The next is the transcript of the interview with Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 26, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re again with the highest Democrat within the Home, Chief Hakeem Jeffries. He joins us from his Brooklyn, New York district. Good morning.
DEMOCRATIC LEADER REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Good morning. Nice to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, Chief Jeffries, Treasury Secretary Bessent stated the shutdown is beginning to have an effect on the economic system, and by November 15, the troops is not going to be paid. Do you count on the shutdown to final that lengthy?
REP. JEFFRIES: I definitely hope not. That is day 26 of the Trump, Republican shutdown. And as Democrats, we have now maintained from the very starting, and proceed to keep up, we are going to sit down anytime, anyplace, with anybody, both on the Capitol or again on the White Home, to reopen the federal government to barter a bipartisan spending settlement that truly meets the wants of the American individuals. And to decisively deal with the Republican healthcare disaster, significantly because it pertains to the pressing want to increase the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit so we are able to stop tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals from experiencing dramatically elevated medical insurance premiums that can make entry to a health care provider unaffordable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to come again to healthcare in a second, however the Treasury Secretary accused you of enjoying politics, personally. And I do know that your Democratic Whip, Katherine Clark stated on Fox this previous week that shutdowns are horrible, however as she put it, it is one of many few leverage objects Democrats have. Do you assume Democrats are gaining from this battle?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, our focus continues to be on driving down the excessive value of dwelling for on a regular basis Individuals. Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they’d decrease prices on day one. We all know prices have not gone down. They are going up. Inflation is shifting within the improper route. The Trump tariffs have made life costlier for the American individuals to the tune of hundreds of further {dollars} per 12 months. We all know that electrical energy payments are by the roof. Housing prices are too excessive, childcare prices are too excessive, groceries too costly. And now tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals are liable to having their premiums explode, in some circumstances by 1000 to 2000 {dollars} per 12 months. That is what this battle for us is all about. Republicans have give you a brand new conspiracy principle each week for the final six weeks. The Democratic place, Margaret, has been clear, cancel the cuts, decrease the associated fee, save well being care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, that was the quote from the whip herself when she stated leverage. However I hear you on rising healthcare prices. However the rapid time period, individuals don’t get paid. 750,000 federal employees are on unpaid go away. Eighty % of the parents who work on our nuclear program are included in that determine. The agriculture secretary stated there will likely be delays in meals stamps, stamps for lots of the 41 million individuals who depend on SNAP. After which at airports throughout the nation, half of the flight delays, in keeping with the transportation secretary, are due to staffing shortages. This ache is actual now. So is there a degree at which it turns into too nice to justify persevering with the shutdown?
REP. JEFFRIES: Properly, there’s an pressing have to reopen the federal government, which is why we proceed to demand that Republicans sit on the negotiating desk so we are able to enact a spending settlement that is bipartisan in nature. That is what we have referred to as for from the very starting. Sadly–
MARGARET BRENNAN: However the Republicans are saying–
REP. JEFFRIES: –Republicans have refused to take a seat down–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –they will not try this till you go the funding invoice, the clear funding invoice that already handed the home. Why cannot Democrats within the Senate get on board with that?
REP. JEFFRIES: Properly, we have made clear, and I am grateful for the management of Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, that we’ll not going to help a partisan Republican spending invoice that continues to intestine the healthcare of the American individuals, in an surroundings the place Republicans have already enacted the most important minimize to Medicaid in American historical past. Hospitals, nursing properties and community-based well being facilities are closing all throughout the nation. There may be the likelihood that Medicare might face a $536 billion minimize, the most important minimize to Medicare in historical past, if Congress would not act by the top of this 12 months, due to what Republican insurance policies have completed of their one huge, ugly invoice. And now they refuse to increase the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit, that impacts working class Individuals, center class Individuals and on a regular basis Individuals all through the nation, together with in rural America.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, they have not refused. Chief Thune stated he’d even put that up for a vote in case you open the federal government first, however subsequent Saturday is the start of open enrollment. I imply, individuals are going to see what that invoice goes to appear like. Virtually talking, aren’t you out of time right here? Insurance coverage firms have set these premiums in place. That is how they’re already within the mail for individuals to open and see on Saturday. What turns into the technique after November 1, if this shutdown lasts that lengthy?
REP. JEFFRIES: Properly, hear, we wish to reopen the federal government, and we have to stand by our onerous working federal workers who’re doing all that they’ll to be sure that taxpayer {dollars} are spent successfully and effectively, even beneath essentially the most hostile circumstances. Keep in mind, by way of federal workers, the Trump administration has fired or dismissed greater than 200,000 civil servants previous to them shutting the federal government down on October 1. We wish to reopen the federal government now. When it comes to well being care, a part of the fact is that tens of thousands and thousands of individuals are already receiving notices in October that their premiums are about to skyrocket–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Precisely.
