Hillary Clinton says Democrats should prioritize passing legislation: ‘Put some points on the board’

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Democrats should focus on enacting their legislative agenda when the new Congress takes power in January following the party’s decisive victories in this week’s midterm elections.While speaking on the limited podcast series High Stakes alongside co-host and technology journalist Kara Swisher, the former presidential candidate weighed in on how her party should approach having control of the House and the Senate once the lame-duck session ends. Recommended Stories “We’re going to have to really figure out how to pass legislation,” she said. “And that’s, I think, you know, what [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries is going to be focused on. We have to put some points on the board. We can’t be engaged in some kind of intramural, you know, rivalry, we’ve got to pull together and say: ‘Here’s what we’re producing for you, here’s how we’re lowering your healthcare costs, here’s how we’re dealing with energy costs.’ All of the things that people voted for.” Following their decisive victory, Democrats have begun debating among themselves the balance they wish to strike between delivering on the concrete promises their candidates made during the campaigns and investigating President Donald Trump and his administration.Some Democrats have called for prioritizing such inquiries, while others have said doing so may distract from appeasing affordability concerns and allow Republicans to maintain the White House in the 2028 presidential election.Another debate that’s begun circulating in Washington is whether or not Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are the right Democrats to lead the party moving forward. Many of the candidates who won Democratic primaries and eventually their general elections were progressive figures associated with the Democratic Socialists of America.Schumers and Jeffries have been criticized by such figures for being too centrist and out of touch with the current electorate. Other Democrats fear that being held hostage by the party’s left flank may jeopardize attempts to appeal to independent voters.MELAT KIROS DOESN’T COMMIT TO SUPPORTING JEFFRIES SPEAKER BID: ‘STILL UP IN THE AIR’Clinton said draft legislation should accompany the policies candidates championed on the campaign trail.“So I’m excited about getting organized to do the work. You know, I’ve been saying this now for months that if you want to have Medicare-for-All, write the bill. And begin to get the votes for it. If you have a different idea, you write the bill, and begin to get the votes for it. Let’s get back to actually producing results for the American people.”