CNN Newsroom: Interview With Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Interview
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Well, I serve on the Budget Committee as well, and I think the first wrong direction was the narrative that Speaker McCarthy and his team tried to make early this morning, that they were the David to take on the Goliath.
It's the other way around. I think their narrative was distorted. I think that it was not correct in what had occurred. But there will be a need by the White House to do a deep dive for all of the members of the caucus, from the Progressive Caucus to the other caucuses, the CBC is very pivotal and other caucuses as well. The Hispanic Caucus, the Asian Pacific, and others. There are other caucuses in the Democratic caucus.
It's important that we not get in front of our leadership. Hakeem Jeffries has certainly been in the discussions and is now in the midst of trying to engage all of us, and they're doing an effective job. We'll be in three meetings tomorrow. We're in two or three tonight.
And here's what I think we have to begin to do. We have to see the texts. We have to be the adults in the room because what President Biden did do and he had excellent negotiators is that he avoided a catastrophic default. When Democrats led the raising of the debt ceiling, not having a default three times under President Trump, but yet we had to have this kind of process, which could be called a debacle, this kind of process, because we couldn't get our friends to do the budget, like we always do, and then, of course, do the maintaining of the full faith and credit of the United States.
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So I believe that what we have now just on its face, Jim, is that we saved Medicaid, we expanded social safety net to veterans, to individuals who are homeless, and as well other individuals. That's something very special. We kept the student debt responsibility that we have in helping these thousands and thousands of students, millions of students. And guess what? We didn't decrease or cut. We just maintained 2023 funding for the appropriations process.
There's a lot more. But I'm going to wait for the details. I don't want to see our cities hurt. I don't want to see our rural communities hurt. I don't want to see the vulnerable people of America hurt. But I also want to stand with the president's viewpoint that we have to be responsible members of Congress, the president of the United States, on behalf of the American people.
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Absolutely. But I think that we are now looking at the shallow paper. We're not looking at the text. We haven't taken a deep dive into what that means in terms of impact. And I think it's good when you have questioners, if you will, questioners, who want to make sure that they are protecting the vast number of Americans who fall in the category, if you will, of needing the federal government to be their safety net.
All Americans are contributors to this great country. As we are on the eve of Memorial Day that honors the fallen, their families sometimes left behind, we are free because of them, we have an obligation then to do our duty as we serve the American people. Yes, it's right to critique and look for ways that we can make it better. What is the sad part about it is that you hear Republicans talking about how horrible it is and how they plan to ditch it. That's not responsible.
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I think all the members of the Democratic caucus --
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No, I don't think so. I think that we have the ability to get into the details. I think that in order for this to pass, we need all of us, and we will just see what we get. And as I said, President Biden avoided a catastrophic default and he also put aside some aspects of the budget. We still have the appropriations process, but in any event, I think the more --
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I don't want to get ahead --
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Jim, I don't want to get ahead of the caucus members or caucus leadership. I will say to you that I'm an optimist with a sense of concern. And other members have the same kind of concern. To answer your question, I think that we can get where we need to be. I think it will be tough. I am not going to in any way speak for those who feel particularly agitated about what they have found. I want to be a deep dive on what the impact is.
I left -- I will be leaving my jurisdiction, and all I've said to them is that I want to make sure that the vulnerable are protected. I don't want us to default. So whatever way that we can craft it, but I'm going to respect the criticism and the critique of my colleagues who are looking at this and finding discomfort. I want to find out, are we finally --
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Well --
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I'm a yes to avoid default. I have not seen the texts on what we're dealing with. And I am optimistic that we are at a point where it's not the final door that's closed. I was here for the bailout. And so I've been there to the brink and we saved America. We're going to save America as well.
I also want to say that we're honoring our fallen tomorrow in Houston, Texas, in a big way with my 14th Annual Memorial Day Commemoration at the World War II Commemoration at the Heights Community, at 11 and Heights. I want everyone to come out and I want America to know that in Houston, Texas, the community is honoring our fallen right at the World War II Memorial that has been done by a neighborhood but it's open to all the city to come.
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I owe that to them and I owe our country that will not default to the American people as well.
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Glad to be with you.
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Glad to be with you. Thank you.
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