[tears and applies cheers and applause] ok. Water. Moore, guys . Ok. [applause] we are back [applause] so, that afternoon. Great to be here. I want to thank the good people of berryville for working with everyonewant to thank city andng us to this this beautiful, beautiful spot virginia. Let me pay your high compliment, it looks like part of new york state. Fromtravel new york state upstate rural republican areas like where i was friday to suburban long island, the inner city bronx, i find one thing in common. Average families feel they are being pushed around by large economic forces and are losing that traditional american faith in the future. Too many families in america feel like the rules of the economy are rigged against them. They feel like theyre getting a raw deal and they are right. They are almost powerless to change them. We are here today to tell the people of berryville and the working people of america, someone has your back. [applause] a American Families deserve better deal, so that this country works for everyone again. Not just the elites or special interest. Today, democrats start presenting that better deal to the American People. There used to be a bargain in this country that if you worked rules, youay by the could own a home, afford a car, put your kids through college, take a modest vacation every year, while putting enough away for a comfortable retirement. In the late part of the 20th century, millions of americans achieved this solid middleclass lifestyle. I should know. I grew up son of an exterminator in that america. But things have changed. Todays working americans are justified in having greater doubts about the future than almost any generation. Corporate interests, the super wealthy are allowed to spend unlimited undisclosed amounts of money on campaigns and lobbying so they can protect their special deals in washington. And for too long, government has played along. Tilting the economic Playing Field in favor of the wealthy and powerful, taking the burden off them and putting it on the backs of hardworking americans. The result an economy that has created enormous accumulated wealth for wealth holders while producing less work and less pay for workers. Incomes and wages have flatlined, while everyday costs have skyrocketed. When you lose elections, as we did in 2014 and 2016, you dont flinch, you dont blink. You look in the mirror and ask, what did we do wrong . The number one thing we did wrong is not present a strong, bold, economic agenda to working americans so that their hope for the future might return again. Democrats have too often hesitated from directly and unflinchingly taking on the misguided policies that got us here, so much so that too Many Americans dont know what we stand for. Not after today. President trump campaigned on a populist platform, talking to working people. Thats why he won. But as soon as he got into office, he abandoned them, making alliances with the powerful, special interests, Koch Brothers dominated, hard right ring of the Republican Party, which appeals to the very wealthy, not working people, leaving a vacuum on economic issues. We democrats are going to fill that vacuum. Democrats will show the country we are the party on the side of working people. [applause] sen. Schumer and that we stand for three simple things first, we are going to increase peoples pay. Second, we are going to reduce their everyday expenses. And third, we are going to provide workers the tools they need for the 21st century economy. Simply put, what do democrats stand for . A better deal for working people higher wages, lower costs, and the tools for a 21st century economy. [applause] sen. Schumer over the next several months, democrats will lay out a series of policies that if enacted, will make these three things a reality. We have already proposed creating jobs with a trillion dollar infrastructure plan, raising wages by lifting the minimum wage to 15, and lowering household costs by providing paid family leave and sick leave. [applause] sen. Schumer today we announced three new policies to advance our goals, and in the coming weeks and months you will hear a lot more. Right now, first, right now, there is nothing to stop venture vulture capitalists from egregiously raising the price of lifesaving drugs without justification. We are going to fight for rules to stop Prescription Drug price gouging. And demand that Drug Companies justify price increases to the public. And we are going to push for empowering medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors. Right now, our antitrust laws are designed to allow huge corporations to merge, padding the pockets of investors but sending costs skyrocketing for everything from cable bills and Airline Tickets to food and health care. Nothing bothers average folks more than the cable bill or airline fees that just keeps going up. Because there are so few competitors in the industry, sometimes only one or two. Oldfashioned capitalism has broken down, to the detriment of consumers. Adam smith has lost his way amidst these big corporations. Large corporations, in too many instances, merge for their own interests, so they, not the consumer, can dictate prices, quantity, and quality of goods. We will fight to allow regulators to break up Big Companies if they are hurting consumers and make it harder for companies to merge if it reduces competition. [cheers and applause] and third, right now, millions of unemployed or underemployed people, particularly those without a college degree, could be brought back into the labor force or retrained to secure fulltime, higherpaying work. We propose giving employers, particularly Small Businesses, a large tax credit to retrain workers for unfilled jobs, with a requirement to hire that worker at a good wage once the training is complete. [applause] sen. Schumer this will have particular resonance in smaller cities and rural areas which have experienced an exodus of young people who are not trained for the jobs that are there. In future weeks, we will offer additional ideas for rebuilding modern america fundamentally changing our trade laws to benefit workers, not multinational corporations. We know we are in the minority in both houses of congress. We cannot delude anyone that this congress will begin passing our priorities tomorrow, but we have to start presenting our vision for the countrys future. We must start rallying the American People to support our ideas. This is the start of a new