House Democrats, fresh from a midterm sweep that handed them control of both chambers of Congress, used their first news conference on Wednesday to signal a head-on challenge to President Donald Trump on war and prices. "We will pass a bill to stop the Iran war," Rep. Ted Lieu of California declared, standing alongside Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Lieu went further in the same breath: "We will pass a bill to stop the stupid Trump tariffs jacking up prices on Americans." The two promises mirror the issues that dominated the campaign — and that Vice President JD Vance himself acknowledged on Wednesday cost Republicans votes.
Jeffries: "Reckless and costly war of choice"
Jeffries, who is set to lead the new House majority, tied the war directly to what voters pay at the pump.
"We need to end this reckless and costly war of choice that has skyrocketed gas prices all across the country," Jeffries said. "We need to stop the Trump tariffs that have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars a year."
"We don't work for Donald Trump"
The Democratic leader also promised a sharp break with the way the Republican-led House operated during Trump's first two years back in office.
"We don't work for Donald Trump, JD Vance or the Supreme Court. We work for the American people," Jeffries said. "The days of the House functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration are over." He added that he had not heard from the president since the results came in, and that, to his understanding, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer had not either.
Guardrails for AI
Lieu also put artificial intelligence on the new majority's agenda, accusing Republicans of a hands-off approach.
"The Trump administration and House Republicans made a conscious decision to let the AI industry run wild. That was a bad decision politically and on policy," Lieu said. "Next term, we will hold public hearings on AI and pass legislation with reasonable guardrails." Any bill the new Congress passes will still need Trump's signature or enough votes to override a veto, setting up a confrontation with the White House over the final two years of his term.
Videos: House Democrats' news conference, 4 Nov 2026. Photo: Roll Call (election night)
