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 mentioned 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 actually hope not. That is day 26 of the Trump, Republican shutdown. And as Democrats, now we have maintained from the very starting, and proceed to take care of, we’ll 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 really meets the wants of the American individuals. And to decisively tackle the Republican healthcare disaster, significantly because it pertains to the pressing want to increase the Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit so we are able to stop tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals from experiencing dramatically elevated medical health insurance premiums that may 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 mentioned on Fox this previous week that shutdowns are horrible, however as she put it, it is one of many few leverage gadgets Democrats have. Do you assume Democrats are gaining from this struggle?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, our focus continues to be on driving down the excessive price of dwelling for on a regular basis Individuals. Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they might decrease prices on day one. We all know prices have not gone down. They are going up. Inflation is transferring within the improper route. The Trump tariffs have made life dearer for the American individuals to the tune of 1000’s of extra {dollars} per yr. 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 vulnerable to having their premiums explode, in some circumstances by 1000 to 2000 {dollars} per yr. That is what this struggle for us is all about. Republicans have provide you with a brand new conspiracy idea each week for the final six weeks. The Democratic place, Margaret, has been clear, cancel the cuts, decrease the fee, save well being care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, that was the quote from the whip herself when she mentioned leverage. However I hear you on rising healthcare prices. However the rapid time period, individuals don’t get paid. 750,000 federal staff are on unpaid depart. Eighty % of the parents who work on our nuclear program are included in that determine. The agriculture secretary mentioned there might be delays in meals stamps, stamps for most of the 41 million individuals who depend on SNAP. After which at airports throughout the nation, half of the flight delays, in response to 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 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 known as for from the very starting. Sadly–
MARGARET BRENNAN: However the Republicans are saying–
REP. JEFFRIES: –Republicans have refused to sit down down–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –they will not try this till you cross 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: Nicely, 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 setting the place Republicans have already enacted the biggest lower to Medicaid in American historical past. Hospitals, nursing houses and community-based well being facilities are closing all throughout the nation. There may be the likelihood that Medicare might face a $536 billion lower, the biggest lower to Medicare in historical past, if Congress would not act by the top of this yr, due to what Republican insurance policies have carried out of their one large, ugly invoice. And now they refuse to increase the Reasonably priced 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 have not refused. Chief Thune mentioned he’d even put that up for a vote should you open the federal government first, however subsequent Saturday is the start of open enrollment. I imply, persons are going to see what that invoice goes to appear to be. Virtually talking, aren’t you out of time right here? Insurance coverage corporations 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: Nicely, hear, we wish to reopen the federal government, and we have to stand by our exhausting working federal staff who’re doing all that they will to guarantee that taxpayer {dollars} are spent successfully and effectively, even beneath probably the most adversarial circumstances. Bear in mind, when it comes to 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 wish to reopen the federal government now. By way of well being care, a part of the fact is that tens of thousands and thousands of persons 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 Reasonably priced 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 Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit. They usually’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 Reasonably priced Care Act greater than 70 completely 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 can also make up for it on the finish of the yr with the tax credit score?
REP. JEFFRIES: The premiums are usually not locked in when it comes to the fact that if we are able to act legislatively and act now. We are able to prolong the open enrollment interval. We are able to push it again. And we are able to intervene as a Congress with the intention to truly shield the affordability of medical health 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 effectively. 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 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 yr. However I help the Democratic nominee, as I indicated, and we’re in alignment when it comes to the difficulty associated to affordability and the necessity to tackle 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 steer the NYPD ahead. That is extremely essential, from a public security standpoint for each neighborhood, together with as a excessive precedence, the security and safety of the Jewish neighborhood. And when it comes to the second that we discover ourselves in, Donald Trump represents an existential menace to town of New York and past, due to the intense assault that has taken place all through this yr 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 Legislation, and, after all, 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: Nicely, 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 working 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 get together?
REP. JEFFRIES: No, what we have mentioned from the very starting is that now we have to decisively tackle 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 dwelling. We have to repair our damaged well being care system–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — So no?–
REP. JEFFRIES: — And we have to, after all, 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 inexpensive. Right here in America, if you work exhausting and play by the foundations, on this nation, you need to be capable of dwell a cushty life, dwell the nice life, good paying job, good housing, good well being care, good training to your kids and a very good retirement however far too many individuals are struggling to dwell 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 mentioned. You mentioned, Democrats- there aren’t any election deniers on our aspect of the aisle, you mentioned that again in January. However just 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? Does not that undermine religion for voters it’s essential 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 trend all throughout the nation with the intention to rig the midterm elections and deny the power of the American individuals to truly resolve who must be within the majority because it pertains to the Home of Representatives–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You understand 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. Nicely, Democrats are going to push again aggressively to guarantee that now we have 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.