version for the party. One strongly supported by house and senate democrats. As you can see, i am flanked by members of the Democratic Party from both houses, folks from very different states with sometimes differing points of view. The fact that we are standing here together today sends a powerful statement democrats are unified. [applause] sen. Schumer there has been a debate about whether democrats should spend our energy focusing on the diverse Obama Coalition or the bluecollar voter in the heartland who voted for trump. It is a false choice. There does not have to be a division. In fact, there must not be a division. The vision we are laying out unites both coalitions and unifies the Democratic Party. It will have a larger, stronger appeal to americans of all economic levels and political stripes. It will appeal to the young woman who just graduated from college in los angeles, the factory worker in akron who is now only making 11 an hour, and the single mom in buffalo cleaning toilets on minimum wage. The Republican Party seemingly exists to work on behalf of the wealthy and corporate interests, furthering their dream of lower taxes at the very top, fewer consumer protections, unfettered access and influence from the already favored few. But we know what america looks like when those policies rule the day. Prior to the new deal, government sat silently as corporations and wealthy spectators wrecked the economy. Wealthy speculators wrecked the economy. We were beset by panics, recessions, depressions every few decades. It was a time when American Workers were alone against the raging sea of economic forces beyond their control. We democrats are offering a better deal, a phrase that intentionally evokes the new deal, because we can afford to go back, but we cannot afford to go back to those times. The American People deserve an economy that works for them, not for the powerful. A better deal is not just our slogan, it is our mission. Its about reorienting government to work on behalf of people and families. It is not going to be the work of only one congress. It should not be the work of only one party. We welcome any republicans willing to join us on these issues. There is an american imperative and a moral imperative to do what were doing. If that torch, held by the lady in the harbor in the city of which i live, that symbolism and hope for the future, starts flickering, it is a different america that no one will like. Last month i went to a yankees game and i sat where i usually do. [laughter] sen. Schumer we are not completely united. [laughter] sen. Schumer last month, i went to a yankees game and sat where i usually do in the rightfield grandstand. The two people sitting next to me were wearing proud to be deplorable tshirts. They were teamsters from yonkers. We talked the whole game. They were not really sure of donald trump. They did not know what he stood for. Being teamsters, they were well aware of the awful conditions of our roads and were beginning to worry he could not get an infrastructure bill done. But they voted for trump because they thought he might change things. Now they are worried he wont and cant. They are worried that the potholed roads they drive their trucks on will never get fixed, that donald trump was not the change agent or the champion of the working man he claimed to be. We democrats can answer the calls of millions of americans like these folks i sat next to by offering them a better deal. [applause] sen. Schumer now it is my honor to introduce my partner in this great endeavor, someone who has done a great job for many years, my friend for many more years, even than that, nancy pelosi. [applause] rep. Pelosi good afternoon everybody in berryville and clark county and in virginia. And in virginia. It is so wonderful to be here with our colleagues from the house and senate. I see an orioles fan there. I rooted for the orioles before i rooted for the giants. Since we are talking about sports. But we are in virginia, and senator warner makes this point all the time we are on sacred ground. Here we are in a state that produced so many patriots who signed the declaration of independence, and in doing so, established that we were independent and that we would be a democracy. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Its also a state where we finally ended the revolutionary war. Sacred ground. And it is a place that recognizes that to honor the values of our founders, to have our democracy be strong, we must have a strong middle class in our country. The middle class is the backbone of our democracy. It simply is. And so when did the middle class, as the distinguished democratic leader of the senate has said when that stagnation of wages sets in, that is a stagnation also of our community and of the country that we are. So, essential to the success of the middle class is the Financial Stability of americas working families. And essential to that are bigger paychecks to create demand, to inject demand into the economy, to help create jobs, and grow the economy for everyone. This connection between Financial Stability, a strong middle class, and our democracys strength is a very direct one, and i want to recognize that in this great state of virginia. That is why today, democrats are unveiling an ambitious and aggressive new economic agenda and a bold new promise to americas working families. From the heartland, these members are from the heartland, to the suburbs, to the cities, democrats are offering a better deal better jobs, better wages, a Better Future. A better deal is founded on strong values that we share, strong values fueled by fresh ideas. In a house that has been through many months of discussion and engagement with our caucus with the leadership of the dpcc cochairs, representative bustos, representative cicilline, and representative jeffries and with the leadership of the dccc chairman ben ray lujan. I thank them for their leadership in all of this. [applause] from the leaders of the senate who are gathered, you will hear what democrats have heard from the American People across the country. Democrats know a better deal for hardworking men and women demands bigger, braver thinking. To create jobs and raise incomes for American Workers by creating goodpaying jobs for 10 million more americans in the next five years. We have set a goal. To lower the cost of living, as the leader mentioned, for American Families, by taking unprecedented action to lower the cost of