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On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Reps. Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, and Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska
- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll
- Sen. Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire
Click here to browse afloat transcripts from 2025 of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan successful Washington.
And this week connected Face the Nation: The shutdown is over, but the problems that led to the situation persist, and politicians are scrambling to marque prices affordable for Americans.
Affordability is the caller buzzword successful Washington, and President Trump is investigating ideas to assistance consumers, including imaginable tariff dividends and 50-year mortgages. Those whitethorn beryllium a pugnacious sell, but Mr. Trump did determination to assistance consumers by rolling backmost tariffs connected immoderate nutrient imports, similar bananas, beef and tomatoes.
(Begin VT)
DONALD TRUMP (President of the United States): There's been a small spot of a rollback with immoderate foods, similar java arsenic an example, wherever the prices of java were a small spot high. Now they volition beryllium connected the debased broadside successful a precise abbreviated play of time.
In presumption of affordability, it's not a bully connection for the Democrats. It's a bully connection for us, due to the fact that our prices are overmuch little and volition soon beryllium much, overmuch lower.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: One terms spike that can't beryllium fixed by easing tariffs, wellness attraction premiums, particularly for those covered nether Obamacare.
We volition look for solutions for that hole and much with 2 members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi and Nebraska Republican Don Bacon, on with Dr. and Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
And arsenic we determination into a caller epoch of warfare, what does our subject request for readiness? We volition speech with the caput of the army, Dan Driscoll.
It's each conscionable up connected Face the Nation.
Good morning, and invited to Face the Nation.
Although we're each trying to enactment the symptom of the shutdown down us, the 43-day standoff connected Capitol Hill exposed and amplified the request to code the rising outgo of wellness attraction premiums. And our CBS News polling retired contiguous shows that two-thirds of Americans deliberation their premiums volition summation successful the coming months.
We statesman contiguous with 2 members of the alleged House Problem Solvers Caucus, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi and Nebraska Republican Don Bacon.
Good morning. Good to person you present successful a bipartisan conversation. You some admit there's a occupation here.
Congressman Bacon, fto maine commencement with you.
One retired of each 5 dollars successful this state that is spent goes to wellness care. We cognize these COVID epoch taxation recognition subsidies for Obamacare volition spell distant astatine the extremity of the month. That's going to deed astir 22 of the 24 cardinal Americans who usage that program. What tin you bash successful the adjacent six weeks to marque costs spell down successful January?
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON (R-Nebraska): Well, we request a impermanent hold of these taxation credits to support these prices down.
Republicans nor Democrats privation to spot premiums skyrocket. And they volition if these expire with thing successful its place. That's wherefore I worked with Tom Suozzi and different Democrats and Republicans to find a compromise. We conscionable don't privation to bash a cleanable extension. Most Republicans don't anyway.
So we deliberation determination needs to beryllium immoderate caps connected income, and we privation to guarantee each these credits spell straight to lowering people's premiums. And, close now, astir a 3rd of the wealth doesn't marque it to the premiums.
So those are immoderate reforms that we would similar to see. And if we tin get those accomplished, past we tin widen these taxation credits and support these – the prices lower. But we bash request a longer-term fix. The Affordable Care Act is unaffordable. And I deliberation we request to person this hold to springiness america clip to enactment connected thing bigger and deeper and that volition assistance little costs overall.
But I'm arrogant to enactment with Tom Suozzi connected this. And I admit his partnership.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Suozzi, I recognize this is simply a two-year projected hold of those enhanced premium taxation credits and an income headdress that phases retired for those making betwixt $200,000 to $400,000.
But erstwhile you look astatine the breakdown, though, that's a beauteous tiny information of the wide recipients of the taxation credits. It's similar little than 10 percent. So what does this accomplish? How does this marque it much affordable and fair?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI (D-New York): Well, it helps everybody other who makes nether $200,000 dramatically.
And the fig 1 interest radical person successful America is affordability. And wellness attraction affordability is close astatine the apical of the list.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How overmuch much affordable?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: So we request to bash thing to widen these premium taxation credits.
It'll prevention radical thousands and thousands of dollars, virtually $1,000 a period for immoderate people. So it'll beryllium dramatically much affordable. The radical who marque supra $400,000 are the teeny small percent of radical that are not – a precise tiny radical of radical that would payment from the existing taxation credits.
Most of the radical are beneath $200,000. That $200,000 to $400,000 is simply a mode to taper it off, truthful there's not a cliff.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And however overmuch Democratic enactment bash you person for this astatine this point?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: I deliberation that Democrats are going to powerfully backmost the thought of extending premium taxation credits, truthful that we tin support people's security affordable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even with these caps?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: So, we person got to travel up with this compromise and – adjacent with the caps, yes..
People – Democrats person ever said that they privation to nonstop the argumentation towards lower- and middle-income folks. People making nether $400,000 a twelvemonth is our – our bread-and-butter issues, that we privation to effort and marque things affordable for those folks.
So – and that volition beryllium similar virtually 95 percent, 99 percent of the radical that are affected close now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Bacon, sorry. Go ahead.
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: I was going to say, and Republicans, we pushed backmost connected the thought of idiosyncratic earning $600,000 getting each these taxation credits.
So erstwhile I listened to the Speaker – oregon Leader Thune, that was 1 of his large concerns connected these. So that's wherefore I wanted to guarantee that we had this successful our framework.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But a tweak with a not permanent, conscionable a two-year extension. Republicans haven't truly been proposing a batch of alternate Obamacare options here.
