The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Invoice Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Nov. 16, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. On Friday, we spoke with the Chairman of one of many Senate committees chargeable for crafting well being care laws, Louisiana’s Invoice Cassidy, who can be a health care provider. We started by displaying him what the President is pondering of for a healthcare repair.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I am calling at present for insurance coverage firms to not be paid, however for the cash, this large amount of cash to be paid on to the individuals of our nation in order that they will purchase their very own well being care, which might be much better and much inexpensive than the catastrophe often called Obamacare.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So are you, Senator, coordinating with the White Home on this proposal?
SEN. BILL CASSIDY: So we’re completely in communication with the White Home and with the administration, as a result of there’s numerous stuff that you need to work out to do this. However let me give somewhat meat on the bones of what the President’s talking about. For those who take a look at an Obamacare coverage now, there is a $6,000 deductible. Democrats are preventing to decrease the premiums. You decrease a premium on one thing which has $6,000 deductible, it is mainly a catastrophic coverage. Now, I like to talk of the price of being insured, not simply the price of the medical health insurance. The President is proposing that we take the $26 billion that might be going to insurance coverage firms if we simply do a straight out extension, and by the way in which, 20 % of that $26 billion, 20 % will go for revenue and administrative overhead, give it on to the American individuals in an account during which one hundred pc of the cash is used for them to buy well being care on their very own phrases. Now- now, that makes them an knowledgeable client. It additionally helps deal with the necessity to have protection for that deductible, and in the event that they get that coverage with the next deductible, they will really decrease their premium. It is a candy spot, decrease premiums, assist with the deductible, making the affected person the knowledgeable client, the President and I are united. We should always all be united about that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, the President’s financial adviser, Kevin Hassett, was on this program final Sunday. He mentioned the president was simply brainstorming, issues aren’t formally put collectively amongst Republican senators but, however I simply need to make clear what you might be coordinating with the President on right here, as a result of, is it to purchase your personal insurance coverage coverage, which is sort of sophisticated, or is it to make use of this versatile spending account you have talked about for associated well being care wants? Like, are there restrictions on how you should use that cash?
SEN. CASSIDY: So first, there’s two kinds of premium tax credit. There’s the baseline premium tax credit score, which was a part of Obamacare, that might keep in impact, and folks would nonetheless purchase a coverage. For instance, they get in a automobile wreck, one thing disastrous. They want anyone negotiating on their behalf with all of the suppliers. That stays the identical. What we’re speaking concerning the shutdown was over the improved premium tax credit. Insurance policies have develop into so costly beneath Obamacare that beneath Joe Biden, Democrats handed one other subsidy on prime of the primary subsidy. That is what we’re preventing about and what Republicans are saying, and I wish to hope Democrats will too. Hey, wait a second, if we will have decrease premiums and assist individuals with their deductible by giving the cash on to the affected person. By the way in which, 20 % does not go for insurance coverage firm revenue and overhead. 100percent goes for well being care. Why do not we unite Republican and Democrats in doing that? That is the place the President is. You bought to determine some issues out. However we’re loads additional alongside than you may think.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you need to repair Obamacare, or do you need to remove Obamacare?
SEN. CASSIDY: First, you need to, like, we’re going into 2026. That is like a month and a half from now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SEN. CASSIDY: And so you have to work with what you might have. However then again, Obamacare was a prime heavy, administratively heavy sort system during which some huge cash is some huge cash, and accountability is taken from people and given to insurance coverage firms. As one instance, I am a health care provider. I work for 20 years in a hospital for the uninsured. I discovered that in the event you give the affected person the facility, good issues occur that is supported, by the way in which, by the medical literature, if the affected person is engaged in her well being care and the well being care of her household. She’s going to be a sensible shopper, sensible for her well being and sensible for her pocketbook. We have to have a brand new mannequin, and that mannequin is to have interaction the affected person in her personal well being care. Doing so is sweet for her, good for us all.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, however you mentioned we have to work with what we now have. That’s, as you simply mentioned, you might have a brief period of time earlier than the top of the yr. Do you assume you’ll want to prolong the well being care tax subsidies which might be presently in place till you determine all the remainder of this sophisticated coverage making?
