The next is the transcript of the interview with Reps. Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, and Don 1st baron beaverbrook, Republican of Nebraska, that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 16, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We commence as of late with two contributors of the so-called Area Drawback Solvers Caucus, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi and Nebraska Republican Don 1st baron beaverbrook. Excellent morning. Excellent to have you ever right here in a bipartisan dialog. You each acknowledge there is a downside right here. Congressman 1st baron beaverbrook, let me get started with you. One out of each and every 5 bucks on this nation this is spent is going to well being care. We all know those Covid-era tax credits subsidies for Obamacare will pass away on the finish of the month.* That is going to hit about 22 of the 24 million American citizens who use that program. What are you able to do within the subsequent six weeks to make prices pass down in January?
REP. DON BACON: Smartly, we want a brief extension of those tax credit to stay those costs down. Republicans nor Democrats wish to see premiums skyrocket, and they are going to if those expire with not anything as an alternative. That is why I labored with Tom Suozzi and different Democrats and Republicans to discover a compromise. We simply wish to do a blank extension. Maximum Republicans do not anyway, so we expect there must be some caps on source of revenue, and we wish to make certain a lot of these credit pass at once to reducing humans’s premiums. And presently, a couple of 3rd of the cash does not make it to the premiums. So the ones are some reforms that we wish to see. And if we will get the ones completed, then we will prolong those tax credit and stay these- the costs decrease, however we do want a long term repair. The Reasonably priced Care Act is unaffordable, and I feel we want to have this extension to present us time to paintings on one thing larger and deeper, and that can assist decrease prices general. However I am proud to paintings with Tom Suozzi in this, and I recognize his partnership.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Suozzi, I perceive this can be a two-year proposed extension of the ones enhanced top class tax credit and an source of revenue cap that levels out for the ones making between $200,000 to $400,000. Whilst you take a look at the breakdown, despite the fact that, that is a lovely small portion of the total recipients of the tax credit, it is like not up to 10%. So what does this accomplish? How does this make it extra inexpensive and truthful?
REP. TOM SUOZZI: Smartly, it is helping everyone else who makes underneath $200,000 dramatically. And the number 1 fear humans have in The us is affordability and well being care affordability is true on the most sensible of the listing. So we want to do one thing to increase those top class tax credit–
MARGARET BRENNAN:– How a lot more inexpensive?–
REP. SUOZZI: — It will save humans millions of bucks, actually $1,000 a month for some humans. So it is going to be dramatically extra inexpensive. The individuals who make above $400,000 are the teeny little share of people who don’t seem to be an overly small staff of people who would take pleasure in the prevailing tax credit. Most people are below- beneath $200,000. That $200,000 to $400,000 is a strategy to taper it off so there may be now not a cliff.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And what sort of Democratic enhance do you might have for this at this level?
REP. SUOZZI: I feel the Democrats are going to strongly again the speculation of extending top class tax credit in order that we will stay humans’s insurance coverage inexpensive. So, we have were given to get a hold of this compromise–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Even with those caps?–
REP. SUOZZI: — Even with the caps. Yeah, people- Democrats have all the time stated that they wish to direct the coverage in opposition to decrease and heart source of revenue people, humans making underneath $400,000 a year- is- are bread and butter problems that we would like to take a look at and make issues inexpensive for the ones people. So- and that will likely be like actually 95%- 99% of the folks which can be affected presently.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman 1st baron beaverbrook- sorry, pass forward.
REP. BACON: I’d just say, as Republicans, we thrust back at the considered any person incomes $600,000 getting a lot of these tax credit. So once I listened to Speaker- or Chief Thune, that changed into one among his large considerations on those in order that’s why I sought after to make certain that we had this in our framework.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However a tweak with a now not everlasting, only a two-year extension. Republicans have not in point of fact been proposing a large number of selection Obamacare choices right here. Do you assume all of the machine must be rebooted, and when can we see that plan?
REP. BACON: Smartly, I do I feel Republicans and Democrats have to sit down down on the desk and work out, what are we able to in point of fact do but even so simply throw extra money at this. Presently, the- you realize, the premiums are simply going up such a lot quicker than inflation. It is unsustainable and- however we will’t do a Republican most effective repair it. It isn’t going to paintings. You might be now not gonna get 60 votes within the Senate to do it. And I do know surely some people proposed that again in Congress. Let’s pass up with our plan. Smartly, it cannot simply be a Republican plan if we wish to go one thing. So we were given to sit down down with Democrats and work out what are we able to do. And there may be some just right concepts in the market. So as an example, you realize, I have heard, you realize, if we will at once subsidize top possibility humans and put them in a separate pool and simply decrease their premiums thru subsidies, after which the we will name it, the more fit people, their premiums go- are going to move down considerably if we do this. So there may be other ideas that we will do to that may have an have an effect on, however it is going to- to be a bipartisan manner ahead. It isn’t going to be a Republican most effective invoice, as a result of you’ll be able to by no means get it handed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Suozzi, I imply, Aetna pulled out of the Obamacare market this yr after CVS stated they anticipated to lose up to $400 million. Different large insurance coverage firms were pulling out. If insurance coverage firms themselves are having issues of Obamacare, do Democrats want to be extra open to broader reforms of the Reasonably priced Care Act?
