Yesterday, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries hosted a virtual townhall with grassroots supporters where they discussed the 2024 election, the future of the Democratic Party, and the important work that lies ahead to defend Americans’ rights and freedoms from the incoming Trump administration. Chair Harrison and Leader Jeffries also discussed President Biden and Vice President Harris’ legacy — leading a legislatively successful administration and investing more in the Democratic Party than any president before. 

Read highlights from the call below:

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Because of your support and the partnership with the DNC, we were able to make sure that of our 31 frontline battleground members who were most vulnerable, 27 are going back to Congress, and of the five open seats that we had to defend that were in tough, competitive districts all across the country, we successfully defended four out of those five.

“Make no mistake, we’re prepared to try to find common ground with the other side of the aisle whenever and wherever possible, in order to solve the problems that the American people want us to solve, like lowering the high cost of living for everyday Americans, for working-class Americans, for the middle class, and all those who aspire to be part of the middle class. But at the same time, we will push back against far-right extremism whenever necessary. We will protect Social Security. We will protect Medicare. We will protect the Affordable Care Act. We will protect the progress that we have made in combating the climate crisis, and we will always protect a woman’s freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions.” 

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison: “I want to offer my gratitude first to our president, Joe Biden, and our Vice President Kamala Harris. These two have led the most pro-worker administration that this country has ever seen, and that’s no question. President Biden has been the most legislatively successful president of my lifetime. What’s more, he not only invested in our country, he invested more in our party than any president before. […] But when we step back to look at this administration and all of the things that we have accomplished over these four years, it is nothing short of awe-inspiring. […] There’s no question that this administration fought and they delivered for working families.

“And as for our Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, our Vice President, you know, folks, I had a front-row seat as Vice President Harris led us, not only in the last four years, but in her historic 107-day campaign. You know, my grandfather used to say, ‘the true measure of the person is how they act, not in the good times, but in the challenging times.’ Vice President Harris led with grit and an unfailing commitment to the American people, and as chair of this party, I am so grateful for her, and I’m so thankful for her, and I’m thankful for her standing up for all of us in the faces of so many challenges in such division in our nation.

“I know [the election outcome] is not anywhere near what I wanted, but from the policy wins we achieved to the competitive down-ballot races we won, despite historic headwinds, we have grassroots supporters like you to thank because of your support financially, but also with just your energy and your enthusiasm, making phone calls, knocking on doors, [and] sending out postcards. We made historic investments. We put hundreds of millions of dollars on the ground in every city, states, our territories, and Dems Abroad. Because of your support, the DNC expanded our state party infrastructure, more data, tech, cyber security, human resources, all of the above. […] When we look at that electoral map, it was hard for us, but there’s still moments that we can take pride.”