Transcript: Sen. Invoice Cassidy on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 16, 2025

The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Invoice Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 16, 2025.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. On Friday, we spoke with the Chairman of one of many Senate committees accountable for crafting well being care laws, Louisiana’s Invoice Cassidy, who can be a health care provider. We started by exhibiting him what the President is considering of for a healthcare repair.

VOSOT, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I’m calling as we speak for insurance coverage firms to not be paid, however for the cash, this huge amount of cash to be paid on to the individuals of our nation in order that they’ll purchase their very own well being care, which will likely be much better and much inexpensive than the catastrophe generally known as Obamacare.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So are you, Senator, coordinating with the White Home on this proposal?

SEN. BILL CASSIDY: So we’re completely in communication with the White Home and with the administration, as a result of there’s plenty of stuff that it’s important to work out to do this. However let me give somewhat meat on the bones of what the President’s talking about. In case you have a look at an Obamacare coverage now, there’s a $6,000 deductible. Democrats are preventing to decrease the premiums. You decrease a premium on one thing which has $6,000 deductible, it’s principally a catastrophic coverage. Now, I like to talk of the price of being insured, not simply the price of the medical insurance. The President is proposing that we take the $26 billion that will be going to insurance coverage firms if we simply do a straight out extension, and by the best way, 20 p.c of that $26 billion, 20 p.c will go for revenue and administrative overhead, give it on to the American individuals in an account during which 100% of the cash is used for them to buy well being care on their very own phrases. Now- now, that makes them an knowledgeable client. It additionally helps handle the necessity to have protection for that deductible, and in the event that they get that coverage with a better deductible, they’ll truly decrease their premium. It’s a candy spot, decrease premiums, assist with the deductible, making the affected person the knowledgeable client, the President and I are united. We should always all be united about that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, the President’s financial adviser, Kevin Hassett, was on this program final Sunday. He mentioned the president was simply brainstorming, issues aren’t formally put collectively amongst Republican senators but, however I simply wish to make clear what you’re coordinating with the President on right here, as a result of, is it to purchase your personal insurance coverage coverage, which is type of sophisticated, or is it to make use of this versatile spending account you’ve talked about for associated well being care wants? Like, are there restrictions on how you should utilize that cash?

SEN. CASSIDY: So first, there’s two forms of premium tax credit. There’s the baseline premium tax credit score, which was a part of Obamacare, that will keep in impact, and other people would nonetheless purchase a coverage. For instance, they get in a automotive wreck, one thing disastrous. They want any individual negotiating on their behalf with all of the suppliers. That stays the identical. What we’re speaking concerning the shutdown was over the improved premium tax credit. Insurance policies have grow to be so costly underneath Obamacare that underneath Joe Biden, Democrats handed one other subsidy on prime of the primary subsidy. That’s what we’re preventing about and what Republicans are saying, and I prefer to hope Democrats will too. Hey, wait a second, if we will have decrease premiums and assist individuals with their deductible by giving the cash on to the affected person. By the best way, 20 p.c doesn’t go for insurance coverage firm revenue and overhead. 100percent goes for well being care. Why don’t we unite Republican and Democrats in doing that? That’s the place the President is. You bought to determine some issues out. However we’re quite a bit additional alongside than you may think.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you wish to repair Obamacare, or do you wish to eradicate Obamacare?

SEN. CASSIDY: First, it’s important to, like, we’re going into 2026. That’s like a month and a half from now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.

SEN. CASSIDY: And so that you’ve started working with what you could have. However then again, Obamacare was a prime heavy, administratively heavy sort system during which some huge cash is some huge cash, and accountability is taken from people and given to insurance coverage firms. As one instance, I’m a health care provider. I work for 20 years in a hospital for the uninsured. I discovered that should you give the affected person the facility, good issues occur that’s supported, by the best way, by the medical literature, if the affected person is engaged in her well being care and the well being care of her household. She’s going to be a smart shopper, smart for her well being and smart for her pocketbook. We have to have a brand new mannequin, and that mannequin is to have interaction the affected person in her personal well being care. Doing so is sweet for her, good for us all.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however you mentioned we have to work with what we’ve. That’s, as you simply mentioned, you could have a brief period of time earlier than the top of the 12 months. Do you assume it’s good to prolong the well being care tax subsidies which might be at present in place till you determine all the remainder of this sophisticated coverage making?