Do you deliberation the full strategy needs to beryllium rebooted? And erstwhile volition we spot that plan?
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: Well, I bash deliberation Republicans and Democrats are going to person to beryllium down astatine the array and fig out, what tin we truly bash too conscionable propulsion much wealth astatine this?
Right now, the premiums are conscionable going up truthful overmuch faster than inflation. It's unsustainable. And – but we can't bash a Republican-only fix. It's not going to work. You're not going to get 60 votes successful the Senate to bash it.
And I cognize immoderate folks suggest that backmost successful Congress: Let's spell up with our plan. Well, it can't conscionable beryllium a Republican program if we privation to walk something. So we got to beryllium down with Democrats and fig out, what tin we do? And there's immoderate bully ideas retired there.
So, for example, I person heard, if we tin straight subsidize high-risk radical and enactment them successful a abstracted excavation and conscionable little their premiums done subsidies, and past the – let's telephone it the healthier folks, their premiums are going to spell down importantly if we bash that.
So there's antithetic concepts that we tin bash to – that tin person an impact. But it's going to person to beryllium a bipartisan mode forward. It's not going to beryllium a Republican-only bill, due to the fact that you volition ne'er get it passed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
Congressman Suozzi, I mean, Aetna pulled out…
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: … of the Obamacare marketplace this twelvemonth aft CVS said they expected to suffer arsenic overmuch arsenic $400 million. Other large security companies person been pulling out.
If security companies themselves are having problems with Obamacare, bash Democrats request to beryllium much unfastened to broader reforms of the Affordable Care Act?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: Yes, we perfectly should beryllium looking astatine immoderate benignant of reform. I privation to mend it, not extremity it.
You cognize that implicit the past decennary that determination person been implicit 70 attempts, chiefly by the Republicans, not guys similar Don Bacon, who's a precise tenable guy, to effort and get escaped of Obamacare altogether. We deliberation that's a unspeakable idea.
But if radical privation to effort and marque it a amended strategy to marque wellness attraction much affordable successful America and to get wellness attraction to much people, we should beryllium doing that. That's what the radical want. That's what tenable radical successful Congress want. We should beryllium moving unneurotic to effort and grow wellness attraction coverage, little prices for everybody, and marque wellness attraction much effectual and little costly for people.
Now, that's not going to hap with everybody yelling and screaming astatine each other. Everybody who says "Why don't you just?" doesn't cognize what the hellhole they're talking about. You cannot lick analyzable problems successful an situation of fearfulness and anger. You request tenable radical to beryllium down and speech to each different and say, I deliberation this, well, I deliberation that…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: … and past enactment your mode towards uncovering compromise. Very hard to bash successful this toxic environment.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: People similar Don Bacon and different members of the Problem Solvers Caucus privation to bash that benignant of thing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. Well, but backstage wellness attraction costs are besides going up.
But connected this taxable of toxic environments here, Congressman Suozzi, Democrats, who won elections conscionable a fewer days ago, credited their wins to this affordability contented and the connection focused connected that. Can you explicate the absorption this past week successful the House by Democrats connected the Jeffrey Epstein files?
Is this a maneuver to distract from the nonaccomplishment to extract wellness attraction changes oregon is determination thing other going connected here? I mean, does the talker putting it to a ballot extremity this issue?
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: I deliberation it's a operation of factors, of radical shining their lights connected the astir – the blistery taxable astatine the time.
Jeffrey Epstein, of course, is an important topic. I'm definite I volition ballot to merchandise his files, but that's not my priority.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
REPRESENTATIVE TOM SUOZZI: My precedence is to absorption connected the things that the American radical attraction about, affordability, immigration, taxes, crime, and wellness care. That's what radical are warring about. That's what they're acrophobic about. That's what we should beryllium focused connected successful Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Congressman Bacon, does the talker putting this to a ballot extremity the Epstein contented and get you backmost onto wellness care? I mean, the talker said this is each a governmental exercise. Certainly, the families of the victims don't deliberation it is.
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: I deliberation the talker realizes the bid has near the presumption connected this. Let's rip the Band-Aid disconnected and get it done.
And I privation the president realized that. The much the White House pushes backmost connected this, it's – it conscionable looks bad, right? I mean, it was – the lawyer wide came retired and said, each these achromatic binders, we're going to merchandise each this information, and past a period aboriginal said, oh, no, we're not.
So it's been a P.R. blunder from the beginning. And I deliberation the talker is right. This is going to happen, truthful let's get it done and ballot connected it. And we got to recognize it inactive has to spell to the Senate. Then it has to spell to the president for signature.
Meanwhile, our Oversight Committee is releasing thousands and thousands of pages of grounds concerning Epstein. So, for example, similar 3,000 pages was released precocious past week. So the Oversight Committee, Republicans and Democrats, are putting retired the data. They're putting retired subpoenas.
I deliberation it's already working, but, similar Tom, erstwhile this comes connected the floor, I'm going to ballot yes connected it. I privation transparency.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well…
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: We privation to support the victims.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: But everything other should conscionable beryllium – should beryllium open.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You also, Congressman Bacon, tally the Cyber Subcommittee. I privation to inquire you astir thing important this past week, that A.I. steadfast Anthropic said that Chinese state-sponsored hackers utilized their exertion to automate break-ins and transportation retired the archetypal cyber espionage cognition mostly utilizing A.I.
