The next is the transcript of an interview with Rep. Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on July 6, 2025.
WEIJIA JIANG: We flip now to New York Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi. Congressman, thanks such a lot in your time this morning.
REP. TOM SUOZZI: Yeah, thank you such a lot for having me.
WEIJIA JIANG: Neatly, you simply heard from Kevin Hassett- you understand, like President Trump, he stated, with out this invoice, it could be some of the largest tax hikes for the American public. They are saying it’s the largest tax minimize in American historical past. You take a seat at the Techniques and Approach Committee, so I’ve to surprise the way you describe it.
REP. SUOZZI: I describe it as the massive, unsightly invoice, no longer the ‘large, gorgeous invoice.’ It’ll do numerous issues which might be going to harm numerous other people in our nation. The largest one, which you mentioned with Mr. Hassett, is build up the deficit greatly within the nation. And what that does, is that creates inflation, that helps to keep rates of interest prime, that makes it arduous for other people to shop for houses, makes it arduous for them to borrow cash, to do the issues that they wish to do. As well as, it’ll knock a host of other people off of well being care. We all know the Republicans have attempted for a decade to undo the Inexpensive Care Act- Obamacare, and this is more or less a backdoor solution to take medical health insurance clear of those who truly want it probably the most right here in our country. And it’ll motive medical health insurance prices to move up for numerous other people. One of the most President’s greatest problems he campaigned on used to be lowering costs swiftly on day one, we are going to minimize the prices. Neatly, prices aren’t happening, inflation- inflation goes to be suffering from this deficit. Rates of interest are going to stick prime, and that is going to have a unfavourable have an effect on on medical health insurance prices for many of us in our nation.
WEIJIA JIANG: I do know that you simply introduced up Medicaid and possible lack of protection. What do you are saying to a couple American citizens who would possibly surprise, neatly, why must the in a position bodied no longer need to paintings as a way to get admission to Medicaid?
REP. SUOZZI: Neatly, it’s important to remember the fact that 92% of the folks which might be in a position to paintings are these days running, and the 8% that aren’t are continuously other people which might be taking good care of disabled youngsters. Keep in mind that two thirds of the folks in nursing houses are on Medicaid. One-tenth of the entire veterans in the US of The usa are on Medicaid. Medicaid is a lifeline for such a lot of other people which might be going through such tricky cases that we will’t even most likely believe. And why would we be taking medical health insurance and meals advantages clear of one of the vital maximum needy American citizens whilst we are offering what I consider is an useless tax wreck for one of the vital wealthiest American citizens. It simply does not make sense that you are lowering taxes for one of the vital wealthiest other people, hurting one of the vital lowest source of revenue other people, whilst blowing the largest deficit within the finances that we have had within the historical past of the rustic. The ones issues simply do not upload up.
WEIJIA JIANG: Neatly, simply remaining week, you stated you consider 75% of what is on this package deal, that is a beautiful vital quantity. So why is not it definitely worth the 25% that you do not like?
REP. SUOZZI: As a result of the ones issues that I simply discussed are so devastating. I love the concept we are making an investment extra money to protected the border. I love the concept we’re offering tax breaks to decrease source of revenue other folks and difficult running heart elegance other folks and other people desiring to the center elegance. I love the theory of offering tax breaks for the ones other folks. However why are we providing- and when the economic system is doing in addition to it’s been during the last a number of years, why would we be offering a tax decrease- tax breaks for one of the vital wealthiest American citizens in our nation, whilst blowing a large hollow within the deficit?
WEIJIA JIANG: Congressman, I wish to flip to an op-ed that you simply wrote in The Wall Boulevard Magazine remaining week pronouncing, Zohran Mamdani’s win within the New York Town’s Democratic mayoral number one must be a quote, ‘loud get up name for Democrats.’ What courses do you assume your birthday party can be told from- from his marketing campaign?
REP. SUOZZI: Neatly, you understand, I disagree with Mr. Mamdani. I’ve to make that very transparent that, you understand, I am a Democratic capitalist. I am not a Democratic socialist. And- however it’s important to acknowledge that he tapped into one thing. He tapped into the similar factor that Donald Trump tapped into, which is that persons are involved that the economic system isn’t running for them. Affordability and the economic system is the number 1 factor within the nation. And too continuously, Democrats aren’t perceived as being keen on affordability and the economic system and the center elegance, and other people desiring to the center elegance and their financial issues. They see Democrats as being basically keen on reproductive rights and on LGBT protections, that are essential problems, however they are no longer the problems that individuals take into accounts each and every evening when they are mendacity in mattress fascinated with paying their expenses or when they are speaking about how they will ship their children to college. So Democrats have were given to do a greater process finding out from each Trump and Mamdani no longer with their answers, which I feel are incorrect, however with the analysis of the issue that we are pissed off, we are involved. Everyone in The usa, whether or not you are a proper wing conservative or a left wing revolutionary, must consider that during go back for running arduous, you are making sufficient cash so you’ll be able to are living a excellent lifestyles. You’ll be able to purchase a house, you’ll be able to teach your youngsters, you’ll be able to pay in your medical health insurance, you’ll be able to retire in the future with out being scared. Other people do not really feel that these days, and we need to do a greater process of speaking that.
WEIJIA JIANG: Neatly, I am happy you introduced up the belief, since you additionally wrote that ‘Democrats will have to acknowledge the long run begins with a message of financial safety for American households.’ I lined the Biden marketing campaign. I lined the Harris marketing campaign. That used to be the middle in their messages. So what is the downside right here? Is it the messenger? Is it the messaging? As a result of they have got that message already.
REP. SUOZZI: It is a aggregate. Quantity- the Democratic Celebration as an entire has to have this platform that makes a speciality of what the folks care about. They care concerning the economic system, they care about immigration, they care about taxes, they care about crime, they care about well being care. However then we need to acknowledge that the media infrastructure is fractured, and Trump figured it out earlier than the Democrats have, which is that it is not simply conventional media like your presentations and newspapers, however it is social media. It is podcasts. Podcasts, the highest 500 podcasts in The usa, 400 of the highest 500 are proper leaning. 100 are left leaning. And of the 100 left leaning ones, part of them beat the, you understand what, out of the Democrats. Then you will have different nationwide media, after which you will have a few of this ethnic and underground media associated with WeChat and WhatsApp and various kinds of apps that individuals use. So we need to keep up a correspondence throughout all the ones platforms, as a result of persons are getting their messages in those fractured environments and dwelling in those echo chambers, and we need to do a greater process speaking throughout a majority of these platforms and getting Democrats as an entire to concentrate on the economic system, immigration, et cetera.
WEIJIA JIANG: Alright, Congressman, we’re all making an attempt to be informed all the ones new languages. Thanks such a lot in your time this morning. And we will be proper again with much more Face the Country. Stick with us.
