Chairman Aguilar: One year in, the American people want to know when Donald Trump will finally put their needs first.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference on how one year into Trump's presidency, Americans are worse off and facing record-high costs. You can watch the full press conference here and read the transcript below.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Yesterday marked the first full year of the Trump administration-and it's clear Americans are worse off today with Donald Trump and Republicans' leadership. And while it's nearly impossible to measure all of the damage done by the Trump administration, there are a few new lows we hit as a nation that deserve extra attention. In 2025, American families paid $310 more on groceries and $1,625 more overall, compared to 2024-thanks to Donald Trump's tariffs. On top of that, more than a million people were laid off last year, the most since the 2020 pandemic, making it even harder for Americans to find good-paying jobs to make ends meet. And in their signature legislative accomplishment, what Republicans tout all the time, was the single largest cut to health care in our nation's history-all in order to give corporations already making record profits additional money and permanent tax cuts.

One year in, the American people want to know when Donald Trump will finally put their needs first. And I wish we could say that the worst was behind us, but in Trump's cruel and chaotic administration, they have continued to double and triple down on the policies that are wrecking this economy and hurting hardworking families. Even as Donald Trump focuses his attention on other countries, Republicans here at home have the opportunity to do something. They have an opportunity to lower costs that people face, and they continue to choose not to. Before the Senate right now is an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Millions of families rely on this for their health care and will see their premiums skyrocket, and have seen their premiums skyrocket, as a result of Republican inaction. We won't stop fighting until we get this done. Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Donald Trump has been in office now for a little over a year, and the results are clear. He has made America more expensive, and people are worse off now than they were a year ago. Health care costs are up. Grocery prices are up. Utility costs are up. And what does Donald Trump focus on? Greenland. I am pleased that he did say, at Davos, that he would not use military force to acquire Greenland, and that's because any order from the President to invade Greenland without congressional authorization would be an illegal order.

I also had the opportunity to go to Minnesota for the Democratic hearing on the abuses of ICE. We heard from local law enforcement, we heard from nonprofit organizations, we heard from ordinary Americans, and some of their stories are horrific. ICE has been engaging in what appear to be clear violations of federal law. We heard that there was a detention center where they have an entire section marked, 'U.S. citizens.' That is mind-blowing. ICE enforces immigration laws, not laws against U.S. citizens. And yet, there are numerous stories of U.S. citizens being detained, being abused, being assaulted. And I want to say this: the American people have the First Amendment right to observe ICE operations. The American people have the First Amendment right to peacefully photograph ICE operations. The American people have the First Amendment right to peacefully film and livestream ICE operations. Donald Trump has sent ICE across the country to try to intimidate people and communities and various states, and the people of Minnesota said, no we're not going to take it. We will not yield. We will not bend the knee. And every time ICE engages in what appears to be abuse, more Minnesotans show up. Every time ICE and Border Patrol engage in what appear to be unlawful actions, more Minnesotans show up and observe, film and livestream ICE. And this is so important because the evidence that is being gathered can be used in future years. While this administration might not prosecute ICE officers or Border Patrol officers for violating federal law, a future administration can do so. The statute of limitations for most federal crimes is five years. So, to the people of Minnesota and to people across this country: exercise your First Amendment rights.

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