It deed similar 30 antithetic companies. What tin you archer america astir the scope and the targets of this attack?
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: I can't accidental overmuch much than what was conscionable released, different than I tin accidental this.
China has replaced Russia arsenic astir formidable cyber threat. They person overmuch higher technology. They are utilizing A.I., which gives you a batch much capableness successful uncovering weaknesses successful your adversaries' cyber defenses.
What concerns maine much than anything, portion China is attacking america each azygous time and Russia, we person had nary commandant successful complaint of Cyber Command for implicit 8 months. The White House oregon the president fired the Cyber Command commandant implicit 8 months agone and has not replaced him.
Also, the apical 2 positions astatine the National Security Agency, the apical 2 are vacant for implicit 8 months. And we person been cutting CISA, which is the bureau that protects our backstage sector, our businesses, our infrastructure, and we person chopped it by astir a third.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: And truthful our cyber capabilities are going backwards. We don't – we're rudderless successful a clip wherever China is attacking america each day. And that's thing that truly concerns me.
And I person been pushing the White House to woody with this and to face the cyber threat.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. Well, we volition proceed pursuing that important story.
Congressmen, convey you for trying to beryllium occupation solvers with america today.
REPRESENTATIVE DON BACON: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute. Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We privation to crook present to immoderate of the challenges faced by the U.S. military.
And we're joined by the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll.
Good morning. Thank you for being here.
DANIEL DRISCOLL (U.S. Secretary of the Army): Thank you truthful overmuch for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: A batch to get to with you.
Just rapidly connected quality of day, the president did accidental helium benignant of made up his caput connected Venezuela. I cognize this is the Marines, this is the Navy that are deployed. But does the Venezuelan service airs immoderate benignant of menace to the U.S. if enactment is taken?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: I deliberation that the president and caput of warfare person spent a batch of clip reasoning about, what is the champion happening they tin bash for the American people?
And I tin talk from the Army's perspective, which is, we person a batch of grooming successful that portion of the world. We're reactivating our jungle schoolhouse successful Panama. We would beryllium acceptable to enactment connected immoderate the president and secwar needed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But nary orders beyond these exercises astatine this point?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: I – we don't speech astir those kinds of things, but we would beryllium acceptable if asked.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. OK.
I bash privation to inquire you astir what has been happening with this shutdown. The government's present funded done January 30. You did get from Congress full- twelvemonth backing for Veterans Affairs and subject construction, a fewer different measures successful this short-term bill.
But successful – we person seen the shutdown deed subject bases and deed subject families, costly, $400 cardinal oregon much successful exigency loans from USAA. How bash you insulate the unit truthful that the adjacent shutdown doesn't deed these families the mode it did this time?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: I deliberation the shutdown is indicative of 1 of the bigger problems that we person a federation person had.
And truthful if you look backmost for the past 30 oregon 40 years, 1 of the reasons we've had specified atrocious outcomes, erstwhile we walk the American taxpayers' hard- earned dollars, and we spell bargain things that our soldiers volition request to fight, erstwhile we physique things wherever our soldiers and their families volition live, we are specified a atrocious customer, due to the fact that erstwhile you're connected the different broadside of the woody with america and you person to woody with shutdowns – I mean, this shutdown volition instrumentality months and months for america to get backmost and going connected these projects.
And this is portion of the calcification of our strategy that, nether President Trump, we are uniquely capable to effort to spell aft a batch of these things and really get our Army and their families surviving successful amended areas, and get our soldiers acceptable for the modern fight. And the shutdown does not help.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let maine inquire you astir the modern fight.
Tom Cotton, who is the seat of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told our Olivia Gazis present astatine CBS that the menace to subject sites and ample civilian gatherings is terrible and growing. He cited gaps successful instrumentality enforcement authorities. Some of them lapsed during the shutdown, I understand.
And he's talking astir trying to adjacent enforcement gaps erstwhile it comes to drones. What authorizations bash you need?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: So, nether Secretary of War Hegseth, the United States Army has been enactment successful complaint of the counterdrone menace for the Pentagon.
And past we are moving manus successful fist – oregon manus successful mitt with the broader instrumentality enforcement agencies. We conscionable past week had a gathering close extracurricular the White House, wherever what we are trying to do, due to the fact that this occupation is antithetic from astir thing we've faced successful a agelong time. It is simply a flying IED.
And truthful this IED…
MARGARET BRENNAN: IED, the explosive.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: IED, improvised explosive device. They're cheap. You tin 3-D people them astatine home, and they transverse borders incredibly quickly.
And truthful what you fundamentally request is simply a integer furniture to speech accusation and speech sensing and let the closest idiosyncratic connected the crushed oregon the closest effector connected the crushed to beryllium capable to instrumentality retired a drone. And Senator Cotton is right. I mean, this is the menace of humanity's lifetime.
What's occurring successful Ukraine, what's happening successful Russia, if you look astatine the velocity and standard of the devastation that tin travel from drones, we arsenic a national authorities person got to pb connected it. But I'm truly optimistic. This is really thing we are doing right. We are partnering with some national instrumentality enforcement.
In a mates of weeks, we're having the Sheriff's Association come. We were conscionable astatine the NYPD. We're including each of the antithetic instrumentality enforcement agencies, reasoning astir the borders and the ports and the upcoming NFL games and Olympics and World Cup.
