The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Chuck Schumer that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Oct. 5, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face The Nation. Senator Chuck Schumer is the highest Democrat on the opposite facet of the Capitol and he joins us now from New York Metropolis. Good morning to you, chief. I need to decide up on one thing the Speaker of the Home was pointing to. He desires this battle to be about illegals, as he mentioned. And I need to be particular right here, as a result of we all know from our analysis that there is no such thing as a federal cash that goes in the direction of well being care tax credit for undocumented immigrants on this nation. The federal authorities does not fund medical health insurance for the undocumented. However it is usually true that states like yours, New York, does present well being take care of people who find themselves on this nation illegally. And their argument appears to be the cash right here is fungible, and backside line is, it comes out of the federal pocket. Do you need to reply to that?
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER: You already know, they do not need to, Johnson does not need to talk about the actual problem, the well being care disaster dealing with the American folks. So he places up all these pretend lies to attempt to divert consideration. It is his customary operation. He simply is worried with the politics. Each impartial company that appears at this says Johnson’s declare is fake. And simply as you mentioned, Margaret, no, zero federal {dollars} can go to undocumented immigrants by means of Medicare, by means of Medicaid, by means of ACA. And so we must be speaking about the actual problem right here, which is that we’ve a well being care disaster in America attributable to the Republicans. They’ve caught, they barreled us in the direction of a shutdown as a result of they do not need to cope with that disaster. Plain and easy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, let’s discuss concerning the shutdown in a second. By way of well being care, the place you’ve got taken us, by way of the messaging, Democrats, as I perceive it, are in search of an extension of these Obamacare tax credit score. I imagine you want them completely. You heard the speaker say we are able to discuss that after the federal government is reopened, maybe not completely. However do you hear any type of opening right here for a negotiation by any means?
SENATOR SCHUMER: Properly, proper now, not. Look, Johnson’s not critical about this. He despatched his, all his congressmen house final week and residential this week. How are you going to barter? —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Properly he says the job is within the Senate. With you and chief Thune —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — And he is, effectively, no you want, no, you really want Johnson if you are going to negotiate any settlement. You want Johnson, Thune, Trump, Schumer and Jeffries. And the rationale he despatched them house is as a result of he is extra concerned about defending the Epstein recordsdata than defending the American folks from the well being care disaster. We have been attempting for months and months to take a seat down with them and have a critical dialog addressing America’s well being care wants. And so they’ve refused and refused and refused. And simply in your present and on different exhibits, after they requested him, effectively, will you do it in January. He says, it is beginning in January. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — He says, no, we’ll have a dialog. Properly, you understand what, later means by no means. And we have tried 45 days and 45 days and 45 days from March on. We requested them to vote on it 3 times. The Republicans within the Senate, they voted no 3 times. So we have to resolve this disaster. Look —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — That was a everlasting extension. The invoice that I believe you are referring to is Senator Shaheen. It was a everlasting extension. It wasn’t the, you understand —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — He, Johnson has not dedicated —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Compromise that some Republicans have proposed. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — Yeah. Margaret, Johnson has not dedicated to any extension and he will not till the American folks power him to. And it does not, and by the way in which, the disaster does not begin in January. Two days in the past, beginning October 1, thousands and thousands of People are getting notices that their well being care premiums are dramatically growing. In the event you’re a 55 yr outdated couple, and also you pay, make $80,000, you understand how a lot your premiums will go up if we do not prolong it? It’ll go up one thing like $25,000. The typical American pays $900 extra. How do People who’re struggling, sitting on the desk Friday night time determining tips on how to pay the payments, how on earth can they get such a rise? Democrats are easy. We need to prolong it and they also will not must pay that improve.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — And Johnson doesn’t need to do it. He is simply not critical about it, as exemplified by him sending the Home house for 2 weeks. It is advisable to be right here to barter.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper, you are utilizing phrase prolong versus making everlasting, simply making clear there. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — Look. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — After which the quantity we see is the common improve of about $1,000 in premium funds for many households that can go into impact.
SENATOR SCHUMER: — Proper, proper. Yeah and it is horrible. And, it is horrible. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — On the reopening all the things dialog, sir, although. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — Sure. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — I imply, do you belief chief Thune? And whenever you have a look at simply your numbers right here, three senators already crossed over to vote with Republicans on the short-term funding deal. Are you involved about extra defections?
SENATOR SCHUMER: Look, it is a Republican shutdown as a result of they’ve refused to speak with us. Johnson, I noticed him talked about that we did it 13 occasions after I was majority chief. That is true. You already know why? In each case, we sat down and talked with the Republicans and there was a give and take, after which either side did not get all the things they wished, however we acquired it finished. They’ve refused to speak to us even as soon as. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Properly, Thune, Thune informed Fox that there have been ongoing, ongoing conversations. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — And Jeffries and I’ve been attempting to get them to speak to us, for, they tried to get us to speak to them for, we have tried to speak to them for months and months and months. And so they mentioned no. The American folks know that they are in cost. Republican President, Republican Senate, Republican Home. That they’ve a duty to manipulate, which implies sit down and discuss with us so we are able to tackle these wants.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However again to the query of defections. Chief Thune was on one other community, on Fox, and he mentioned that there are conversations with Democrats who need to discover an off ramp right here. Is he having conversations with Democrats apart from you? Are you positive you may’t, will you may have defections?
SENATOR SCHUMER: Yeah. Margaret. I’ve inspired my Democratic members to take a seat and discuss to Republicans. It is all the time good when Democrats and Republicans discuss to one another, however two factors. First, in these conversations, the Republicans supplied nothing. And, however second, the one approach it will in the end be solved is that if 5 folks sit collectively in a room and resolve it. And they’re the president, who additionally does not appear critical about this. You already know he is placing out his memes and his issues with the grim reaper and all of that stuff. He is enjoying golf. Johnson’s not critical, and so we have to take a seat down, the 5 of us. That is the way in which to resolve this downside. However when Democrats discuss to Republicans, it is a good factor. And I’ve inspired my Democrats to do it, however they’ve supplied us nothing. No change.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you ever tried calling President Trump? He appears to take telephone calls. Immediately. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — Properly you understand, we sat, we tried to get President Trump to take a seat down with us weeks in the past, lengthy earlier than the shutdown day began. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — So no. Okay. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — He mentioned, he mentioned sure. He mentioned, no. Johnson informed him to say no. We sat down, you understand, the day earlier than, and he wasn’t critical. He put these pink hats on the desk, and he is joking round. And actually, within the assembly, Margaret, I acquired the sensation he did not even know what was taking place. That the disaster was impending. That folks would pay such a —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — He as soon as mentioned they will pay all that. That will be dangerous for me. And so the courtroom right here is the American folks. The American persons are listening to what’s taking place, and they’re demanding that we tackle this disaster. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — They’re demanding we sit down collectively and do it. It is simply logical. They’re, say that, you understand, in your survey that you simply put out —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — They are saying that 75% folks really feel Trump is not doing sufficient. One other survey by the Washington Submit confirmed that not solely do 80% of the American folks need us to increase these credit, however 55% of Trump voters —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Properly our, our —
SENATOR SCHUMER: — The American persons are proper now speaking to their senators, you understand, speaking to their congressmen. They’re telling them, get this finished. We need to get it finished. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Our CBS polling additionally exhibits that neither facet is getting good grades on any of this. Chief, we will have to go away that right here for this second. We’ll be proper again.
