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: Nicely, Chief Jeffries, Treasury Secretary Bessent stated the shutdown is beginning to have an effect on the financial 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’ve got maintained from the very starting, and proceed to keep up, we are going to sit down anytime, anywhere, 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 handle the Republican healthcare disaster, notably because it pertains to the pressing want to increase the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit so we will forestall tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals from experiencing dramatically elevated medical insurance premiums that may make entry to a health care provider unaffordable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need 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’s one of many few leverage gadgets Democrats have. Do you suppose Democrats are gaining from this combat?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, our focus continues to be on driving down the excessive price of residing for on a regular basis Individuals. Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they’d decrease prices on day one. We all know prices haven’t gone down. They’re going up. Inflation is transferring within the fallacious course. The Trump tariffs have made life costlier for the American individuals to the tune of 1000’s of further {dollars} per 12 months. We all know that electrical energy payments are by way of 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 instances by 1000 to 2000 {dollars} per 12 months. That’s what this combat for us is all about. Republicans have provide you with a brand new conspiracy concept 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: Nicely, 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 aren’t getting paid. 750,000 federal employees are on unpaid depart. Eighty p.c 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 accordance 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: Nicely, there may be an pressing must reopen the federal government, which is why we proceed to demand that Republicans sit on the negotiating desk so we will enact a spending settlement that’s bipartisan in nature. That’s what we’ve known 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 received’t try this till you go the funding invoice, the clear funding invoice that already handed the home. Why can’t Democrats within the Senate get on board with that?
REP. JEFFRIES: Nicely, we’ve made clear, and I’m grateful for the management of Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, that we are going to not going to help a partisan Republican spending invoice that continues to intestine the healthcare of the American individuals, in an setting the place Republicans have already enacted the most important minimize to Medicaid in American historical past. Hospitals, nursing houses and community-based well being facilities are closing all throughout the nation. There’s the likelihood that Medicare may face a $536 billion minimize, the most important minimize to Medicare in historical past, if Congress doesn’t act by the tip of this 12 months, due to what Republican insurance policies have carried out of their one massive, 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: Nicely, they haven’t refused. Chief Thune stated he’d even put that up for a vote if you happen to 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 to be. Virtually talking, aren’t you out of time right here? Insurance coverage firms have set these premiums in place. That’s 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: Nicely, pay attention, we need to reopen the federal government, and we have to stand by our arduous working federal staff who’re doing all that they’ll to ensure that taxpayer {dollars} are spent successfully and effectively, even underneath probably the most opposed circumstances. Bear in mind, by way of federal staff, 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 need to reopen the federal government now. By way of well being care, a part of the truth 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: –due to 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’s 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 instances since 2010.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However aren’t the premiums already locked in right here? Or are you saying Republicans are proper when you can also make up for it on the finish of the 12 months with the tax credit score?
REP. JEFFRIES: The premiums should not locked in by way of the truth that if we will act legislatively and act now. We will prolong the open enrollment interval. We will push it again. And we will intervene as a Congress with a purpose to really defend 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 business 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 need 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: Nicely, as I indicated, final a number of weeks, we’ve 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 problem associated to affordability and the necessity to handle 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’s extremely vital, 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 risk to town of New York and past, due to the acute assault that has taken place all through this 12 months on the financial system, on well being care, on farmers, on veterans, on regulation 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 must be aligned and pushing again so we will finish this nationwide nightmare that Donald Trump has visited upon the American individuals.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, you continue to waited till Friday, and the election is upon us, however you’re leaving room in your reply there for understanding that you just don’t 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 need to retake the home, would you suggest they mimic a few of Mamdani’s messages as a progressive mannequin for the social gathering?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, what we’ve stated from the very starting is that we’ve got to decisively handle the affordability disaster that Donald Trump and Republican insurance policies have made worse in the USA of America. We have to decrease the excessive price of residing. 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’re going to mimi- mimic is our personal views because it pertains to the necessity to make life extra inexpensive. Right here in America, if you work arduous and play by the foundations, on this nation, it’s best to be capable of stay a cushty life, stay the nice life, good paying job, good housing, good well being care, good training to your youngsters and a very good retirement however far too many individuals are struggling to stay paycheck to paycheck and might barely get by. That’s unacceptable within the wealthiest nation within the historical past of the world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you about one thing you stated. You stated, Democrats- there aren’t any election deniers on our facet of the aisle, you stated that again in January. However lately, you’ve been utilizing the time period “rigged elections” in reference to the upcoming midterms. Democrats have been appalled when President Trump used language like that. How do you justify utilizing that now? Doesn’t that undermine religion for voters it’s essential to present up?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, I’ve been utilizing that time period within the context of Donald Trump’s unprecedented effort to gerrymander congressional maps in a partisan style all throughout the nation with a purpose to rig the midterm elections and deny the flexibility of the American individuals to truly determine who ought to be within the majority because it pertains to the Home of Representatives–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You realize Democrats are additionally going by way of–
REP. JEFFRIES: –the framers of the Structure have been very clear–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –by way of gerrymandering and redistricting.
REP. JEFFRIES: No, no. no. Nicely, Democrats are going to push again aggressively to ensure that we’ve got honest 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.
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Transcript: Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 26, 2025
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