Like, this is thing we arsenic a federation tin pb on. And so, nether President Trump's leadership, we are moving accelerated astatine this problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And this is astir radar jamming of drones to instrumentality them out, not exploding them?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: So you – the occupation with the drone combat is, you request each sorts of layered defense. One solution does not work. If you conscionable effort to jam them, if you look astatine what's happening successful Ukraine, radical person started to hardwire drones.
And truthful you can't bash R.F. jamming connected a hardwired drone. And truthful determination are things similar nett guns that are coming back. We're utilizing each sorts of solutions and tools, and it makes it adjacent much analyzable erstwhile you're by an airdrome and you're doing it successful your ain homeland. You conscionable person antithetic authorities.
And truthful a batch of this is simply a quality occupation of communication, bid and power and having a layered acceptable of solutions that you tin usage for immoderate fixed problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you're talking astir present astatine the homeland, things similar the U.S. hosting the Olympics, the World Cup, adjacent conscionable the Super Bowl games that are coming up.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should determination beryllium restrictions successful this state connected who is capable to ain and run drones?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: I'm beauteous optimistic that we volition beryllium capable to fig retired a solution wherever we volition cognize what is successful the entity astatine each infinitesimal crossed our state each astatine once.
And truthful if you deliberation of the president's…
MARGARET BRENNAN: But we're not determination yet.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: We're not determination yet.
But nether the president's Golden Dome, I would deliberation astir this similar a aureate mini dome, where, if you took 1 of the sites for the World Cup, we are heavy focused connected being capable to spot everything successful the area, person each of the interceptors we volition need, person each of the grooming for each of the antithetic forces that volition person to beryllium capable to act.
And truthful to your circumstantial question, I deliberation we are trying to plan a strategy truthful that Americans are capable to alert drones, truthful that commercialized companies similar Amazon – like, the aboriginal of delivery, successful a batch of ways, is commercialized drones. And truthful we volition conscionable person to deconflict the skies, moving with the FAA.
But this is simply a large topic. I cheque successful with Secretary of War Hegseth connected this astir weekly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So erstwhile we past saw the president of Ukraine, Zelenskyy, astatine the White House, helium brought up to President Trump, connected camera, we've got large drones we privation to merchantability to the United States oregon supply to the United States.
You referred to Ukraine arsenic the lone Silicon Valley of warfare close now. What bash you mean by that? Are they truly up of the United States connected innovation?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: I think, if you look astatine what's happening, Operation Spider's Web successful Russia, the Ukrainians utilized astir apt a mates 100 1000 dollars worthy of drones and took retired astir $10 cardinal worthy of instrumentality successful Russia.
And Russia's successful that fight. And truthful I deliberation what is astonishing astir our state is, we are capable to admit wherever we request to innovate quickly. And what we're doing for drones, wholly differently, I think, than we person done arsenic an service successful astir apt 50 oregon 60 years, is, we are welcoming successful American industry.
So we conscionable did an A.I. warfare crippled wherever we invited 15 of the apical CEOs successful the nation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: They were worthy astir apt $18 trillion successful endeavor value. And we said, however bash you – tin you delight assistance us? What bash you person successful your tech innovation pipeline to assistance america with information successful contested environments? How bash we bash logistics 6,000 miles distant if we're facing an force who's trying to contention us?
And we are moving with them, nary joke, regular to fundamentally instrumentality their innovation and use it to this problem.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But what I heard you saying determination is, you look astatine the battlefield successful Ukraine arsenic benignant of similar a trial laboratory for wherever warfare is going.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: Yes. Yes. Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you person immoderate of your chap Republicans that determination is worth successful that fight, successful presumption of, you know, those who are truthful isolationist they don't privation to beryllium progressive successful Ukraine, adjacent financially?
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: Well, I don't deliberation I person talked to a azygous idiosyncratic who has said we shouldn't beryllium learning from what's occurring successful Ukraine. All of our equipment, each of the exquisite features we volition request are definitionally going to travel – the information acceptable that the Ukrainians are getting for their generative A.I. models of erstwhile they person drones and they're flying and they're learning and they're doing counterdrone, and they're taking each of this accusation from their sensors and trying to fig retired what's going on.
There's not a azygous idiosyncratic I cognize that doesn't deliberation that is an unthinkable treasure trove of accusation for aboriginal warfare. I deliberation a batch of the questions are, however bash we really execute connected the president's docket of bid successful that portion of the world?
Where – I person not been to the White House wherever it has not travel up that we conscionable privation peace, truthful that the American concern basal tin thrive everywhere.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: And we person to absorption connected that portion of the satellite unnecessarily close now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you're astatine the Department of War.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you announced that the Army wants to bargain a cardinal drones implicit the adjacent 2 to 3 years. Navy, Marines, Air Force, they volition evidently beryllium precise progressive successful immoderate warfare successful the Pacific, but you've got to support those American bases.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So however bash you deliberation of the menace from China there? Because I person work that you deliberation they're up of America.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: So we're moving connected thing with Congress called SkyFoundry.
And fundamentally the thought is to, again, bash it close from the beginning. What the Army has historically gotten incorrect successful the past mates of decades is, we're either each successful oregon each out, meaning we either usage our integrated concern basal and we marque the drones ourselves, oregon we say, this is excessively analyzable for us, we're going to person backstage manufacture bash it.
