The following is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Sept. 20, 2026.
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that → follow → Sept.
We're joined now by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.
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He is the chairman of the Health Committee, and he joins us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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I want to start first on something that grabbed our attention.
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President Trump claimed Friday that his son has now repaid a Russian billionaire named Umar Kremlev, after it was reported that the Kremlin-linked billionaire paid for parts of his son's wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.
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billionaire → claim → Bahamas
Don Jr. originally called it a gift, but your Republican colleague from Utah, Senator Curtis, called it corruption.
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Your colleague from North Carolina, Thom Tillis, said it was "beyond bad."
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Do you think it's corruption, and does repaying the funds make a difference?
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repaying → think → difference
Repaying the funds does make a difference.
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Repaying → repay → difference
Anytime someone gives a $250,000 gift and they have strong ties to the Kremlin, that's- that's wrong.
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that → give → Kremlin
You- with that proximity to power, being the president's son, you've got to give faith to the American people that Washington is not a swamp, and even though in your mind it might be a gift, the appearance of it is really bad, and so I'm glad it's been repaid.
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Would be nice to have that kind of verified and no, it shouldn't have been done in the first place.
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Well, it was the free press that brought it forward in the first place- it was a publication called ProPublica.
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Let me ask you about an issue that I know is on your radar, and that is the debt we are in.
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President Trump said he's going to pay out $5,000 to Americans if Republicans win in these upcoming midterm elections.
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Republicans → say → elections
I know the Treasury Secretary says he'll avoid going to Congress for that money, even if it's not fiscal spending.
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Is- isn't it inflationary, and is it actually a good idea?
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If Joe Biden had proposed that, conservatives would have been all against it, and I say that because if the government borrows money, it's going to drive up how much somebody pays for their mortgage, for their car note, perhaps for their credit card.
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And so, for that family struggling to buy their first home or to refinance a home or to buy a car, it becomes that much more out of reach to you.
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We need to actually pay attention to our national debt, and I can tell you that if we can control our debt, that will be a stimulus to somebody.
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that → need → somebody
That will help them be able to afford life better.
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them → help → life
That's a better way to go.
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Anything like that going to happen post-midterms to control the debt?
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Well, so as you know, I've been pushing to address Social Security, and the nice thing about addressing Social Security, which I would still love to do this Congress, is that- is that not only do you ensure the benefit that has been promised to the American people, but you also take care of 20% of our nation's indebtedness, and so that's why I've been so pushing for this.
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If we wait six years until--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.
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SEN. CASSIDY: --the trust fund goes insolvent, my gosh--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEN. CASSIDY: --that's too late.
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We need to do it now.
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Let's talk more about it in a minute.
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I'm going to take this commercial break, Senator.
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And we'll have much more with Dr. Bill Cassidy.
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We return now to our conversation with Louisiana Republican Senator and Dr. Bill Cassidy.
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Senator, you- as we mentioned, run the Health Committee.
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President Trump spoke at length on Friday again about vaccines, and he said he's going to demand that drug companies split up kids' vaccines into five doses.
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companies → speak → doses
He said it will lead, quote, "to a massive reduction in autism."
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So you have shot one, shot two, shot three, shot four, shot five.
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So instead of having a massive dose of 82 or 88 different vaccines pumped into your arm, we'll take out certain vaccines that people are a little worried about.
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Do you know what vaccines he means, or whether vaccine makers are actually going to do what he just promised?
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I don't know that.
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Have the president come forward- what is he basing this on?
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Who's giving him advice?
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…and 48 more, not listed.
The Aporia
