through many years of legislative experience to stop the majority bill in the house. that constant struggle between the but one - - majority and minority and the two parties in congress and republicans and democrats is the essence of democratic lawmaking and assures that every bill is made into a law is subjected to the most vigorous examination and debate . >> house speaker pelosi held a news conference called hr number one with a number of provisions including requiring presidential candidates to release tax returns. this is half an hour. [inaudible conversations] . . . .

morning everyone. thank you for being here. i'm honored to be here. i want to acknowledge the work in leadership of him for over the years. [applause] he developed an initiative, gathered steam across the country on candidates across the country. signed a letter saying they want hr one to be one of the first orders of business of this new congress.

we're joined by the chair of the judiciary committee. has administration committee. the chair of the democracy reform task force. congressman david, a champion on this for a decade. and veronica, on a, of the freshman class. the transformative, beautiful energetic freshman class. energizing the congress. yesterday, we made history. again, swearing in transformative freshman class when they took the oath, they made a difference. today, guided by our new members and american people that they represent, or that we all represent, we are introducing hr

one to hold legislation to clean up corruption and restore integrity to government. [applause] we put power back into the hands of the people. what's important about this, for the people we talked about healthcare cost and prescription drugs, people with pre-existing conditions. we talked about lowering, increasing. increasing paycheck, building infrastructure. we give people confidence that this could happen in a way that when the people interest, not special interest because of hr one. it's important for what it does, it's important for the confidence to give people. their voices and concerns. are heard.

that's what people are facing, for their agenda. so my champions of democracy, representing representations for a long time. we'll hear more about it but many features, one of them is about setting us up to the voting rights act. it will not be a part of the first because we have to build the constitutional record to do that. we will do that in short order. then we will have the complete hr one task by the house of representatives with the knowledge transparency that the american people will know that this is an option that the house is given. the senate of the united states and present of the united states.

to take action in support of the american people. with that, i'm pleased to yield to our champion and integrity of government. [applause] >> good morning everybody. thank you speaker pelosi, thank you for your leadership and commitment. giving the american people there voice back. last year, when canada was out campaigning to their constituents, new candidates running for election. we heard loud and clear from the american people that they feel left out and walked out too often from their own democracy. want us to fight the culture of corruption. they want us to clean up washington. give them there voice back. they want to be able to get to the ballot box without having to run an obstacle course. they want to be easy, not hard to register and vote in america.

hr one will address that concern. they want to make sure that when people come to washington to serve, whether in a legislative branch or executive branch, or the member of the judiciary, they behave themselves. they abide by ethics, they have integrity. the open and transparent. hr1 addresses ethical responsibility. riley, they kept saying to us over and over, don't get tangled up in the money. we all want special interests and people to write big checks to govern our democracy to determine what the legislator will look like. we want the people priority to be reflected. we have to fight back against special interest and big money. hr1 does that. we carried a message of reform. fighting corruption, cleaning out washington made a promise to the american people.

the new members will come, made the promise and made it clear they want to be the first order of business. hr1 is delivering on that promise back to the american people. telling them in return for you giving us the gavel, we are going to do everything we can, every single day to give you their democracy back and make sure this truly is a government of, by and for the people. thank you for being here today. [applause] it's my privilege, someone who's been a fighter for democracy talks about fighting for the soul of our democracy every day. the new chairman of the oversight and government reform committee, elisha. [cheering] >> thank you. i want to thank you for putting your blood, sweat and tears in this effort. you have been spectacular.

i want to speak, i want to thank speaker pelosi for your leadership with regard to this historic package. the midterm elections work monumental and historic. the american people gave congress a mandate to finally start conducting wettable oversight and reforms. over the last two years, president trump set the tone from the top of his administration that behaving ethically and complying with the law is optional. ladies and gentlemen, i want to say we are better than that. [applause] it's not optional. we have seen gross abuses from agency, administrative's got in

former interior secretary, brian sinking. this is why we are introducing the for the people act. this includes a number of reforms that will strengthen our accountability for the executive rant officials including the president. here is what we are focusing on an hour oversight. requiring the president to expose, financial interests as soon as he takes office. prohibiting executive branch officials from lobbying their own agencies for two years after they leave. for here prohibiting officers from going to work from companies that would go to at least two years after they leave. strengthening the government's efforts watchdog, the office of

government ethics and making it more independent. making any waivers, any waivers from them available to the american people. senior government officials to disclose political contributio contributions, they receive before turning the government. i'm looking forward to the hearings on hr1 and now it gives me great honor and pleasure and privilege to introduce my great colleague and a fighter for all of these issues to distinguish chairman, newly minted chairman of the judiciary committee. [applause] >> thank you very much. let me begin by thanking him for his leadership role over a long period of time, putting this agenda together.