We are not doing that with drones, because, if you look astatine – Ukraine is manufacturing 4 cardinal a year. China, I think, is astatine 12 to 14 cardinal drones a year.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Wow.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: And we arsenic a federation volition person to person our backstage assemblage capable to assistance us.
And truthful what we are going to bash is, we are going to put successful things similar sensors and brushless motors and circuit boards and a batch of the components that are truly hard for the backstage assemblage to get close now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SECRETARY DANIEL DRISCOLL: The United States Army is going to physique those connected our bases and empower the backstage assemblage to acquisition from us. And truthful we volition marque drones, our backstage partners volition marque drones, and we volition drawback up and surpass the Chinese incredibly quickly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary, convey you for your time.
And I bash privation to marque the constituent that you are taking questions. And that is antithetic these days, since the Pentagon has restricted entree to reporters. And we deliberation it's important present that the American radical perceive astir their ain information arsenic good arsenic the military's 3 cardinal oregon much employees. So convey you.
We'll beryllium close back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The Trump medication has launched different migration enforcement operation, this clip successful Charlotte, North Carolina, a bluish metropolis with 1 of the fastest increasing migrant populations successful the country.
The operation, called Charlotte's Web by the Department of Homeland Security, started Saturday. Federal agents from the CBP, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, person been seen making arrests, questioning gardeners, patrolling a Home Depot parking lot, and smashing windows.
Trump medication officials archer our migration newsman Camilo Montoya-Galvez that New Orleans is the adjacent Border Patrol cognition planned for this month.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome backmost to "FACE THE NATION."
On Friday, we spoke with the president of 1 of the Senate committees liable for crafting wellness attraction legislation. Louisiana's Bill Cassidy, who is besides a doctor.
We began by showing him what the president is reasoning of for a wellness attraction fix.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (President Of The United States): I'm calling contiguous for security companies not to beryllium paid, but for the money, this monolithic magnitude of money, to beryllium paid straight to the radical of our country, truthful that they tin bargain their ain wellness care, which volition beryllium acold amended and acold little costly than the catastrophe known arsenic Obamacare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET BRENNAN: So are you, Senator, coordinating with the White House connected this proposal?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): So, we're perfectly successful connection with the White House and with the administration, due to the fact that there's a batch of worldly that you person to enactment retired to bash that.
But fto maine springiness a small nutrient connected the bones of what the president's speaking about. If you look astatine an Obamacare argumentation now, there's a $6,000 deductible. Democrats are warring to little the premiums. You little a premium connected thing which has a $6,000 deductible, it's fundamentally a catastrophic policy.
Now, I similar to talk to the outgo of being insured, not conscionable the outgo of the wellness insurance. The president is proposing that we instrumentality the $26 cardinal that would beryllium going to security companies if we conscionable bash a consecutive retired extension. And, by the way, 20 percent of that $26 billion, 20 percent volition spell for nett and medication overhead. Give it straight to the American radical successful an relationship successful which 100 percent of the wealth is utilized for them to acquisition wellness attraction connected their ain terms.
Now – now, that makes them an informed consumer. It besides helps code the request to person sum for that deductible. And if they get that argumentation with a higher deductible, they tin really little their premium. It's a saccharine spot. Lower premiums assistance with the deductible, making the patience the informed consumer. The president and I are united. We should each beryllium agreed astir that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the president' economical adviser, Kevin Hassett, was connected this programme past Sunday. He said the president was conscionable brainstorming, things aren't formally enactment unneurotic among Republica senators yet.
But I conscionable privation to clarify what you are coordinating with the president connected present because, is it to bargain your ain security argumentation which is benignant of complicated, oregon is it, to usage this flexible spending relationship you've talked astir for related wellness attraction needs, similar a – are determination restrictions connected however you tin usage that money?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: So, first, there's 2 types of premium taxation credits. There's the baseline premium taxation credit, which was portion of Obamacare. That would enactment successful effect and radical would inactive bargain a policy, for example, they get successful a car wreck, thing disastrous, they request idiosyncratic negotiating connected their behalf with each the providers. That stays the same.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: What we're talking about, and the shutdown was over, the enhanced premium taxation credits. Policies person go truthful costly nether Obamacare that nether Joe Biden Democrats passed different subsidy connected apical of the archetypal subsidy. That's what we're warring about. And what Republicans are saying, and I'd similar to anticipation Democrats volition too.
Hey, hold a second, if we tin person little premiums and assistance radical with their deductible, by giving the wealth straight to the patient, by the way, 20 percent doesn't spell for security institution nett and overhead, 100 percent goes for wellness care, wherefore don't we unite Republicans and Democrats successful doing that? That's wherever the president is. You've got to fig immoderate things out, but we're a batch farther on than you mightiness imagine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, bash you privation it hole Obamacare, oregon bash you privation to destruct Obamacare?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: First, you person to, like, we're going into 2026. That's similar a period and a fractional from now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: And truthful you've got to enactment with what you have.
But connected the different hand, Obamacare was a top-heavy – administratively dense benignant strategy successful which a batch of wealth is – a batch of wealth and work is taken from individuals and fixed to security companies arsenic 1 example.
