The next is the transcript of the interview with Reps. Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, and Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 16, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We start immediately with two members of the so-called Home Downside Solvers Caucus, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi and Nebraska Republican Don Bacon. Good morning. Good to have you ever right here in a bipartisan dialog. You each acknowledge there’s an issue right here. Congressman Bacon, let me begin with you. One out of each 5 {dollars} on this nation that’s spent goes to well being care. We all know these Covid-era tax credit score subsidies for Obamacare will go away on the finish of the month.* That is going to hit about 22 of the 24 million People who use that program. What are you able to do within the subsequent six weeks to make prices go down in January?
REP. DON BACON: Properly, we want a short lived extension of those tax credit to maintain these costs down. Republicans nor Democrats wish to see premiums skyrocket, and they’ll if these expire with nothing as a substitute. That is why I labored with Tom Suozzi and different Democrats and Republicans to discover a compromise. We simply wish to do a clear extension. Most Republicans do not anyway, so we predict there must be some caps on earnings, and we wish to guarantee all these credit go on to reducing individuals’s premiums. And proper now, a couple of third of the cash would not make it to the premiums. So these are some reforms that we want to see. And if we will get these achieved, then we will lengthen these tax credit and maintain these- the costs decrease, however we do want a long term repair. The Reasonably priced Care Act is unaffordable, and I believe we have to have this extension to provide us time to work on one thing greater and deeper, and that can assist decrease prices total. However I am proud to work with Tom Suozzi on this, and I recognize his partnership.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Suozzi, I perceive this can be a two-year proposed extension of these enhanced premium tax credit and an earnings cap that phases out for these making between $200,000 to $400,000. If you have a look at the breakdown, although, that is a reasonably small portion of the general recipients of the tax credit, it is like lower than 10%. So what does this accomplish? How does this make it extra inexpensive and honest?
REP. TOM SUOZZI: Properly, it helps everyone else who makes beneath $200,000 dramatically. And the primary concern individuals have in America is affordability and well being care affordability is correct on the prime of the record. So we have to do one thing to increase these premium tax credit–
MARGARET BRENNAN:– How rather more inexpensive?–
REP. SUOZZI: — It will save individuals hundreds and hundreds of {dollars}, actually $1,000 a month for some individuals. So it’s going to be dramatically extra inexpensive. The individuals who make above $400,000 are the teeny little proportion of individuals that aren’t a really small group of individuals that might profit from the present tax credit. The general public are below- beneath $200,000. That $200,000 to $400,000 is a strategy to taper it off so there’s not a cliff.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And the way a lot Democratic help do you’ve got for this at this level?
REP. SUOZZI: I believe the Democrats are going to strongly again the thought of extending premium tax credit in order that we will maintain individuals’s insurance coverage inexpensive. So, we have to provide you with this compromise–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Even with these caps?–
REP. SUOZZI: — Even with the caps. Yeah, people- Democrats have at all times stated that they wish to direct the coverage in the direction of decrease and center earnings people, individuals making beneath $400,000 a year- is- are bread and butter points that we wish to try to make issues inexpensive for these people. So- and that shall be like actually 95%- 99% of the individuals which might be affected proper now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Bacon- sorry, go forward.
REP. BACON: I’d simply say, as Republicans, we push again on the considered somebody incomes $600,000 getting all these tax credit. So after I listened to Speaker- or Chief Thune, that was one among his massive issues on these in order that’s why I needed to make sure that we had this in our framework.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However a tweak with a not everlasting, only a two-year extension. Republicans have not actually been proposing a variety of various Obamacare choices right here. Do you assume all the system must be rebooted, and when will we see that plan?
REP. BACON: Properly, I do I believe Republicans and Democrats have to take a seat down on the desk and determine, what can we actually do apart from simply throw extra money at this. Proper now, the- , the premiums are simply going up a lot sooner than inflation. It is unsustainable and- however we won’t do a Republican solely repair it. It is not going to work. You are not gonna get 60 votes within the Senate to do it. And I do know definitely some people proposed that again in Congress. Let’s go up with our plan. Properly, it will possibly’t simply be a Republican plan if we wish to go one thing. So we bought to take a seat down with Democrats and determine what can we do. And there is some good concepts on the market. So for instance, , I’ve heard, , if we will instantly subsidize excessive threat individuals and put them in a separate pool and simply decrease their premiums by means of subsidies, after which the we will name it, the more healthy people, their premiums go- are going to go down considerably if we try this. So there’s totally different ideas that we will do to that may have an effect, however it’s going to- to be a bipartisan approach ahead. It is not going to be a Republican solely invoice, since you’ll by no means get it handed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Suozzi, I imply, Aetna pulled out of the Obamacare market this 12 months after CVS stated they anticipated to lose as a lot as $400 million. Different massive insurance coverage corporations have been pulling out. If insurance coverage corporations themselves are having issues with Obamacare, do Democrats should be extra open to broader reforms of the Reasonably priced Care Act?