the new leadership of the house, speaker pelosi and majority leader. they have been great supporters and rally years for this agenda for a long time. i am proud to be joining my colleagues today. the relation to restore the american people. the overwhelming influence of money and special interest is a cancer democracy that must be removed. otherwise, you risk the oligarchy. so many other republics before us, indeed many americans will believe that they are, their elected leaders don't care about them. the money and prioritizing interest of the monies class. they believe their participation, their voices cannot count against the power of big money and the experience shows they are right. for example, most of americans, including most gun owners

firearms relations, they continue to hear about mass shootings yet after each tragedy, republican-controlled congress excuse to act. it remains true that more than 33000 americans lose their lives to gun violence every year. the gun related murder rate in the united states is 25 times higher 25 times higher than 22 other high income countries. despite near universal support for american, the republican congress does not even have a hearing on the issue. disproportionate clinically influence of the national rifle association. americans overwhelmingly support prescription drug prices. the pharmaceutical industry and army of lobbyists successfully manage this any real reform. sadly, this pattern repeats itself and policy area after

policy area gun protection that include clean air and water to the integrity of financial system. very real danger now is special interest will be able to use it in concentrated wealth to further dictate policy outcomes with the american people's wishes. with out hr1, democracy will find itself more and more large money interest. if we don't pass this, the history of books and eventually say that like the roman republic, united states 200 -- 250 democracy year. didn't write into an oligarchy like all the rest. we must not let that happen. we must pass this legislation. the government of the people remains of the people. [applause] now, in part to introduce one of the people who has perhaps had

the greatest role in making sure the government is of, by and for the people. our great leader and legislative leader, representative john. [cheering] [cheering and applauding] >> thank you, mr. chairman. for the kind words of introduction. thank you, john. i'm not giving up. we're not giving in but keeping it faith and keeping your eyes on the prize. [applause] the last two years have made it clear that our forces and millions of dollars for the

people of this country. within the last election, the people spoke and they spoke force in the continue. they use the power for the vote to create a more diverse and progressive, more outspoken house than ever before. [applause] i said on many occasions, the vote is the most powerful nonviolent instrument of transformation we have in our democracy. we have in a democratic society. the foundation of our system, it must be strengthened and preserved. there are forces trying to make it harder and more difficult but people can participate and we must.

we must risen our democracy. democrats want to put our back in the heart of the people. we have introduced hr1. the registration mandate, nationwide, not just in some states but nationwide. we must get there and we will get there as democrats. we will get there as citizens of this great country. we restore photo rights to citizens who pay their debt to society. i believe in my heart and my soul, the way votes in georgia and florida in public state,

over the last election. there was never, this will never happen again. never again. [cheering and applauding] will make it illegal. it will also offer federal resources to state around our country. it is keeping the water rights from 1965. some of us gave a little blood on the bridge. we don't want to give anymore blood but we have folks. we must use our votes. powerful instrument to change things. we demonstrate that this house is for the people and we will choose to stand for injustice, every time.

it's the right thing to do and we will do it. [cheering and applauding] it is my great pleasure to present a fighter, a warrior from the great state of california, a member of the judiciary committee. [applause] >> first, i want to reiterate the things that we'll have for representative as, pressing forward never giving up. also for our freshman class for responding and saying this has to be a priority. i look out in this audience and see people who have been working for friends, others working for reform for decades and we are on

the cusp of getting some inordinately important things done. i want to talk a bit about partisan redistricting. across the united states, we can see majority voters voting for one party but it doesn't reflect the actual result in the end. because of partisan redistricting. we've had bills to require nonpartisan redistricting, modeled after the california effort. i'm not the only person who worked on it. i see alan is here and julia who had bills and john was no longer a member in -- we made these efforts but now we are in a position to actually move this forward. because of these partisan districts, politicians are choosing their voters instead of

voters choosing their politicians. that has to stop. we have this bill that will use the voting rights act principles as a guide for how these districts need to be drawn but there will be no opportunity for the citizens to know the party registration in the areas their districting to know where the income income it's live. it's going to be by the book, fair districts so that voters have a fair chance to elect congress of their choice. it's my hope that these commissions that will fully reflect the diversity of their state and function of fully transparent, nonpartisan matter will completely transform politics in the united states. i want it done by the time we have the next congressional election. [applause] with that, before the people act

can deliver the change with campaign finance reform, transparency, voting rights and redistricting reform, we have someone here has worked on so many of these items for so many years, not only as a member of congress but as a distinguished professor of political science. i like to introduce him next, representative david price. [applause] >> thank you. i want to thank my colleagues and all of you for being here this morning for your interest in what we are undertaking. it is a moment momentous undertaking as my colleagues have said. we're talking about here is basic to everything else. political reform, comprehensive political reform. i as a representative, have a special reason. we are ground zero in so many of