I'm a doctor. I worked for 20 years successful a infirmary for the uninsured. I recovered that if you springiness the diligent the power, bully things happen. That's supported, by the way, by the aesculapian literature. If the diligent is engaged successful her wellness attraction and the wellness attraction of her family, she's going to beryllium a omniscient shopper, omniscient for her wellness and omniscient for her pocketbook. We request to person a caller model. And that exemplary is to prosecute the diligent successful her ain wellness care. Doing truthful is bully for her and bully for america all.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, but you said we – we request to enactment with what we have. That is, arsenic you conscionable said, you person a abbreviated magnitude of clip earlier the – the extremity of the year. Do you deliberation you request to widen the wellness attraction taxation subsidies that are presently successful spot until you fig retired each the remainder of this analyzable argumentation making?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Let maine backmost you up a small bit, Margaret, to say, everybody assumes it's casual conscionable to widen the premium taxation credits. The enhanced premium taxation credits. It's not that easy. Fifty percent of the states did not program connected them being extended, and they don't person rates arsenic if they were to beryllium extended. So, that means if we walk this mid-December, they've got to recalculate rates successful clip for, hold a second, by that clip we're already into 2026. It's not an casual matter.
And, by the way, did I mention, the policies that radical privation to little their premiums for person $6,000 deductibles? It is fundamentally thing for security companies to marque wealth disconnected of, and for the idiosyncratic to wade done $6,000 of indebtedness earlier they tin yet entree it.
Now, the benignant of connection I americium proposing, Republicans are, and I anticipation Democrats volition join, is let's instrumentality that money, and we person a mechanics to bash so.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: We giving it to the patient. By giving her that money, she tin take a bronze level plan, with is to accidental little premiums. So, present her premiums are down, but she has wealth successful an relationship to assistance with the deductible. And I deliberation we tin fig that retired astir arsenic easy we tin fig retired what we would bash if we conscionable did a consecutive retired extension.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you privation to bash each this, though, by the 2nd week of December, erstwhile the Democrats person been promised they'll person a ballot connected an ACA measure of their choice?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Yes. And I archer my Democratic colleagues, first, let's not beryllium Democrats and Republicans. Let's beryllium Americans representing each of Americans. Let's admit what you're doing conscionable gives wealth to security companies. But we tin bash it amended with little premiums and with wealth successful accounts to wage deductibles. And past wherefore don't we travel together?
There's going to beryllium a Democratic measure and a Republican measure and some fail. Let's bash an American measure wherever the American radical benefit.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: And let's enactment together, collaborate, to little those premiums and to assistance them with that archetypal dollar sum and the – and the deductible.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, we looked and determination are astir 293,000 Louisianans, your state, enrolled successful Obamacare currently. Six weeks from now, those expanded taxation credits that you've been talking astir volition spell distant for individuals making $62,000 oregon above. Individuals making little than that magnitude volition spot their taxation credits shrink.
So, are you telling those hundreds of thousands successful Louisiana that that taxation recognition is going distant nary substance what? That they should marque plans for higher prices?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: No. I'm telling them that we are moving to marque it enactment amended for them. And they would archer you, by the way, hold a second, I got a $6,000 deductible. That does not enactment for me.
Margaret, I'm a doctor. I would speech to radical erstwhile they'd travel to spot me, and they would archer me, I can't spend that, my deductible is excessively high. That's reality. And that world is being mislaid successful this discussion.
We've got to bash thing astir sky-high deductible.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Maybe you tin spend the premium. You can't spend the policy. Let's little the outgo of having wellness insurance, focusing by not conscionable connected the premium, but the deductible, and I deliberation we tin bash both.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, adjacent successful the backstage market, wellness attraction costs person gone up astir six to 9 percent erstwhile you look astatine the projections.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Oh, yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But I privation to inquire you astir your oversight rule. Secretary Kennedy has this hand-picked sheet of vaccine advisers, you cognize them astatine ACIP, they're going to conscionable successful a fewer days and perchance ballot connected changing the hepatitis b vaccine docket for infants. That aforesaid vaccine advisory radical is besides considering the information of vaccine ingredients, similar aluminum, which would interaction a fig of puerility shots. This should substance for American parents.
Are you comfy with what they are astir to enactment to a vote?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: I'm precise acrophobic astir this. As it turns out, my aesculapian signifier focused connected hepatitis b. And so, we cognize that due to the fact that of a recommended dose astatine commencement of hepatitis b vaccine, recommended not mandated, the fig of children calved contracting hepatitis b astatine commencement oregon soon thereafter has decreased from astir 20,000 20 years agone to similar 200 now. That's 20 – efficaciously a clerical error. We person decreased the incidents of chronic hepatitis b by 20,000 radical implicit the past 2 decades with this benignant of recommendation.
And by the way, if you're infected astatine birth, you're much apt – you're 95 percent apt to go a chronic carrier. The vaccine is safe. It has been established. And these ingredients they're speaking of person been shown to beryllium safe. This is argumentation by radical who don't recognize the epidemiology of hepatitis b oregon who've grown comfy with the information that we've been truthful palmy with our proposal that present the incidental of hepatitis b is truthful low, they consciousness similar we tin remainder connected our laurels.
I'm a doctor. I person seen radical dice from vaccine-preventable disease. I privation radical to beryllium healthy. I privation to marque America healthy. And you don't commencement by stopping recommendations that person made america substantially healthier.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the president of the United States besides told American women not to instrumentality Tylenol oregon springiness it to their kids. This is based connected a mentation that it causes autism somehow. And helium also, successful a societal media post, the aforesaid one, called for the measles, mumps, and rubella changeable to beryllium breached up into 3 antithetic shots. That was past endorsed by the acting CDC director.
