center of this extremely patriotic decision.
And so last night he deserved every minute of those accolades from the crowd, that genuine affection for him, respect for the job and his service. And we look across the aisle at Donald Trump and you see the exact opposite. He says, Democrats state it's in one eighty because he cannot fathom giving up power for something bigger than himself.
That is where Donald Trump is. It is always about how he will benefit, not how the American people will, not how the Democratic Party that is based on values will. So I'm sure he is wrestling with this moment, calling it a coup because he cannot understand it, because he could never do what Joe Biden did well.
Joe Biden has suggested his decision wasn't even as much about his ability to defeat Donald Trump, but instead the impact he could have, perhaps detrimentally on House and Senate races and the ability for other Democrats to win. What has changed for the Democrats' odds of retaking the majority in the House since Harris assumed her role as the Democratic nominee. How many seats realistically do you think you can pick up?
You know, I have always been bullish on the Democrats retaking the House because what we've seen are do nothing at best and real extremism that the American people are rejecting. And so what we're seeing is this incredible energy and momentum that we are going to turn into action and in real time that is meaningful. Our candidates have seen a surge in volunteers of small first time donors. When you get that ten fifteen to twenty dollars donation, that's a vote, that.
Is a boat of translate into ten fifteen extra seats in the House.
Though well, we certainly hope so. But my number is the whip and I like to keep tagging the numbers is to eighteen. That's our goal to win that majority and be able to bring the voices of everyday people back into the process. We have seen from the GOP is this complete focus on their own power, their own civil war that they're engaging in, and the American people
feel like they're outside looking in. When we've continued to work with the Biden Harris administration to bring down the costs of healthcare, cap insulin at thirty five dollars a month, take on big pharma and say it is time that people be able to afford their life saving medication. Make those investments in climate change that also are great for the economy, and all of that work was done and
brought down our deficit at the same time. These are the kind of investments that we are going to build upon and continue to help families meet the very real challenges they're facing still in this economy with Kamala Harris.
The issue of Israel and it's war against Tomas has been obviously a big one in this campaign in the primary cycle, and it's brought some fissures to the Democratic conference in the House. We've got tens of thousands of protesters here in Chicago that have been part of the story. You've also got a couple dozen delegates who are not committed for this reason, Important congresswomen, will it be for the Biden administration, the Biden Harris administration to strike a ceasefire deal this week?
You know, it is all hands on deck and they are working so hard to make sure that we end this war, that we have a cease fire, that we can bring those hostages home, and that we can surge aid to Palestinian civilians who, through no fault of their own, have suffered horrendously and continue to suffer. So we appreciate that there are protesters here, that's part of the democratic process. We respect their right to be here, and we hope
that remains peaceful. But it is the goal of the Democratic Party to bring peace and security not only to Israel, but to the region.
And of course we know those conversations are ongoing. We'll still wait to hear more from Hamass to whether or not it will agree. I'm also curious the conversations you're having related to your everyday job in Washington. Obviously still on the August recess, but when you come back in September, it's going to be a race against the clock to
avoid a government shutdown. Are you in conversations already with leadership and Republican leadership about how that's going to be avoided when you return to Washington in a few weeks, What exactly are you going to have to whip.
You know, I'm so glad you brought that out because one thing we realized from the very start, when we were in the fifteen rounds of Kevin McCarthy be trying to become a speaker, that we are in the minorities. So we have reached our hand out to them at every turn to say, work with us, help us prevent shutdowns, help us get to a budget process that matters. And what we have seen from them is a rejection of that and a move to try and coddle the most
extreme members of their extreme party. And so it is really like such a basic fundamental job and response on's ability of the House of Representatives to pass our budgets, and they have utterly failed to do that. So once again, it will be Democrats, as we have done repeatedly, who will keep government functioning, who will come to the table forge a compromise. Because we work for the American people. They are working to try and hold their own coalitions together,
and that's the fundamental difference. We're seeing it play out around reproductive freedom for women. We're seeing it play out and bringing down the cost of groceries and housing, these issues that I hear about as I not only travel my district but travel the country. That is what people are worried about. That is what they want to see in Congress. It's why we're going to win the majority back.
Meet us back in Washington so we can continue this conversation. Congressoman, it's great to see you. Love to thanks for the Times Today on Zoomberg TV and Radio.