Prescription Drugs very, very important and by cracking down on the monopolies that raise costs for our families and hurts competition. To give every american this is three one, create jobs with bigger paychecks, two, to lower the cost of living and third, to give every american the tools to succeed in the 21st century. We want every family in america to know that they and their children have a place, a strong place, in the economy of the 21st century, with massive new commitment to apprenticeships, lifetime learning, paid onthejob training the list goes on. We have the proposal. Today, were on the road. Its so wonderful to be here in berryville. We are on the road, a state as i mentioned earlier, with the rich histories of our founders and the dreams they proposed of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We must honor their commitment to that. Next, democrats will take it on the road. We are on the road here, we started here, and now we will take it on the road to engage in conversation with the American People. This is not just about telling them what were advocating, its about listening to their concerns and how we shape this and refine it as we go forward. The past six months, i agree with the leader, have exposed the toxic special interest priorities at the core of the gop agenda. The American People deserve better. A better deal is exactly what democrats are fighting for to give the economic power back into the hands of the American People. And so, as we go forward, we do so from the origins of our country. With our patriarch, the patriarch of our country, george washington, cautioned as he left office, beware of Political Parties at war with their own government. We dont want to be at war with anyone. We want to reach out in a bipartisan way to rebuild the infrastructure of america, to increase our paychecks, to lower the costs for family, do so in a way that prepares every family to be assured that their children have a place in the economy and the america of the future. [applause] rep. Pelosi with that, im very pleased to yield to the distinguished gentleman from maryland im not sure if he is an orioles fan, he may be a nats fan, thats up to him to decide but sports, of course, is a unifying thing for us. We all forget our differences, or amplify them, when it comes to choosing teams. In any event, a very distinguished gentleman from maryland, the chairman of the senate committee, chris van hollen. [applause] sen. Van hollen thank you, leader pelosi. We are for baseball from the Potomac River to the great city of baltimore. Let me just say to all of you it is great, i will say to my friend, mark warner, for those of you who are marylanders, it is a great sacrifice to across the Potomac River into the state of virginia. Im glad to be here with everybody, especially on this important occasion. I want to thank all of you for joining together to focus on the issues that are top of mind for the American People. How can we get a better deal for hardworking families . How can we get a better deal for Small Businessmen and Small Business women who dont have high priced lobbyists in washington, like the big multinational corporations do . How can we get a better deal for middleclass families and those who are working very hard to join the middle class . In short, how do we get a better deal for america . I want to thank leader schumer and leader pelosi and all the democrats, and all of you, and people we have been hearing from around the country, to bring us together, to focus on that question. Because people need to know not only what were fighting against, they need to know what we are fighting for in the United States congress. [applause] sen. Van hollen and our Democratic Senators and house members have been traveling to every part and every corner of their states and their districts, theyve been listening to the American People from cities to suburbs to rural areas, and were all hearing the same thing. That too Many Americans are feeling squeezed between flat or sinking paychecks on the one hand and rising costs and prices on the other. Too many people are working harder than ever but feel like they are on a treadmill or falling behind. That is what brings us together today. It is not enough to identify the problem, not enough to simply analyze and empathize. We have to put forward bold solutions, and that is exactly what the better deal plan is all about, and we are going to be unveiling the specifics of it, because the American People deserve to hear what we intend to do, not only what we are talking about in general terms. I want to thank everybody who has been part of this effort, which has been the result of listening to the American People, and as we take this plan around the country, we will continue to listen and get feedback. Remember, our goal is to focus on how we answer that question on the minds of the American People how do we get a better deal for america . Im pleased to turn this over to a good friend of mine, a terrific member of congress from new mexico. He heads up the Democratic Congressional campaign committee, ben ray lujan. [applause] mr. Lujan its great to be with everyone today, good afternoon, everyone. To have friends from both sides of the United States capitol from all over america, gathered today at the welcoming of great friends here in Virginia Area senator warner, thank you for bringing us together in berryville as well. Like so many others across the country, my familys story is rooted in hard work and Public Service and each generation doing better than last. On my dads side of the family, my grandfather was a union labor on the manhattan project, my moms dad was a Union Carpenter and soldier who served in world war ii while my grandmother raised the family. My mom worked in a local school district, my father was a Union Ironworker before he entered Public Service. Growing up on our small farm in new mexico, we did not have much money, but my familys journey taught me something important in america, hard work and a good job is all you should need to experience the American Dream. But [applause] mr. Lujan but for that to happen, we must ask ourselves if our economy can still deliver on that original american promise. There is good reason we met here today rather than in washington, d. C. Berryville sits right in the middle of virginias 10th Congressional District. While its early, theres no doubt that this district and so many others are up for grabs in the 2018 