Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on federal funds in healthcare and government shutdown

(CBS, KYMA) - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about federal funds in healthcare.

According to Brennan, while the federal government doesn't fund health insurance to undocumented migrants, states like New York provide healthcare for people who are in the country illegally, with Republicans arguing it comes out of the federal pocket.

When asked how he responds to it, Senator Schumer said:

"You know, they don't want to, [House Speaker Mike] Johnson doesn't want to discuss the real issue, the healthcare crisis facing the American people. So he puts up all these fake lies to try and divert attention. It's his standard operation. He just is concerned with the politics. Every independent agency that looks at this says Johnson's claim is false...zero federal dollars can go to undocumented immigrants through Medicare, through Medicaid, through ACA. And so we ought to be talking about the real issue here, which is that we have a health care crisis in America caused by the Republicans. They've caught, they barreled us towards a shutdown because they don't want to deal with that crisis. Plain and simple."

During the interview, Brennan and Schumer talked about the government shutdown, with Brennan asking the senator if he was concerned about more defections after three Democratic senators crossed over to vote with Republicans on a short-term funding deal.

"It's a Republican shutdown because they've refused to talk with us. Johnson, I saw him mentioned that we did it 13 times when I was majority leader. That's true. You know why? In every case, we sat down and talked with the Republicans and there was a give and take, and then both sides didn't get everything they wanted, but we got it done. They have refused to talk to us even once...And Jeffries and I have been trying to get them to talk to us, for, they tried to get us to talk to them for, we've tried to talk to them for months and months and months. And they said no. The American people know that they're in charge. Republican President, Republican Senate, Republican House. That they have a responsibility to govern, which means sit down and talk with us so we can address these needs."

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader

According to Brennan, Senate Majority Leader John Thune spoke on Fox News saying "there are conversations with Democrats who want to find an off ramp here," prompting her to ask Schumer if Thune is speaking with Democrats other than him, to which he said:

"I've encouraged my Democratic members to sit and talk to Republicans. It's always good when Democrats and Republicans talk to each other, but two points. First, in those conversations, the Republicans offered nothing. And, but second, the only way this will ultimately be solved is if five people sit together in a room and solve it. And they are the president, who also doesn't seem serious about this. You know he's putting out his memes and his things with the grim reaper and all of that stuff. He's playing golf. Johnson's not serious, and so we've got to sit down, the five of us. That's the way to solve this problem. But when Democrats talk to Republicans, it's a good thing. And I've encouraged my Democrats to do it, but they've offered us nothing. No change."

To watch more of Brennan's interview with Schumer, click here.