SEN. CASSIDY: Let me again you up just a bit bit, Margaret. I’ll simply say, all people assumes it’s straightforward simply to increase the premium tax credit, the improved premium tax credit. It’s not that straightforward. 50 p.c of the states didn’t plan on them being prolonged, they usually don’t have charges as in the event that they had been to be prolonged. So which means if we move this mid December, they’ve obtained to recalculate charges in time for, wait a second, by that point, we’re already into 2026 it’s not a straightforward matter. And by the best way, did I point out the insurance policies that individuals wish to decrease the premiums for have $6,000 deductibles. It’s principally one thing for insurance coverage firms to make cash off of and for the person to wade by way of $6,000 of debt earlier than they’ll lastly entry it. Now, the type of proposal I’m proposing Republicans are, and I hope Democrats will be a part of, is, let’s take that cash, and we’ve a mechanism to take action. We give it to the affected person. By giving her that cash, she might select a bronze stage plan, which is to say decrease premiums. So now her premiums are down, however she has cash in an account to assist with the deductible, and I feel we will determine that out about as simply as we will determine what we might do if we simply did a straight out extension.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you wish to do all this, although, by the second week of December, when the Democrats have been promised they’ll have a vote on an ACA invoice of their alternative.

SEN. CASSIDY: Sure, and I inform my Democratic colleagues first, let’s not be Democrats and Republicans. Let’s be People, representing all of People. Let’s acknowledge what you’re doing simply provides cash to insurance coverage firms, however we will do it higher with decrease premiums and with cash and accounts to pay deductibles. After which why don’t we come collectively? There is usually a Democratic invoice and a Republican invoice, and each fail. Let’s do an American invoice the place the American individuals profit and this work collectively, collaborate to decrease these premiums and assist them with that first greenback protection in the- within the deductible.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So we regarded and there are about 293,000 Louisianans, your state, enrolled in Obamacare at present, six weeks from now, these extent expanded tax credit that you just’ve been speaking about will go away for people making $62,000 or above. People making lower than that quantity will see their tax credit score shrink. So are you telling these a whole lot of hundreds of Louisianans that that tax credit score goes away it doesn’t matter what, that- that they need to make plans–

SEN. CASSIDY: No.

MARGARET BRENNAN: – for greater costs?

SEN. CASSIDY: I’m telling them that we’re I’m telling them that we’re working to make it work higher for them. And they might let you know, by the best way, wait a second, I obtained a $6,000 deductible that doesn’t work for me. Margaret, I’m a health care provider. I’d discuss to individuals once they’d come to see me, and they’d inform me, I can’t afford that. My deductible is just too excessive. That’s actuality, and that actuality is being misplaced on this dialogue. We’ve obtained to do one thing about sky excessive deductibles. Possibly you may afford the premium. You possibly can’t afford the coverage. Let’s decrease the price of having medical insurance, focusing by not simply on the premium, however the deductible. And I feel we will do each.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, even within the personal market, well being care prices have gone up up six to 9 p.c once you have a look at the projections. However I wish to ask you about your oversight position. Secretary Kennedy has this hand picked panel of vaccine advisors. You recognize them at ACIP. They’re going to satisfy in a number of days and probably vote on altering the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. That very same vaccine advisory group can be contemplating the protection of vaccine components like aluminum, which might impression a variety of childhood pictures. This could matter for American mother and father. Are you snug with what they’re about to place to a vote?