midterms. [cheers] mr. Lujan but this wont be easy. And democrats cant take anything for granted. As a matter of fact, we have a lot of work to do. Our nations greatest strength is our people. Honest, hardworking people from all walks of life. We must respect the dignity of every person, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, or no matter who you voted for. Too Many Americans have lost faith in our political system and in the economy. And today were here in berryville to begin to restore that faith, to talk about our plan to grow our economy and to deliver better jobs and wages for all americans and to invest in the skills and tools to build a Better Future. This means having an honest discussion of the challenges families still face across america. Compared to just a few years ago, over half of democrats and swing voters do not feel there is more opportunity for them. Nearly half of those voters say that a sudden 500 expense would be a serious blow to the family budget. Three of every four voters say their incomes are not keeping up with the cost of living. Thats not right. And the American People deserve a better bill. One that puts hardworking Families First again. This means building an economy where people can pursue the dignity of a goodpaying job. It means rewarding the Small Business owner for her hard work and entrepreneurship. It means skill training and investing in the future through apprenticeship programs and Community Colleges, as well as making for your college is more affordable. It also means addressing what isnt working in our economy. We must close the tax loopholes so big corporations pay their fair share, and we must stop big corporations from monopolizing and stifling competition, so consumers get more options at lower cost. We must crack down on those corporations that send jobs overseas. These are commonsense principles and commonsense priorities and these are the things that the American People want us to do. On that small family farm, i will tell you, growing up, mom and dad taught me that no job was too big or too small. And the same holds true in congress. The American People want us to work to get things done. Now we can all agree what we stand for. Lets get it done. Ill tell you what, you have a big treat before you as well today with all our colleagues. One of my favorite u. S. Senators as well, great champion of the working families and farmers across Rural America out of the state of minnesota, senator klobuchar. [applause] sen. Klobuchar thank you so much. It is great to be here with all these strong leaders. Especially thank you, senator warner, for inviting us. I do remember at one point in your former job, Time Magazine declared you the best governor in the country. Is that right . Ive always told him hes welcome in minnesota, where we have 10,000 lakes and plenty of water for him to walk on. It is good to be here. Just yesterday, i was with a family from cambridge, minnesota. It is a little bit like berryville, a place where people work hard just to get ahead. They care about their families, their neighbors. These twin girls i met, one was named maria, one evelyn. They both played softball. One was a pitcher and one the catcher. They were identical twins. But there was one thing that was very different. And that is that one of them found out she had juvenile diabetes. Her mom goes to the doctor, they get all the help, and gradually over the years, the costs have gone up and up and up. For the testing strips, for the insulin area now were in a situation where the cost of insulin has gone up three times over what it was just a few years ago. And that is not something the average American Family can afford. So when one of the girls looked at me and said, will you tell our story, i said, yes i will. Not only that, ive got a group of people that have your back. [applause] sen. Klobuchar so we are talking about that family and we are talking about seniors like kim from plymouth, minnesota, where i grew up. She just retired. She keeps the pen injectors after she uses them. She is a diabetic. Because they have small amounts of insulin left, and she says it is just too precious to throw out. That shouldnt be happening in america. The prices of four out of the top 10 drugs in this country have gone up by 100 over the last 10 years. Now, it might be different if the wages had gone up 100 over the last 10 years. But they have not. So to bring these prices down, we need to raise competition. We have to bring in more generics. And yes, we have to unleash the Bargaining Power of 41 million seniors and let them negotiate less expensive prices under medicare. We must do that. [applause] sen. Klobuchar we need tough enforcement on price gouging and more transparency with price hikes. The American People want to know why they pay more for Prescription Drugs than any country in the world. How can that be, when we have invented so many of these drugs, when we manufacture so many of these drugs . We are sick and tired of paying more than any country in the world, and it has to stop. [applause] sen. Klobuchar and we are seeing this lack of competition all across our economy, whether it is Prescription Drugs, whether it is cable bills, whether it is airfare, or even beer. Right . Were getting serious when that happens. So thats why im the Ranking Member of the antitrust subcommittee. Elizabeth is going to be talking about this in a little bit, but we have to pass a stronger law so that Companies Just cant get away with murder. So that they cant merge and make things worse for the American People, and thats why were going to be introducing a stronger standard under our antitrust laws, so that we can bring competition and lower prices to the people of america. So with that note, i am excited to introduce someone who is also from the midwest, and there has been a lot of talk about baseball. This woman actually plays it. She is a really strong womens softball player on the congressional team. She comes from moline, illinois, where her Congressional District is located, which is the International Headquarters of john deere. Cheri bustos is someone who knows a little bit about the midwest and a lot about our country and how we move forward. Cheri bustos of illinois. [applause] rep. Bustos by the way, senator klobuchar is our playbyplay announcer for our congressional womens softball game. Worth noting. Hello virginia, hello america. Leader pelosi, when you were talking about the orioles hat, i