Are you acrophobic by this benignant of suggestive linkage astatine the apical of the CDC and from the White House?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Again, I'm a doctor, and truthful I'm going to spell wherever the grounds takes me. And the champion grounds is simply a survey retired of Sweden with 2 cardinal children that recovered nary – nary causality, nary association, if you will, betwixt taking Tylenol successful gestation and getting autism. And, of course, that concerns me, due to the fact that there's going to beryllium a mama retired there, again, I'm a doctor, I speech to – I speech to patients successful a – successful a room. And her kid has autism. She took Tylenol for a precocious fever during gestation and present blames herself. That's conscionable the mode mamas think. And that's wrong. We don't privation her to deliberation that.
The champion evidence, that determination is nary relationship. By the way, if you person a precocious fever during pregnancy, that whitethorn beryllium a hazard for autism. Now, of course, if you're pregnant, speech to your doc earlier you instrumentality anything. But constituent being, the champion grounds is that there's nary narration betwixt the two. And I don't privation women putting themselves connected a guilt travel erstwhile the champion grounds shows not.
By the way, the president has spoken retired powerfully successful favour of immunizations successful different cases. And I noted erstwhile helium got his physical, helium got the flu and covid shots. So, the president has demonstrated that helium believes successful immunization.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But that's wherefore clarifying these statements, I think, is important, since you construe them differently.
I wonder, bash you regret your confirmation ballot for Secretary Kennedy?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: I grin due to the fact that each newsman asks maine that. You unrecorded beingness forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, due to the fact that these questions tally close into a pledge that you extracted from him not to tinker with immoderate of the structures that were acceptable successful spot to person oversight of these vaccines and this process.
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Yes, truthful you unrecorded beingness forward. Again, you conscionable do. Let the day's ain troubles beryllium capable for the day. And I'll recognition the secretary. He's brought attraction to things similar ultra processed nutrient that has frankly ne'er received this benignant of attraction before. And radical praise him for that. So, helium and I person publically disagreed connected immoderate matters, but I powerfully hold with him connected others. And truthful – so, that's however I'll reply your question.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That sounds similar yes.
Is – if this is your last twelvemonth successful office, sir, volition you marque overhauling wellness attraction your apical priority?
SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: Well, I definite anticipation it's not my last twelvemonth successful office. But I person been reasoning astir wellness attraction for 30 years, due to the fact that erstwhile I worked successful a nationalist infirmary for the uninsured, I saw the load it could beryllium connected mediate income families who person mediate income but couldn't spend the security oregon couldn't spend the wellness care. And so, it's been my precedence for 30 years. And I volition proceed to bash that.
And if determination is simply a metallic lining – if there's a metallic lining successful the shutdown we conscionable had, the metallic lining is present we are focused on, however bash we marque wellness attraction much affordable for the American people? That should beryllium our goal, not to beryllium partisan 1 mode oregon the other. How bash we marque it much affordable for chap Americans? If we tin execute that, I volition consciousness similar I person done my job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, convey you for your time.
And we'll beryllium close back.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: We spell present to New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
Good greeting to you, Senator.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): Good morning. Nice to beryllium with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you person spent a bully portion of the past twelvemonth trying to get authorities done to widen those Obamacare taxation recognition subsidies. Last Sunday you crossed the aisle. You agreed to reopen the government, extremity the shutdown without a guaranteed extension, but with a committedness to person immoderate benignant of ballot connected an ACA measure of Democrats ain choosing.
Do you person statement among Democrats that this needs to beryllium a ballot simply to widen the taxation credits arsenic they basal now, oregon are you unfastened to a broader betterment of Obamacare?
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: From the opening this shutdown, I person had 2 goals, 1 is to get the authorities up and moving again to extremity the suffering that excessively galore Americans were experiencing due to the fact that they mislaid nutrient assistance oregon they weren't getting paid, national employees, and the 2nd was to code the precocious outgo of premium – wellness security that radical are looking astatine due to the fact that security companies are mounting rates based connected the information that those premium taxation credits are not – are expected to spell distant astatine the extremity of this year.
I deliberation radical are present precise alert of the information that they are going to spot immense complaint increases, treble for truthful galore people, and an unaffordable outgo of wellness security if those premium taxation credits spell away. And what I deliberation we request to do, and these are conversations that we request to have, is we request to enactment with our Republican colleagues to effort and get a measure that tin beryllium supported, that tin get done some houses of Congress wherever we've been talking to our Republicans, Senator Cassidy, passim the shutdown astir what we mightiness beryllium capable to hold to. We've been talking to House members connected some sides of the aisle. And truthful present we request to enactment together.
I hold with Senator Cassidy, this should beryllium a measure that is not partisan, but it should beryllium a measure to widen those premium taxation credits because, arsenic everybody has talked about, determination is existent urgency to get this done. And if we don't code it, past radical are going to spot immense complaint increases.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: So, we tin enactment together. We tin widen the credits, but we astir apt can't instrumentality important reforms that Senator Cassidy was talking astir successful the clip framework that we've got. So, we request to look, some successful the short-term and successful the semipermanent for however we code the outgo of wellness care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, truthful that's an important constituent there. So, the $26 cardinal oregon truthful that helium talks astir arsenic the outgo for hold of these that helium wants to redirect into these currency accounts, these flexible accounts, you're saying, you can't get that done successful six weeks' time?