these issues. special reason to understand how important this is. this is a once in a generation blueprint. for reforming our democratic system, diminishing the influence of big money in american politics, special interests and restoring power to our people. represents the commitment of the house of democratic caucus. deliver on the promises we make to ensure integrity and accountability and transparency to our democracy. i have spent the better part of my career in congress on the issues addressed in this bill especially the campaign finance system. it allows money interests to dominate and corrupt our politics. before the people act will dramatically change that. it will transform the process of disclosure making it a real process that we people can understand. will help shine a light on dark money and politics. modernize our presidential public finance system and by the way, that probably ranks as the most successful reform effort of

modern times. it worked for 30 years. it does need to be modernized. that's included in this bill. it would establish a new public matching system also for congressional races. it would empower small donors. we plan to bolster limits on campaign spending by cracking down on improper super pacs. super pacs that are all too often affiliated behind the scenes. with political campaigns. we intend to expand my original stand by your ad provisions with apologies to tammy for anybody who remembers. stand by your ad. we want to expand those provisions and require corporations and other groups to disclose top funders. that should includes tv ads. online paid ads, robo calls and so forth. these will empower american

voters. encourage more diverse candidates to run for office and help break the single that big donors have on american public politics. we are proud to deliver on our promise to the market people, we are proud to this comprehensive package out as hr1. we fully intend to do everything in our power to return power to the american people. with that, i turn to one of our outstanding new members who went through a campaign and can testify to some of the rigors and changes that need to be ma made. [applause] >> good morning everyone. i want to thank speaker pelosi and house majority leader for their leadership. i am from the great secure us-mexico border. texas. i want to thank congressman for the incredible privilege of

allowing us as new members to be able to sign onto such a transformative piece of legislation. i'm very proud to have signed on today. you will see in this group, this group of heroes for democracy, who i am so privileged to be standing with. you will see freshman. we are hot off a campaign trail that for many of us, went on for well over a year. for some of us, it was a year end a half. we've spent every single day of our campaigns on the ground. talking to constituents and i can tell you, speaking for myself and many of my freshman colleagues, who i've spoken to over the course of our campaign, cynicism and mistrust of congress is at an all-time high. it is at a tragic level. when american people cannot

trust the congress that creates the laws that govern their lives. we heard directly from our citizens about disappointment with washington d.c. at the very same time, we received our marching orders from them. they told us they want us to work on an ambitious agenda. they want healthcare, they want us to deal with challenges of our generation climate change. what comprehensive immigration reform. they want investments in real infrastructure. not a monument division like a wall. they want real infrastructure projects. but in order for us to be able to sell that to the american public, and asked them for their fate, faith and trust in us, we have to prove that we are trustworthy. that is why hr1 is so critical. at the beginning of this new

congress, 116th congress, at the beginning of a new era in government, and governance, we must demonstrate to the american public that we are willing to police ourselves in order to build the big project in dreams and ambitions that they have for our country. i come from local government, i spent over a decade and local government. we passed ethics reforms, campaign-finance reforms, as if we didn't, our folks would have done is out of office. what is on acceptable at the local level, has been acceptable in washington d.c. for too long but representative sobbing, thing steel, the day is over and a new day has gone. thank you all very much. [applause]

>> i want to thank everybody for coming. i want to acknowledge, many organizations are in groups that have been part of this effort to restore democracy for decades. but certainly over the last few years and months. i want to thank them for their continuing efforts. giving people their voice backs. thank you for being here. i want to salute the new members who came to congress with this message of reform. they understand the message they are delivering. it was heard as a promise and that's why they want to deliver on this promise. i want to close by talking to americans other, across the country who i know in many instances are hanging on by a thread. there cynicism is deep, their skepticism is broad, they don't know whether they can get their democracy back. they spent too long on the outside looking in. as john lewis has said any

times, don't give up and don't give in. the democratic majority wants to give you your voice back with hr1, which is literally for the people. that's the name of the bill. hr1, we are committed, we are determined to restore government of, by and for the people. thank you for coming today. [applause]

>> in her book, dark comments, talks about how illegal grows globally. >> asked her, 60000 americans died from buying fentanyl. in general is not something you buy on every street corner. if you do a buy it, locally, somebody has probably bought it over the let. it is something that is killing more americans than they are dying an automatic automobile accidents. this is something that is of trade that is desolate to the population. if you have your bank account wiped out by somebody who has bought things that allow them to penetrate financial accounts, it

has enormous impact on the ordinary citizens. ... . >>