see that, but i also see a dekalb feed hat, and thats my kind of peeps. I am cheri bustos and i represent the 17th district of illinois, 7000 square miles, mostly rural, mostly bluecollar, and all along the mississippi river. So way too many families that i represent understand the economy is not working for them. Some have worked for decades in manufacturing. Only to spend their last days training the replacements who came over from china. And where their last job was to padlock the factory door. Others poured their hearts and souls into main street businesses, only to see the greed of wall street get the better of them. And moms and dads across the heartland, in regions like i represent, worry whether theyll be able to see their grandkids grow up, because their kids have had to move to big towns to get a job. The truth is, across america, there are millions of hardworking men and women who have been left behind. They dont want a handout. And they dont want our sympathy. We all know that. They simply want government and corporations not to work against them. And were here to say, we hear you. We agree with you. And we are ready to present a better deal. In the better deal that we offer, we will restore opportunity by helping 10 million americans get goodpaying, fulltime jobs. We will do that in part in part by doubling our investment in Work Force Training and in apprenticeships. Let me tell you why this is so important. About two years ago, i convened a group of manufacturers. All representing small and midsized companies. And i asked them, how many of you have jobs that you have open that you cant fill . Every single one of them raised their hands. So there are those opportunities. But we know that to be ready for the 21st century jobs, we need to have 21st century skills. And while there are lots of people ready and eager to take those jobs, they dont always know where they can go and get those skills. And you know what . We can solve that problem. One way is by connecting Community Colleges and Technical Schools with local employers. By having employers in the same room as these programs are developed, well create a Skills Pipeline to get our economy back on track. Not with lowpaying, parttime jobs, but with the kind of jobs that hardworking men and women can take home and realize that, i can take my family on vacation again. I can buy that pickup truck that i like to buy every five, six, seven years. And i can buy my kids, not the shoes that they need, but the shoes that they want. We do that by connecting these workers with better skills that lead to better jobs, that lead to better wages. And that in turn will lead to a Better Future for the hardworking families that we all represent. That is our better deal for america. Bringing back home hope, bringing back hope, restoring trust, and i know folks behind me know, too, that we can do it. Thank you very much. [applause] rep. Bustos it is my distinct pleasure to elect somebody that probably each and every one of you know a little about, senator elizabeth warren. [applause] [cheers] sen. Warren hello, hey. Hello virginia. Hello berryville. So we know why were here today. Were here today because the economy is broken. Today, a tiny sliver of wealthy individuals and giant corporations hold the majority of this nations wealth, while working families are struggling more and more just to make it daytoday. Americans know that this economy is rigged. Rigged in favor of the billionaires and giant corporations and rigged against everyone else. And its not hard to see how this happens. In industry after industry, a handful of corporations have seized power in this country. Since the 2000s, the number of major u. S. Airlines has dropped from nine to four. The four giants left standing now have nearly 80 of all airline seats. Two giant corporations sell more than 70 of all of the beer in america. Five Health Insurance giants now own more than 80 of the countrys Health Insurance market. Three giant drugstore chains suck in 99 of all pharmacy revenues in this country. Four giant companies now run more than 80 of americas beef markets. And the list goes on. This kind of concentration matters. It matters because giant corporations crush competition. They shut out small rivals and they kill young startups. This matters. Because giant corporations jack up prices and cut corners on quality. This matters because giant corporations put the squeeze on wages. As profits have gone up, wages for American Workers have gone down. And this matters, because many giant corporations dont win in marketplaces because theyre better, they win because they are big. And most of all, this matters because giant corporations can swing their weight around washington, accumulating massive political power. The kind of power that can capture our government and rig the system even more in their favor. Corporate influence over our government has gotten worse under the trump administration. Far worse. President trump has stacked his administration with a whos who of bigtime lobbyists, wall street bankers, and corporate executives. Now, america has faced this problem before, more than a century ago, when railroads and steel mills and Oil Companies grew to monopoly size. Congress passed antitrust laws and broke up those powerful corporations, and competition flourished in this country. But for decades now, government has slacked off enforcement of those laws. And the result has been bigger and bigger corporations with more and more power. Democrats are ready to take this challenge head on. Thats why were here. [applause] sen. Warren head on. [applause] sen. Warren and that starts that starts with leveling the Playing Field to make the economy and our political system work for working families. Thats why were here. [applause] sen. Warren so today lets be specific democrats propose new policies to bust monopolies and restore competition in our markets. We want stronger enforcement of antitrust laws, you bet we do. We want tougher rules against anticompetitive mergers. Tougher rules to tackle the problem of control over data. Tougher rules on postmerger review. And we want a consumer competition advocate to make sure that someone besides the giant corporations get heard in washington. [applause] sen. Warren now, make no mistake. These are promarket changes, the kinds that Teddy Roosevelt advocated when he broke up the big trusts. The kind that anyone who believes in competitive markets, democrats or republicans, should