SEN. CASSIDY: Let me again you up just a bit bit, Margaret. I will simply say, all people assumes it is simple simply to increase the premium tax credit, the improved premium tax credit. It is not that straightforward. 50 % of the states didn’t plan on them being prolonged, and so they haven’t got charges as in the event that they have been to be prolonged. So which means if we go this mid December, they have to recalculate charges in time for, wait a second, by that point, we’re already into 2026 it isn’t a simple matter. And by the way in which, did I point out the insurance policies that individuals need to decrease the premiums for have $6,000 deductibles. It’s mainly one thing for insurance coverage firms to earn money off of and for the person to wade via $6,000 of debt earlier than they will lastly entry it. Now, the sort of proposal I’m proposing Republicans are, and I hope Democrats will be part of, is, let’s take that cash, and we now have a mechanism to take action. We give it to the affected person. By giving her that cash, she may select a bronze degree plan, which is to say decrease premiums. So now her premiums are down, however she has cash in an account to assist with the deductible, and I believe we will determine that out about as simply as we will work out what we’d do if we simply did a straight out extension.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you need to do all this, although, by the second week of December, when the Democrats have been promised they will have a vote on an ACA invoice of their selection.
SEN. CASSIDY: Sure, and I inform my Democratic colleagues first, let’s not be Democrats and Republicans. Let’s be People, representing all of People. Let’s acknowledge what you are doing simply offers cash to insurance coverage firms, however we will do it higher with decrease premiums and with cash and accounts to pay deductibles. After which why do not we come collectively? There generally is a Democratic invoice and a Republican invoice, and each fail. Let’s do an American invoice the place the American individuals profit and this work collectively, collaborate to decrease these premiums and assist them with that first greenback protection in the- within the deductible.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So we appeared and there are about 293,000 Louisianans, your state, enrolled in Obamacare presently, six weeks from now, these extent expanded tax credit that you have been speaking about will go away for people making $62,000 or above. People making lower than that quantity will see their tax credit score shrink. So are you telling these a whole bunch of 1000’s of Louisianans that that tax credit score goes away it doesn’t matter what, that- that they need to make plans–
SEN. CASSIDY: No.
MARGARET BRENNAN: – for greater costs?
SEN. CASSIDY: I am telling them that we’re I am telling them that we’re working to make it work higher for them. And they’d inform you, by the way in which, wait a second, I received a $6,000 deductible that doesn’t work for me. Margaret, I am a health care provider. I might discuss to individuals after they’d come to see me, and they’d inform me, I can not afford that. My deductible is simply too excessive. That is actuality, and that actuality is being misplaced on this dialogue. We have got to do one thing about sky excessive deductibles. Possibly you’ll be able to afford the premium. You possibly can’t afford the coverage. Let’s decrease the price of having medical health insurance, focusing by not simply on the premium, however the deductible. And I believe we will do each.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, even within the non-public market, well being care prices have gone up up six to 9 % if you take a look at the projections. However I need to ask you about your oversight position. Secretary Kennedy has this hand picked panel of vaccine advisors. them at ACIP. They are going to meet in a couple of days and probably vote on altering the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. That very same vaccine advisory group can be contemplating the protection of vaccine elements like aluminum, which might impression plenty of childhood pictures. This could matter for American mother and father. Are you snug with what they’re about to place to a vote?