SEN. CASSIDY: I’m very involved about this. Because it seems, my medical follow centered on hepatitis B, and so we all know that due to a beneficial dose at beginning of hepatitis B vaccine, beneficial, not mandated, the variety of youngsters born contracting hepatitis B at beginning, or shortly thereafter, has decreased from about 20,000, 20 years in the past to love 200 now. That’s 20- successfully a clerical error. We’ve decreased incidence of persistent hepatitis B by 20,000 individuals during the last twenty years with this type of advice. And by the best way, should you’re contaminated at beginning, you’re extra likely- you’re 95 p.c prone to grow to be a persistent provider. The vaccine is secure. It has been established, and these components they’re talking of have been proven to be secure. That is coverage by individuals who don’t perceive the epidemiology of hepatitis B, or who’ve grown snug with the truth that we’ve been so profitable with our advice that now the incidence of hepatitis B is so low, they really feel like we will relaxation on our laurels. I’m a health care provider. I’ve seen individuals die from vaccine-preventable illness. I need individuals to be wholesome. I wish to make America wholesome, and also you don’t begin by stopping suggestions which have made us considerably more healthy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, the president of america additionally instructed American ladies to not take Tylenol. Or give it to their youngsters. That is based mostly on a idea that it causes autism one way or the other. And he additionally in a social media put up, the identical one, referred to as for the measles, mumps and rubella shot to be damaged up into three totally different pictures. That was then endorsed by the appearing CDC director. Are you involved by this type of suggestive linkage on the prime of the CDC and from the White Home?

SEN. CASSIDY: Once more, I’m a health care provider, and so I’m going to go the place the proof takes me. And the perfect proof is a examine out of Sweden with 2 million youngsters that discovered no- no causality, no affiliation, if you’ll, between taking Tylenol in being pregnant and getting autism. And naturally, that issues me, as a result of there’s going to be a mother on the market —once more, I’m a health care provider, I discuss to I discuss to sufferers— in a room, and her youngster has autism. She took Tylenol for a excessive fever throughout being pregnant and now she blames herself. That’s simply the best way mamas assume, and that’s flawed. We don’t need her to assume that. The perfect proof is that there isn’t any relationship, by the best way, if in case you have a excessive fever throughout being pregnant, which may be a threat for autism. Now, after all, should you’re pregnant, discuss to your doctor earlier than you’re taking something, however level being, the perfect proof is that there isn’t any relationship between the 2. And I don’t need ladies placing themselves on a guilt journey when the perfect proof reveals not. By the best way, the President has spoken out strongly in favor of immunizations in different circumstances, and I famous, when he obtained his bodily, he obtained the flu and COVID pictures. So the President has demonstrated that he believes in immunization.

MARGARET BRENNAN: However that’s why clarifying the statements, I feel, is necessary, because you interpret them in another way. I’m wondering, do you remorse your affirmation vote for Secretary Kennedy?

SEN. CASSIDY: I smile as a result of each reporter asks me that–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, as a result of these questions run proper right into a pledge that you just extracted from him to not tinker with among the buildings that had been set in place to have oversight of those vaccines and this course of.

SEN. CASSIDY: So you reside life ahead, once more, you simply do, let the day’s personal troubles be enough for the day. And I’ll credit score the secretary. He’s introduced consideration to issues like ultra-processed meals that has, frankly, by no means acquired this kind of consideration earlier than, and other people reward him for that. So he and I’ve publicly disagreed on some issues, however I strongly agree with him on others, and so, in order that’s how I’ll reply your query.

if that is your ultimate 12 months in workplace, sir, will you make overhauling well being care your prime precedence?

SEN. CASSIDY: Effectively, I positive hope it’s not my ultimate 12 months in workplace, however, however I’ve been interested by healthcare for 30 years, as a result of after I labored in a public hospital for the uninsured, I noticed the burden it could possibly be on middle-income households who had center revenue however couldn’t afford the insurance coverage or couldn’t guarantee afford the healthcare. And so it’s been my precedence for 30 years, and I’ll proceed to do this. And if there’s a silver lining, if there’s a silver lining within the shutdown, we simply had, the silver lining is now we’re centered on how can we make well being care extra inexpensive for the American individuals. That needs to be our purpose, to not be partisan by hook or by crook. How can we make it extra inexpensive for fellow People? If we will accomplish that, I’ll really feel like I’ve achieved my job.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, thanks to your time.

SEN. CASSIDY: Thanks Margaret.

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Transcript: Sen. Invoice Cassidy on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 16, 2025

Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 9, 2025