be able to agree on. Because they would make our markets healthier and more competitive. Lets face it. America is getting richer every year. But for working families to get a share of that prosperity that theyre creating, we need some serious enforcement of competition laws. This is one step that democrats are offering to take back our government, and its a darn good step. Thank you. [applause] sen. Warren thank you. And now i have the honor of introducing my friend and someone who is a warrior on behalf of working people, david cicilline. Come on up, david. Rep. Cicilline although senator warner and i were both surprised to hear all these sports references and no mention of the World Champion new England Patriots or the Boston Red Sox but i am delighted to be here with all of my colleagues and with all of you. And think the residents of berryville for welcoming us. If theres one word that sums up our agenda, its spelled job. As you all know, a job is more than just a paycheck. Its about knowing that hard work is honored and valued. Its about being treated with dignity and respect the dignity and respect every single human being deserves. It is about knowing you can take care of yourself and your family. When i was growing up in rhode island, folks knew if they worked hard and played by the rules, life would be ok. They could buy a home, they could give their kids a better life than they had. They could save for a secure retirement with dignity and peace. But like many places around our country, thats not how it works anymore. The factories and textile mills that once gave my constituents the promise of a Better Future have been closed for decades. Wages havent kept pace with inflation, and its harder than ever to get ahead. People in my state and across the country feel the system is rigged against them. And you know what . It is. Our tax code rewards companies that ship jobs overseas. Millionaires and billionaires dont pay their fair share. Pensions are gone. Medicare is under attack. And while corporate special interests are doing better than ever, everyday people are working two or even three jobs just to get by. It doesnt have to be this way. And when we take back congress a year from now, its not going to be this way. [applause] rep. Cicilline were going to help 10 million americans find goodpaying, fulltime jobs. Under our plan, a better deal, america will once again value honest hard work by investing in the American Worker. Were going to address the economic challenges and anxiety that folks are feeling in my district and across this country. It starts with an aggressive, bold plan to rebuild and modernize our transportation infrastructure. Washington has ignored this problem for too long. Our roads, bridges, and airports were once the envy of the world. Thats not the case anymore. A better deal means we will love folks across america back to work in good paying jobs, fixing bridges, roads, Transportation Networks so they can be the best in the world again. It is time for us to think big. We built the transcontinental railroad. We built the interstate highway system. And under our plan, millions of americans will find work building a new Transportation Network thats second to none. Next, we are going to invest in building a new manufacturing economy. We are going to make things again in america. Manufacturing jobs have always offered the promise of a Better Future. Technology has advanced or were the years, but these are the jobs that have always been essential in building the middle class. We will double apprenticeships. We will create tax credits for employers to train their workers and pay a living wage. We will work with the private sector, schools and Technical Training programs to build a network of opportunities for millions of americans. Finally, we will make sure working families are valued in america, that moms and dads can earn a living wage and still have the time to help with homework or care for a sick child. That means fair work schedules, paid family leave, policies that support working families. In the weeks ahead, we will have more to say about these policies and what we are going to do to get this work done on behalf of the American People. The American People in virginia and everywhere in the country deserve a government that is working for them. Americans have earned the right to send their kids to excellent schools, live in safe communities, have health care that protects them, and to live and retire with dignity. This agenda will make that happen. The American People have had enough broken promises to last a lifetime. Were going to deliver real results. Were going to give them a better deal, better jobs, better wages, and a Better Future. [applause] rep. Cicilline and it is now my great pleasure to introduce our host, someone you know well, the extraordinary senator warner. [applause] [cheers] sen. Warner hello, berryville. Hello, clarke county. Hello frederick county. Winchester welcome, all of you. Welcome to the commonwealth of the state, welcome to the commonwealth of virginia. [cheers] high yet . R anybody i will be brief. Amy, echoing what you have said, i got a daughter with type one juvenile diabetes. I have seen those rising costs. Frankly, we do deserve a better deal in terms of Prescription Drug prices. We are here talking about what we are going to try to do as democrats in washington. But the truth is, in virginia we never take any time off. We have very important state elections this year, and we have got to great candidates for the house of delegates, wendy and tia right down here in the front. [applause] [cheers] sen. Warner and lets make sure we elect Ralph Northam as our next governor. Go ralph. [applause] sen. Warner sometimes politics feels like it is caught in the past, and the debate in washington feels tired and stale sometimes. What we are trying to offer is a better deal that recognizes a lot the challenges we face in America Today are no longer left versus right or liberal versus conservative, but it is future versus past. The Democratic Party has always been at its best when we have been futureleaning. The nature of everything is changing. Automation and technology are dramatically transforming our workforce. My dad worked for the same company for 38 years. He never made a lot of money, but he had the security of a job and a set of benefits that allowed him to, in good times and bad, get through. The truth is, in 2017, virtually no one is going to work