The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 16, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We pass now to New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Excellent morning to you, Senator.
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN: Excellent morning. Great to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly you’ve spent a excellent a part of the previous 12 months looking to get regulation thru to increase the ones Obamacare tax credit score subsidies. Closing Sunday, you crossed the aisle. You agreed to reopen the federal government, finish the shutdown with no assured extension, however with a promise to have some roughly vote on an ACA invoice of Democrats’ personal opting for. Do you’ve consensus amongst Democrats that this must be a vote merely to increase the tax credit as they stand now or are you open to a broader reform of Obamacare?
SEN. SHAHEEN: Neatly from the start of this shutdown I have had two objectives. One is to get govt up and working once more to finish the struggling that too many American citizens had been experiencing as a result of they misplaced meals help or they were not getting paid federal workers, and the second one used to be to handle the prime value of premium- medical insurance that persons are having a look at as a result of insurance coverage firms are surroundings charges in line with the truth that the ones top class tax credit are not- are meant to pass away on the finish of this 12 months. I believe other folks are actually very conscious about the reality that they will see large charge will increase double for such a lot of other folks, and an unaffordable value of medical insurance if the ones top class tax credit pass away. And what I believe we want to do, and those are conversations that we want to have, is we want to paintings with our Republican colleagues to check out and get a invoice that may be supported. That may get thru each properties of Congress the place we have been speaking to our Republicans, Senator Cassidy, all over the shutdown, about what we could possibly comply with. We have been speaking to Area participants on each side of the aisle, and so now we want to paintings in combination. I consider Senator Cassidy. This must be a invoice that isn’t partisan, nevertheless it must be a invoice to increase the ones top class tax credit, as a result of, as everyone has mentioned, there may be actual urgency to get this executed. And if we do not cope with it, then persons are going to peer large charge will increase. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — So we will be able to paintings in combination, we will be able to prolong the credit, however we most definitely cannot enforce important reforms that Senator Cassidy used to be speaking about within the period of time that we have. So we want to glance each within the quick time period and in the long run for a way we cope with the price of well being care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ok, in order that’s the most important level. So the 26 billion or in order that he talks about as the associated fee for extension of those that he needs to redirect into those money accounts, those versatile accounts. You are announcing you’ll be able to’t get that executed in six weeks time.
SEN. SHAHEEN: No, you’ll be able to’t. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Ok. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — And once more, there may be actual urgency to try this. There is some excellent, bipartisan regulation that has pop out of committee within the Senate that I believe we must take in. Issues that will expedite approval of generic medication and biosimilars, that will cope with PBM reform, which is a big value build up for well being care, however that is a long term factor. Presently, we want to cope with what persons are going through relating to the ones prime charge will increase on account of the risk that those top class tax credit are going to finish.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Simply to position a superb level on it, after we heard the Congressman on the best of this system discuss, you understand, caps on source of revenue and restrictions on who can have the benefit of the ones tax credit. Are you able to get your fellow Democrats, who, by way of the way in which, are lovely offended at every different, offended at you as smartly, about this determination to reopen the federal government? Are you able to get everybody on board? Or are you able to no less than get to 60 votes so that you could prolong the ones subsidies with tweaks?
SEN. SHAHEEN: Neatly, to start with, we want to put the shutdown at the back of us within the round firing squad and take into accout why we are on this scenario. We are on this scenario as a result of Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson and the Republican majorities within the Area and Senate have refused to handle value, the price of well being care, and are looking to throw other folks off their well being care. Are we able to get to consensus? Neatly, we want to, if we are going to get a bipartisan invoice out of the Congress. I believe we have observed and heard from medical insurance firms that imposing important adjustments within the first 12 months goes to be in reality tough to do, nearly not possible. However we ought so that you could agree on some adjustments like capping the source of revenue of people that obtain the ones top class tax credit. Presently, 94% of people that get the credit earn beneath $200,000 a 12 months, and the typical source of revenue for a unmarried recipient is ready slightly over $30,000 a 12 months. So the general public who’re getting those tax credit are usually not in that top source of revenue degree —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — And so we must be capable of agree on that. We must be capable of agree that we are not looking for any fraud and abuse in this system. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Proper. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — That is one thing Republicans and Democrats consider in. So let’s center of attention on what we will be able to comply with. Let us take a look at what we will be able to get executed within the period of time we’ve, and acknowledge there may be actual urgency to get those top class tax credit prolonged.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you will have this vote round the second one week of December, however premiums are already notified out. They’re already —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — Proper. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — kind of baked in right here for- indisputably for American citizens who purchase govt well being care. Is it too overdue to increase open enrollment? I imply, Senator Cassidy used to be announcing like send has sailed right here.
SEN. SHAHEEN: No, lets in fact make a decision that we had been keen as a part of this regulation to increase open enrollment. Clearly, we want fortify from the management, however insurance coverage firms, in assembly with the insurance coverage business, they have got indicated that whilst it might be tough, they might cope with one of the crucial demanding situations round now not getting settlement till December. Once more, that is why there may be urgency to get this executed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to ask you about any other subject. Survivors of convicted kid intercourse perpetrator Jeffrey Epstein, in addition to one of the crucial households of the ones survivors, wrote a letter to lawmakers supporting the discharge of Justice Division inner communications in regard to his case. In that letter, they stated there used to be no center floor right here. There used to be no hiding at the back of birthday party association. We can take into accout your determination on the poll field. You realize, this Area vote is ready to return up this week. Must there be a vote within the Senate? And would you fortify it, to peer the discharge of those paperwork?
SEN. SHAHEEN: Completely. We want to free up the paperwork. The American other folks want to see what is in them. And if President Trump says there may be not anything there that he is curious about, then why does not he fortify free up of the paperwork?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly, we can see if the Republican chief within the Senate takes up your proposal there. There has now not been a dedication to have that roughly vote. However on Venezuela, because you are rating member on Senate International Family members, I wish to be certain that I ask you, the President stated he has kind of made up his thoughts on what to do about Venezuela. You had been one of the vital only a few senators who’ve won briefings inside the previous few weeks from Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth in regards to the moves which might be being performed on those small, fast paced boats. Is there a transparent finish recreation right here and is your figuring out that ousting Nicolas Maduro from energy is a part of the management’s plan?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I don’t believe it is transparent what the tip recreation is for this management with admire to Venezuela. They are depending on a felony opinion, excuse me, relating to the boat moves that they’ve now not launched. They’ve in any case made it to be had to participants of Congress, however they have not launched it to the general public. They’re escalating in some way that speaking a few land strike thru particular operations that places in danger our women and men within the army. We have now such a lot firepower now within the Caribbean, the Gerald R. Ford has been taken from the Purple Sea, in order that now we haven’t any firepower, in reality, within the Center East as we have a look at the threats there. We do not need what we want, I believe, within the Indo-Pacific or in Europe. And so what the President has executed here’s to position in danger different portions of the arena and American citizens in different portions of the arena for this fascination on looking to eliminate Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, who obviously is —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — a foul personality. He is been concerned about drug —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Yeah. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — unlawful medication. However he isn’t a risk to america of The usa. —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Ok. —
SEN. SHAHEEN: — And what the President is doing is elevating actual questions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Shaheen, thanks to your time this morning. We will be again in a second.