REP. SUOZZI: Yeah, we completely must be any form of reform. I wish to mend it, not finish it. You realize that over the previous decade that there have been over 70 makes an attempt, primarily by the Republicans, not guys like Don Bacon, who’s a really cheap man, to try to eliminate Obamacare altogether. We expect that is a horrible thought. But when individuals wish to try to make it a greater system, to make a- well being care extra inexpensive in America and to get well being care to extra individuals, we must be doing that. That is what the individuals need. That is what cheap individuals in Congress need. We must be working collectively to try to broaden well being care protection, decrease costs for everyone, and make well being care simpler and cheaper for individuals. Now that is not going to occur with everyone yelling and screaming at one another. Everyone says, why do not you just- would not know what the hell they’re speaking about. You can not remedy sophisticated issues in an atmosphere of concern and anger, you want cheap individuals to take a seat down and discuss to one another and say, I believe this. Properly, I believe that, after which work your approach in the direction of discovering compromise, very exhausting to do on this poisonous atmosphere. Individuals like Don Bacon and different members of the Downside Solvers Caucus wish to try this kind of factor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah properly, however non-public well being care prices are additionally going up. However on this subject of poisonous environments right here Congressman Suozzi, Democrats who received elections just some days in the past credited their wins to this affordability concern and the message centered on that. Are you able to clarify the main focus this previous week within the Home by Democrats on the Jeffrey Epstein information? Is that this a tactic to distract from the failure to extract well being care adjustments, or is there one thing else occurring right here? I imply, does the Speaker placing it to a vote finish this concern?
REP. SUOZZI: I believe it is a mixture of things, of individuals shining their lights on essentially the most sizzling subject on the time. You realize, Jeffrey Epstein, after all, is a crucial subject. I am certain I will vote to launch his information, however that is not my precedence. My precedence is to give attention to the issues that the American individuals care about: affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and well being care. That is what individuals are preventing about, that is what they’re involved about, that is what we must be centered on in Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Bacon, does the Speaker placing this to a vote finish the Epstein concern and get you again on to well being care? I imply, the Speaker stated that is all a political train. Definitely the households of the victims do not assume it’s.
REP. BACON: I believe the Speaker realizes the practice has left the station on this. Let’s rip the Band-Assist off and get it completed. I want the president realized that. The extra the White Home pushes again on this. It is, , it simply seems dangerous, proper? I imply, it was- the lawyer common got here out and stated, all these white binders, we’re gonna launch all this data after which, a month later, stated, Oh, no, we’re not. So it has been a PR blunder from the start. And I believe the Speaker is correct, that is gonna occur, so let’s get it completed and vote on it. Now, we bought to understand it nonetheless has to go to the Senate. Then it has to go to the president for a signature. In the meantime, our Oversight Committee is releasing hundreds and hundreds of pages of proof regarding Epstein. So for instance, like 3,000 pages was launched late final week. So the Oversight Committee, Republicans and Democrats are placing out the info. They’re placing out subpoenas. I believe it is already working, however like Tom when this comes on the ground, I’ll vote sure on it. I need transparency. We must- we wish to shield the victims, however all the pieces else ought to simply be- must be open.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You additionally. Congressman Bacon, run the Cyber Subcommittee. I wish to ask you about one thing vital this previous week that AI agency Anthropic stated that Chinese language state sponsored hackers used their expertise to automate break-ins and perform the primary cyber espionage operation, largely utilizing AI. It hit like 30 totally different corporations. What are you able to inform us concerning the scope and the targets of this assault?
REP. BACON: I am unable to say rather more than what was simply launched. Aside from I can say this, China has changed Russia as essentially the most formidable cyber risk. They’ve a lot greater expertise. They’re utilizing AI, which supplies you much more functionality find weaknesses in your adversaries’ cyber defenses. What issues me greater than something, whereas China is attacking us each single day, and Russia, we have had no commander in control of cyber command for over eight months. You realize, the White Home or the president, fired the Cyber Command commander over eight months in the past and has not changed him. Additionally, the highest two positions on the Nationwide Safety Company, the highest two are vacant for over eight months, and we have been reducing CISA, which is the- the company that protects our non-public sector, our companies, our infrastructure, and we have lower it by a couple of third. And so our cyber capabilities are going backwards. We do not- we’re rudderless in a time the place China is attacking us day-after-day, and that is one thing that actually issues me, and I have been pushing the White Home to- to take care of this and to confront the cyber risk.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, we’ll proceed following that vital story. Congressmen, thanks for attempting to be downside solvers with us immediately. Face the Nation shall be again in a minute. Stick with us.
*EDITOR’S NOTE: The improved premium tax credit are set to run out on the finish of 2025.
[/gpt3]