the same job for 35 years. So we have to have an Education System and a Training System that realizes if you want to be a lifelong employee, youve got to be a lifelong learner. So let me just give you two quick ideas. First, why dont we have a tax code that would give the same kind of tax credit for those investments in r d, for people who will invest in Human Capital . A tax credit that says, we will train and continue to upskill a workforce throughout their whole career, to make sure people can stay employed as they move from job to job. A second thing lets acknowledge candidly not Everybody Needs to go to a fouryear college. The truth is, we have right now in virginia 17,000 jobs in cyber security, half of which dont even need a fouryear degree. So what we want to do through new partnerships let me get some water listening to so many politicians makes me dry. [laughter] sen. Warner we need to have a partnership with Community Colleges and apprenticeship programs, recognizing that we have got to have skills that would meet the jobs of the future. 17,000 unfilled cyber jobs, starting salary 88,000 apiece, half of them dont need a four year degree. How we lean into this new economy, this new future, is what this better deal is all about. We are going to have an opportunity over the coming weeks to lay out more ideas, to continue to frame this as not the old politics of the past, but a bold democratic agenda that leads into the future. One of those great leaders who are leading us into the future is the cleanup hitter of this group, the great congressman from the city of new york, Hakeem Jeffries. [applause] rep. Jeffries good afternoon. I thank the great senator from the commonwealth of virginia for his tremendous leadership. [applause] i am Hakeem Jeffries and im from a small town of north, brooklyn, new york. But whether you are from brooklyn or berryville, the zip codes may be different, but the issues are largely the same. We all understand that the American People deserve a better deal, better jobs, better wages, and a Better Future. [applause] rep. Jeffries over the last 40 years, the productivity of the American Worker has increased by more than 285 , but during that same period of time, wages have increased by less than 10 . The productivity gains of the American Worker have not gone to the American Worker. Instead, they have gone to the privileged few, to the wealthy, and to the well off, to the special interests. The American People deserve a better deal. [applause] rep. Jeffries the American Dream has always been about if you work hard and play by the rules, you can be rewarded. But for far too Many Americans, that fundamental contract has been broken. Working families, middle class folks, senior citizens, the poor, the sick, the afflicted, people in urban america, suburban america, and merle america increasingly left behind by an economy that works for the privileged few and not for all americans. We deserve a better deal. [applause] rep. Jeffries for far too Many Americans, wages have failed to keep up with the rate of inflation. For far too Many Americans, wages have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living. For far too Many Americans, wages have failed to keep up with our collective aspiration to provide a Better Future for our children and for our grandchildren. The American People deserve a better deal. Democrats will work hard to aggressively tackle the persistent problem of wage stagnation. We will use the tax code, not to benefit the wealthy and the welloff, but to incentivize and encourage Small Businesses and corporations to raise the wages and increase the pay of the American Worker. We will break up monopolies that artificially suppress wages and keep the pay low of the American Worker. And we will raise the minimum wage to 15 per hour and make sure that every single american can have a living wage, a living wage that will provide them with the opportunity to raise their families in a comfortable fashion. Democrats will invest in education and job training, invest in transportation and infrastructure, invest in research and development, invest in technology and innovation, and invest in the American People. We will not rest until every single american across this great land has a better deal, better jobs, better wages, and a Better Future. God bless the United States of america. I yield to leader schumer and leader pelosi. [applause] sen. Schumer we are ready for some questions. We will take a few. Senator schumer, 10 years ago you wrote a book in which you talked about the Democratic Party appealing to the middle class. But the appeal of the book was not strictly on economic issues. You talk about a 50 reduction in abortions and 50 reduction in illegal immigration. How has your point of view changed over time and why are you not addressing those issues . Sen. Schumer i will tell you the good news and bad news about my book. The good news is that Newt Gingrich of all people said if democrats followed schumers book, they would be the Majority Party for generations. The bad news about my book is that no one bought it and i have plenty of free copies for anybody who wants it. [laughter] schumer we are focused on economic issues. We think that is what the American People are most yearning about. That does not mean we wont in future months discuss other issues, but the focus starts on economic issues. That is where the American People are hurting. That is what we most felt was missing in the past and the last several elections, and we all take some of the blame of that. I certainly do. We got to get the focus on economics, number one. Rep. Pelosi this has been a product of listening and listening and listening to the American People. Listening to our colleagues, the American People in the heartland of america, across america, the economic insecurity, the financial instability of americas families is undermining their future, our democracy, and thats why this focus is on the economy. Sen. Schumer what the American People are yearning for. Yes. I agree the economy is in terrible shape, but the Financial System is doing very well in terms of profit. I wonder why you dont go behind glasssteagall in a major way. It was Franklin Roosevelts first piece of legislation. We are on the verge of a blowout that makes 2008 look minor. Why dont we enact glasssteagall . Sen. Schumer we are going to talk about some of the issues dealing with wall street and a shorttermism and all these things