REP. SUOZZI: Yeah, we completely will have to be having a look at any roughly reform. I wish to mend it, now not finish it. that over the last decade that there were over 70 makes an attempt, basically by means of the Republicans, now not guys like Don 1st baron beaverbrook, who’s a very fair man, to take a look at and eliminate Obamacare altogether. We expect that is a horrible concept. But when humans need to take a look at and make it a greater machine, to make a- well being care extra inexpensive in The us and to get well being care to extra humans, we will have to be doing that. That is what the folks need. That is what cheap humans in Congress need. We will have to be operating in combination to take a look at and amplify well being care protection, decrease costs for everyone, and make well being care more practical and more economical for humans. Now that isn’t going to occur with everyone yelling and screaming at each and every different. Everyone says, why do not you just- does not know what the hell they are speaking about. You can’t resolve difficult issues in an atmosphere of concern and anger, you wish to have cheap humans to sit down down and communicate to one another and say, I feel this. Smartly, I feel that, after which paintings your manner in opposition to discovering compromise, very onerous to do on this poisonous surroundings. Other folks like Don 1st baron beaverbrook and different contributors of the Drawback Solvers Caucus wish to do this form of factor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah neatly, however personal well being care prices also are going up. However in this matter of poisonous environments right here Congressman Suozzi, Democrats who received elections only some days in the past credited their wins to this affordability factor and the message considering that. Are you able to give an explanation for the focal point this previous week within the Area by means of Democrats at the Jeffrey Epstein recordsdata? 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 striking it to a vote finish this factor?
REP. SUOZZI: I feel it is a aggregate of things, of humans shining their lighting fixtures at the maximum sizzling matter on the time. , Jeffrey Epstein, after all, is the most important matter. I am positive I will vote to liberate his recordsdata, however that isn’t my precedence. My precedence is to concentrate on the issues that the American humans care about: affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and well being care. That is what persons are combating about, that is what they are all in favour of, that is what we will have to be considering in Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman 1st baron beaverbrook, does the Speaker striking this to a vote finish the Epstein factor and get you again directly to well being care? I imply, the Speaker stated that is all a political workout. Without a doubt the households of the sufferers do not assume it’s.
REP. BACON: I feel the Speaker realizes the educate has left the station in this. Let’s rip the Band-Assist off and get it finished. I want the president discovered that. The extra the White Area pushes again in this. It is, you realize, it simply seems to be dangerous, proper? I imply, it was- the legal professional basic got here out and stated, a lot of these white binders, we are gonna liberate all this knowledge after which, a month later, stated, Oh, no, we are not. So it is been a PR blunder from the start. And I feel the Speaker is true, that is gonna occur, so let’s get it finished and vote on it. Now, we were given to understand it nonetheless has to visit the Senate. Then it has to visit the president for a signature. In the meantime, our Oversight Committee is freeing millions of pages of proof regarding Epstein. So as an example, like 3,000 pages changed into launched overdue ultimate week. So the Oversight Committee, Republicans and Democrats are striking out the information. They are striking out subpoenas. I feel it is already operating, however like Tom when this comes at the ground, I’ll vote sure on it. I need transparency. We must- we would like to offer protection to the sufferers, however the whole thing else will have to simply be- will have to be open.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You additionally. Congressman 1st baron beaverbrook, run the Cyber Subcommittee. I wish to ask you about one thing vital this previous week that AI company Anthropic stated that Chinese language state backed hackers used their generation to automate break-ins and perform the primary cyber espionage operation, in large part the usage of AI. It hit like 30 other firms. What are you able to let us know concerning the scope and the objectives of this assault?
REP. BACON: I will be able to’t say a lot more than what changed into simply launched. As opposed to I will be able to say this, China has changed Russia as essentially the most ambitious cyber risk. They have got a lot upper generation. They’re the usage of AI, which offers you much more capacity find weaknesses to your adversaries’ cyber defenses. What considerations me greater than the rest, whilst China is attacking us each and every unmarried day, and Russia, we have had no commander accountable for cyber command for over 8 months. , the White Area or the president, fired the Cyber Command commander over 8 months in the past and has now not changed him. Additionally, the highest two positions on the Nationwide Safety Company, the highest two are vacant for over 8 months, and we have been reducing CISA, which is the- the company that protects our personal sector, our companies, our infrastructure, and we have lower it by means of a couple of 3rd. And so our cyber features are going backwards. We do not- we are rudderless in a time the place China is attacking us each day, and that’s the reason one thing that in point of fact considerations me, and I have been pushing the White Area to- to take care of this and to confront the cyber risk.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Smartly, we can proceed following that essential tale. Congressmen, thanks for looking to be downside solvers with us as of late. Face the Country will likely be again in a minute. Stick with us.
*EDITOR’S NOTE: The improved top class tax credit are set to run out on the finish of 2025.