REP. JEFFRIES: –because of the Republican refusal to increase the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit score. And by the best way, they’ve had the chance each Home Republicans and Senate Republicans, repeatedly all year long, to increase the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit. And so they’ve constantly voted towards it. That is why we’d like motion, not merely phrases, a wing and a prayer promise from individuals who have tried to repeal the Inexpensive Care Act greater than 70 totally different occasions since 2010.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However aren’t the premiums already locked in right here? Or are you saying Republicans are proper when you may make up for it on the finish of the 12 months with the tax credit score?
REP. JEFFRIES: The premiums are usually not locked in by way of the fact that if we are able to act legislatively and act now. We will lengthen the open enrollment interval. We will push it again. And we are able to intervene as a Congress to be able to really shield the affordability of medical insurance for tens of thousands and thousands of individuals.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper. Chief, stick with us. I’ve to take a fast industrial break.
[ COMMERCIAL BREAK ]
REP. JEFFRIES: Welcome again to ‘Face The Nation.’ We return now to our dialog with Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries. Chief Jeffries, I wish to ask you about another issues as properly. In New York Metropolis, a metropolis of greater than 8 million individuals, there’s about to be an election of a brand new mayor. You waited till this Friday, the day earlier than early voting started, to endorse the Democratic Socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani. Why did you wait so lengthy?
REP. JEFFRIES: Properly, as I indicated, final a number of weeks, we have been immersed within the depth across the authorities shutdown and the run as much as that prematurely of September 30 and the expiration of the fiscal 12 months. However I help the Democratic nominee, as I indicated, and we’re in alignment by way of the difficulty associated to affordability and the necessity to deal with it decisively for town of New York. And naturally, affordability is a matter for individuals all throughout the nation. From a public security standpoint, I supported the notion that he would retain police commissioner Jessica Tisch to proceed to guide the NYPD ahead. That is extremely essential, from a public security standpoint for each group, together with as a excessive precedence, the security and safety of the Jewish group. And by way of the second that we discover ourselves in, Donald Trump represents an existential menace to town of New York and past, due to the acute assault that has taken place all through this 12 months on the economic system, on well being care, on farmers, on veterans, on legislation abiding immigrant communities, on due course of, on the rule of Regulation, and, in fact, on the American lifestyle itself, and all of us as Individuals are going to need to be aligned and pushing again so we are able to finish this nationwide nightmare that Donald Trump has visited upon the American individuals.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, you continue to waited till Friday, and the election is upon us, however you are leaving room in your reply there for understanding that you do not agree with the candidate on another points, although you agree with him on affordability. Since Democrats are operating for re-election within the midterm races, you wish to retake the home, would you suggest they mimic a few of Mamdani’s messages as a progressive mannequin for the occasion?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, what we have stated from the very starting is that we have now to decisively deal with the affordability disaster that Donald Trump and Republican insurance policies have made worse in the USA of America. We have to decrease the excessive value of dwelling. We have to repair our damaged well being care system–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — So no?–
REP. JEFFRIES: — And we have to, in fact, clear up corruption in the USA of America. No, what we will mimi- mimic is our personal views because it pertains to the necessity to make life extra reasonably priced. Right here in America, whenever you work onerous and play by the foundations, on this nation, it is best to be capable to stay a snug life, stay the great life, good paying job, good housing, good well being care, good training to your kids and a superb retirement however far too many individuals are struggling to stay paycheck to paycheck and may barely get by. That is unacceptable within the wealthiest nation within the historical past of the world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to ask you about one thing you stated. You stated, Democrats- there are not any election deniers on our facet of the aisle, you stated that again in January. However lately, you have been utilizing the time period “rigged elections” in reference to the upcoming midterms. Democrats had been appalled when President Trump used language like that. How do you justify utilizing that now? Would not that undermine religion for voters it’s worthwhile to present up?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, I have been utilizing that time period within the context of Donald Trump’s unprecedented effort to gerrymander congressional maps in a partisan vogue all throughout the nation to be able to rig the midterm elections and deny the power of the American individuals to truly determine who must be within the majority because it pertains to the Home of Representatives–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You recognize Democrats are additionally going through–
REP. JEFFRIES: –the framers of the Structure had been very clear–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –through gerrymandering and redistricting.
REP. JEFFRIES: No, no. no. Properly, Democrats are going to push again aggressively to be sure that we have now truthful maps throughout the nation, not partisan gerrymandering, which Republicans have initiated in state after state after state.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Chief Jeffries, thanks to your time this morning. We’ll be proper again.
