MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Democrats are wrapping up a retreat today trying to figure out a strategy to take back control of the U.S. House. They're planning for this year's midterms as President Trump's poll numbers are falling across a range of issues. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales talked to Democrats at their retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, and she's with us now to tell us more about it. Good morning, Claudia.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So you've covered quite a few of these retreats.
GRISALES: Right.
MARTIN: How would you describe the mood there, especially compared to last year, say, and the year before?
GRISALES: Yeah. There was a very different mood. Democrats were very energized, and you could tell, in terms of their strategy, they had a more unified message and plan versus last year, where it felt like they were lost in a political wilderness.
MARTIN: So how are they preparing for November?
GRISALES: Well, they say they're going to reach voters by selling them an alternate agenda to the president's policies right now. Leaders said what their closing message would be this fall. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said this is what Americans will hear.
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KATHERINE CLARK: They deserve better. A better economy, better schools, better health care, a better and more affordable future.
GRISALES: And in addition to affordability, they said another major part of their agenda is oversight of the Trump administration. They developed this plan by going to constituents, and these are the issues that rose to the top. And Democrats have said they learned hard lessons on how not to ignore voters. They learned that in the last election cycle and say they're determined not to repeat those mistakes again.
MARTIN: Like what mistakes?
GRISALES: Well, one member joked that some members have learned how to use a podcast and how to show up on a podcast. But essentially, they are committed, they said, to spend time both in person and online, getting to voters where they are.
MARTIN: So let's talk about that affordability agenda. What exactly are House Democrats proposing?
GRISALES: Well, a major focus is health care, and they want to address the rise in costs there from reversing cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and reinstating health care subsidies that expired last year for the Affordable Care Act. They're also aiming to end Trump's tariff programs. They say those have led to higher costs for everything from groceries to housing, and with that, they're crafting legislative proposals to address these issues this year.
MARTIN: You also mentioned plans for more oversight of the Trump administrations. Can you say more about that?
GRISALES: I talked to Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, who's the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who could be the chair if Democrats take over the House. He says they want to tackle what they see as the weaponization of the government against U.S. citizens. That includes the deaths of Americans at the hands of federal immigration law enforcement agents in Minneapolis. So this would be comprehensive investigations that he and others argue have not happened. And after that, forcing the Justice Department to release the full tranche of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Congress has passed legislation requiring that, but Democrats say the administration has not complied.
MARTIN: So all is not rosy, though, for the Democrats. There still are headwinds that they have to prepare for. So talk about that, if you would.
GRISALES: Right. There's quite a few. To start, if Democrats are successful in any capacity, they're still heading into a divided government. So legislatively, they're going to face obstacles from President Trump and if Republicans keep control of the Senate. Democrats are also facing efforts by the Trump administration and Republicans that they say will make it harder to vote. This is an effort Democrats say they're preparing to fight in court. But they're still expressing a lot of confidence and that, along with the historical precedent of the opposition party performing well in the midterms, they're riding a new wave of enthusiasm. They point to special election races results, where they saw successful outcomes, for example, in New Jersey. But they still need to flesh out a lot of specifics on these plans, and with a caucus that has a lot of diverse opinions, that will be a tall order.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Claudia Grisales. Claudia, thank you.
GRISALES: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF QUANTIC'S "TIME IS THE ENEMY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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