in future months. Today we unveil these three issues. Press people first, if i could. [inaudible] sen. Schumer well, we welcome our republican colleagues joining us. We welcome them with open arms. You take an issue that we talked about that elizabeth focused on, adam smith economics said we shouldnt have three or four Big Companies dominating. Thats classic republicanism. We would welcome them joining us. Here is the problem. Their party has so been taken over by the wealthy, powerful, koch brotherled special interests that many of them who would agree with us are afraid to even join us, but we hope, as a better deal resonates around america and they see that their path free up corporations, cut their taxes, get rid of the protections to consumers and workers and the environment fails, they may come join us. That is our hope. [applause] do you go to them or wait for them to come to you . Rep. Pelosi let me say on that score, we have had overtures made to and fro on the subject of rebuilding america, on investing in the infrastructure of our country. It has never been a partisan issue. We have always worked together. That is, until they blocked what president obama was trying to do in that regard. But we are not in a place of blocking. We are in a place of working together. I said earlier about president washington, he cautioned against Political Parties at war with their own government. Does that sound familiar . With the deconstruction of government that the republicans are advocating, and part of that is to undermine our investments in the future. But we are hopeful and optimistic. We always extend the hand of friendship. [inaudible] shares as well. The extent to which this is sort of the political message going into 2018 for democrat incumbents and people who might be running. Sen. Schumer i will call on two Campaign Chairs, but this is not just for 2018. We are going to question is, will this help our 2018 candidates when they run . This is not simply aimed at 2018. This is what we feel america needs. And you will find in the house and in the senate, we will be offering amendments, we will be having lots of different kinds to spread the word, because this is what we think america needs. Now, if our republicans dont come around and help us, as nancy mentioned, yeah, i think this will hurt them. Their being against things like this will hurt them in 2018, but that is not our focus at all. One of our Campaign Chairs all across the country when we are visiting with constituents and you heard it here today voters, constituents want us to focus on them. They want us to understand where they are and they want us to understand that their wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. The more people that are able to have that conversation with the American People will be in a stronger place in 2018. But today is about making sure that the entire country is doing better, not just now but through 2018 and beyond. That is the conversation were having with the American People and that is what we will continue to hear day in and day out. [applause] let me emphasize, this is the result of people traveling to every part of their states and districts, listening to our fellow americans, and responding to the things that they say are most important to them. Also responding to the people who say, ok, you guys always talk about this stuff, but what are you actually going to do about it . I said earlier, it is not enough to empathize or sympathize or analyze you have got to do something about it. You have got to tell the American People if you support our candidates, here is what we will do. This is a response to the cries we are hearing from the american public, and we think that people are crying out for what we call a better deal for america. Sen. Schumer thank you, everybody, thank you for being here. Rep. Pelosi i just want to say one more thing because i have been quoting president s and honoring the founders of our country. President lincoln said, public sentiment is everything. He said with it you can accomplish everything and without it practically nothing. What we want to do with this is accomplished something for the American People. If the republicans join us, all the better. If they have some good ideas, all the better. But the fact is, we cant wait for them. As we convey this message to the American People, listen to how they experience their concerns and what they want to hear as we create jobs, lower costs, and have a Brighter Future for people. Remember, this isnt a political mission, although it will have a political benefit, maybe. But hopefully the republicans will join us, as they understand when the public knows, they hold Elections Officials accountable. Public sentiment is everything abraham lincoln. Thank you, virginia. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, berryville. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] how are you doing . Good to see you. Yes, i know. Conversation] announcer the chair joins fellow commissioners to testify on operations that the fcc. They testify before a house subcommittee live at 10 00 a. M. On cspan2. On cspan3, a house panel gets an update on voter security technology. Live coverage from the fcc subcommittee starting at 10 00 a. M. Eastern. President trump with a rally tonight at youngs, ohio, that is live at 7 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan3. You can also watch live or radio using the cspan app. Washington journal is next. We will look at the news, including todays Senate Health care vote and take your calls. At 10 00 a. M. Ack eastern. In the afternoon, a bill on russia, north korea, and iranian sanctions comes to the floor. Coming up, we talked to a congressman about the Opioid Epidemic and then we talk about the new sanctions on russia for their role in need 2016 campaign. Later, David Hawkins of rollcall talking host good morning. It is tuesday, july 25. A key vote is expected today in the republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care act. It will seek arizona senator john mccain back on capitol hill since the announcement of his brain cancer diagnosis. In the meantime, Jared Kushner will talk behind closed doors to house investigators about russian interference into the 2016 collection. We will talk about it this morning on the washington journal. But we begin today in the wake of the National Address last night from President Trump at the Boy Scout Camp in west virginia. It is being criticized by