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: No, you can't.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: And, again, there's existent urgency to bash this. There's immoderate good, bipartisan authorities that has travel retired of committee successful the Senate that I deliberation we should instrumentality up, things that would expedite support of generic drugs and biosimilars, that would code PBM reform, which is simply a immense outgo summation for wellness care. But that's a longer word issue. Right present we request to code what radical are facing successful presumption of those precocious complaint increases due to the fact that of the threats that these premium taxation credits are going to end.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Just to enactment a good constituent connected it. When we heard the congressmen astatine the apical of the programme talking about, you know, caps connected income and restrictions connected who tin payment from those taxation credits, tin you get your chap Democrats, who, by the way, are beauteous aggravated astatine each other, aggravated astatine you arsenic well, astir this determination to reopen the government, tin you get everyone connected board, oregon tin you astatine slightest get to 60 votes to beryllium capable to widen those subsidies with tweaks?
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: Well, archetypal of all, we request to enactment the shutdown down us, extremity the circular firing squad, and retrieve wherefore we're successful this situation. We're successful this concern due to the fact that Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson and the Republican majorities successful the House and Senate person refused to code the outgo of wellness attraction and are trying to propulsion radical disconnected their wellness care. Can we get to consensus? Well, we request to if we're going to get a bipartisan measure retired of the Congress.
I deliberation we've seen and heard from wellness security companies that implementing important changes successful the archetypal twelvemonth is going to beryllium truly hard to do, astir impossible. But we ought to beryllium capable to hold connected immoderate changes, similar capping the income of radical who person those premium taxation credits. Right present 94 percent of radical who get the credits gain nether $200,000 a year. And the mean income for a azygous recipient is astir a small implicit $30,000 a year. So, astir radical who are getting these taxation credits are not successful that precocious income level.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: And truthful we should beryllium capable to hold connected that. We should beryllium capable to hold that we don't privation immoderate fraud and maltreatment successful the program.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: That's thing Republicans and Democrats judge in. So, let's absorption connected what we tin hold to. Let's look astatine what we tin get done successful the clip framework we have, and admit determination is existent urgency to get these premium taxation credits extended.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you're going to person this ballot astir the 2nd week of December, but premiums are already notified out.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: Right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They are already benignant of baked successful present for – surely for Americans who bargain authorities wellness care. Is it excessively precocious to widen unfastened enrollment? I mean Senator Cassidy was saying, like, vessel has sailed here.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: No, we could really determine that we were willing, arsenic portion of this legislation, to widen unfastened enrollment. Obviously, we request enactment from the administration. But security companies, successful gathering with the security industry, they've indicated that portion it would beryllium difficult, they could code immoderate of the challenges astir not getting statement until December. Again, that's wherefore there's urgency to get this done.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I privation to inquire you astir different matter. Survivors of convicted kid enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of the families of those survivors, wrote a missive to lawmakers supporting the merchandise of Justice Department interior communications successful respect to his case. In that missive they said, "there was nary mediate crushed here. There was nary hiding down enactment affiliation. We volition retrieve your determination astatine the ballot box."
You cognize this House ballot is acceptable to travel up this week. Should determination beryllium a ballot successful the Senate? And would you enactment it to spot the merchandise of these documents?
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: Absolutely. We request to merchandise the documents. The American radical request to spot what's successful them. And if President Trump says there's thing determination that he's acrophobic about, past wherefore doesn't helium enactment merchandise of the documents?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition spot if the Republican person successful the Senate takes up your connection there. There has not been a committedness to person that benignant of vote.
But connected Venezuela, since you are ranking subordinate connected Senator Foreign Relations, I privation to marque definite I inquire you, the president has said helium has benignant of made up his caput connected what to bash astir Venezuela. You were 1 of the precise fewer senators who person received briefings wrong the past fewer weeks from Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth regarding the strikes that are being carried retired connected these small, fast-moving boats. Is determination a wide extremity crippled here? And is your knowing that ousting Nicolas Maduro from powerfulness is portion of the administration's plan?
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: I don't deliberation it's wide what the extremity crippled is for this medication with respect to Venezuela. They are relying connected a ineligible sentiment – excuse me, successful presumption of the vessel strikes that they person not released. They person yet made it disposable to members of Congress, but they haven't released it to the public. They are escalating successful a mode that - - talking astir a onshore onslaught done peculiar operations that puts astatine hazard our men and women successful the military. We person truthful overmuch occurrence powerfulness present successful the Caribbean, the Gerald R. Ford has been taken from the Red Sea truthful that present we don't person immoderate occurrence powerfulness truly successful the Middle East arsenic we look astatine the threats there. We don't person what we need, I think, successful the Indo-Pacific, oregon successful Europe. And so, what the president has done present is to enactment astatine hazard different parts of the satellite and Americans successful different parts of the satellite for this fascination connected trying to get escaped of Nicolas Maduro successful Venezuela, who intelligibly is simply a atrocious character.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: He's been progressive successful cause –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: Illegal drugs. But helium is not a menace to the United States of America.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: And what the president is doing is raising existent questions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Shaheen, convey you for your clip this morning.
We'll beryllium backmost successful a moment.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: That's it for america today. Thank you for watching. Until adjacent week. For "FACE THE NATION," I'm Margaret Brennan.
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