SEN. CASSIDY: I am very involved about this. Because it seems, my medical follow targeted on hepatitis B, and so we all know that due to a beneficial dose at start of hepatitis B vaccine, beneficial, not mandated, the variety of youngsters born contracting hepatitis B at start, or shortly thereafter, has decreased from about 20,000, 20 years in the past to love 200 now. That is 20- successfully a clerical error. We’ve got decreased incidence of power hepatitis B by 20,000 individuals during the last 20 years with this sort of suggestion. And by the way in which, in the event you’re contaminated at start, you are extra likely- you are 95 % prone to develop into a power provider. The vaccine is secure. It has been established, and these elements they’re talking of have been proven to be secure. That is coverage by individuals who do not perceive the epidemiology of hepatitis B, or who’ve grown snug with the truth that we have been so profitable with our suggestion that now the incidence of hepatitis B is so low, they really feel like we will relaxation on our laurels. I am a health care provider. I’ve seen individuals die from vaccine-preventable illness. I need individuals to be wholesome. I need to make America wholesome, and you do not begin by stopping suggestions which have made us considerably more healthy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, the president of america additionally advised American ladies to not take Tylenol. Or give it to their youngsters. That is primarily based on a concept that it causes autism someway. And he additionally in a social media publish, the identical one, known as for the measles, mumps and rubella shot to be damaged up into three totally different pictures. That was then endorsed by the performing CDC director. Are you involved by this sort of suggestive linkage on the prime of the CDC and from the White Home?
SEN. CASSIDY: Once more, I am a health care provider, and so I will go the place the proof takes me. And the very best proof is a examine out of Sweden with 2 million youngsters that discovered no- no causality, no affiliation, if you’ll, between taking Tylenol in being pregnant and getting autism. And naturally, that issues me, as a result of there’s going to be a mother on the market —once more, I am a health care provider, I discuss to I discuss to sufferers— in a room, and her baby has autism. She took Tylenol for a excessive fever throughout being pregnant and now she blames herself. That is simply the way in which mamas assume, and that is fallacious. We do not need her to assume that. The most effective proof is that there isn’t any relationship, by the way in which, you probably have a excessive fever throughout being pregnant, that could be a danger for autism. Now, in fact, in the event you’re pregnant, discuss to your doctor earlier than you’re taking something, however level being, the very best proof is that there isn’t any relationship between the 2. And I do not need ladies placing themselves on a guilt journey when the very best proof reveals not. By the way in which, the President has spoken out strongly in favor of immunizations in different instances, and I famous, when he received his bodily, he received the flu and COVID pictures. So the President has demonstrated that he believes in immunization.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However that is why clarifying the statements, I believe, is vital, because you interpret them in a different way. I’m wondering, do you remorse your affirmation vote for Secretary Kennedy?
SEN. CASSIDY: I smile as a result of each reporter asks me that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, as a result of these questions run proper right into a pledge that you simply extracted from him to not tinker with a few of the buildings that have been set in place to have oversight of those vaccines and this course of.
SEN. CASSIDY: So you reside life ahead, once more, you simply do, let the day’s personal troubles be adequate for the day. And I will credit score the secretary. He is introduced consideration to issues like ultra-processed meals that has, frankly, by no means acquired this kind of consideration earlier than, and folks reward him for that. So he and I’ve publicly disagreed on some issues, however I strongly agree with him on others, and so, in order that’s how I will reply your query.
if that is your last yr in workplace, sir, will you make overhauling well being care your prime precedence?
SEN. CASSIDY: Effectively, I positive hope it isn’t my last yr in workplace, however, however I have been serious about healthcare for 30 years, as a result of after I labored in a public hospital for the uninsured, I noticed the burden it may very well be on middle-income households who had center revenue however could not afford the insurance coverage or could not guarantee afford the healthcare. And so it has been my precedence for 30 years, and I’ll proceed to do this. And if there’s a silver lining, if there’s a silver lining within the shutdown, we simply had, the silver lining is now we’re targeted on how will we make well being care extra inexpensive for the American individuals. That must be our aim, to not be partisan come what may. How will we make it extra inexpensive for fellow People? If we will accomplish that, I’ll really feel like I’ve completed my job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, thanks in your time.
SEN. CASSIDY: Thanks Margaret.
