TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Remarks And Q&A On Republican Appropriations Chaos

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Senate and House Democratic Appropriations Leadership today spoke with reporters about the upcoming Appropriations process. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

Leader Schumer: We're in agreement. We all want to pursue a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process. That's how it's always been done successfully, and we believe that should happen. Remember, the Republicans are making it extremely difficult to do that. One – which Rosa [DeLauro] will talk about – by putting out a budget that is way beyond where everybody is at, but two, by talking about pocket rescissions, impoundment, which would undo anything that we did in the budgets. So we are going to push hard to try and get this done, but make no mistake about it, the Republicans are making it much, much harder.

One final thing. Speaker Johnson shouldn't be skedaddling out of town. He should be sitting here negotiating with us, and instead, because he's so afraid of what people might say about […] Jeffrey Epstein. And so he's not doing his job, and he should get back here and start negotiating, but they're running away.

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Schumer: Thank you. We will take a few questions.

Reporter: Leader Schumer, what are you going to do if the House sends you another partisan CR at the end of September, like they did in March? You voted for something like that in March. Do you have a different approach going forward?

Schumer: Look, the bottom line is, as I said, we are for a bipartisan, bicameral bill. That's what always has been done. The onus is on the Republicans to help us make that happen by having a budget where they can negotiate with their colleagues, Democratic colleagues in the House, and by not doing rescissions, pocket rescissions, impoundment.

You want to answer that Hakeem? Go ahead.

Leader Jeffries: I agree.

Reporter: Leader Schumer, what effect will it have if Republicans send another rescissions package before the end of this Fiscal Year?

Schumer: They shouldn't be doing rescissions, plain and simple. And that just spoils the whole process that we are trying to put together. So we urge them not to do it.

Representative DeLauro: It's unlawful.

Jeffries: Yeah, and these rescissions –

DeLauro: …are unlawful.

Jeffries: These rescissions hurt everyday Americans, and this is consistent with the manner in which Republicans and Donald Trump have governed to date. Their One "Big, Ugly Bill" hurts everyday Americans, rips healthcare away from the American people, steals food from the mouths of hungry children, and all of this was done to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks. This is their approach to governing. Rescissions is just a continuation of that, and it's problematic for a variety of reasons, but the most important reason is that Republicans are actively trying to continue to hurt the American people, and House Democrats and Senate Democrats will continue to stand up for the American people.

Schumer: And one other point. The reason you saw such a large vote, even on the Democratic side, for the MilCon/VA is it undid the DOGE cuts in a bipartisan way. It helped our veterans, who they were cruelly just cutting healthcare and everything else from. And so when they're willing to work with us, we will work with them. But they got to work with us, not go around us.

Yes.

Reporter: Mr. Schumer, what's the threshold that would cause you guys to walk away from this bipartisan process? The Republican Party passed the rescissions bill and made clear that they want to do more?

Schumer: Well, the bottom line is that we are going to continue to pursue this process, but we're asking the Republicans, not asking, we're demanding of the Republicans not to ruin it. Plain and simple.

Reporter: Leader Schumer.

Schumer: Last one.

Reporter: Considering neither of you have endorsed Mamdani, are you considering backing Andrew Cuomo instead, or is there another candidate that you might actually –

Schumer: I'll just say I had a good talk with Mamdani last week, and I look forward to meeting with him in New York.

Thank you, everybody.

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