DPCC Co-Chair Jeffries: Democrats Will Deliver A Better Deal for All Americans

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy & Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on CNBC to discuss A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future – abold, new Democratic economic agenda that was released today. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video.

"What's absolutely critical is that we speak directly in a clear and compelling fashion to the American people, who understand fundamentally that they deserve a better deal, better jobs, better wages and better future. Certainly, in the past, it's been the case for Republicans to speak in headlines [and] we [Democrats] tend to talk in fine print. Fine print is important for the legislative process, that's why Democrats are the party that delivered to the country Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and Dodd Frank. It takes fine print policy details in order to effectuate these important pieces of legislation. In terms of speaking to the American people about the problems we want to confront, we have to do it in a more direct fashion, this is a substantial step in that direction."

"Wage stagnation is a major problem that we have to address in a variety of different ways, including making sure that we don't have monopolies that artificially suppress wages in a manner that hurts the American people. Over the last 40 years, the productivity of the American worker has increased by more than 285 percent, during that same period of time wages have increased by less than 10 percent. [Therefore], the productivity of the American worker in terms of its increase has not gone to the American worker, it's gone to a privileged few [and] to certain corporations. What we are going to take a look at in terms of monopolistic power, you can either believe that it is good for the American consumer or believe that it's not."

"I am not going to look backward, I am going to look forward. What has been proposed is that we redefine the manner in which these mergers are allowed to proceed. These mergers should not take place solely because they are in the best interest of the shareholder class. They should take place if they would promote the best interest of the working class, middle class Americans, as well as average everyday folks. We need a new lens, a new approach [and] a new set of analysis as it relates to these mergers moving forward. It's a forward looking approach. We [should always] evaluate laws on the books to make sure they are working the way that they should and to adapt to the changes that are made in a swiftly changing economy. Many of us, perhaps, would take the position as Senator Schumer did that to allow Exxon and Mobile to merge perhaps is not in the best interest of the consumer over the long term, regardless of the changes that go up or go down as it relates to gas prices. This is a forward looking approach, there are laws that need to be updated for a 21^st century economy and we're looking forward to doing that."

"The people that I represent in Brooklyn and the people here in Berryville do not take that position. They do believe that wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living, with the rate of inflation [and] that wages more fundamentally have not kept up with the aspirations of the American people to provide a better life [and] a better future for their children and for their grandchildren. That's what we're directing our energy toward addressing, that's where the American people want us to be."