July 2, 2025 • 8 mins
Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) discusses her take on President Trump's signature tax legislation as Democrats are pushing back on cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits. She spoke to Bloomberg's Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
As Republican lawmakers work to advance President Trump's tax bill,
today we look across the aisle to see how House
Democrats are watching this process. Joined by Democratic Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz of Florida. She's live with us from Capitol Hill. Congresswoman,
it's great to see you give us a sense of
what we're in for here tonight. The state of play.
We understand the takeout food is arriving. Are you going
(00:28):
to be there all night?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, it's unclear because the Republicans are rounding up
as many of their folks as they can to try
to ram through the worst bill that I've seen in
my entire career. It's an abomination. It would kick seventeen
million people off of their healthcare. It is the biggest
cut to nutrition assistance, meaning they're going to force millions
(00:53):
of people to go hungry, including veterans, the disabled, elderly children.
This is a bill that is a massive tax cut
giveaway to billionaires and wealthy corporations. That is what this
whole bill is in service to, and their massive spending
cuts are essentially trying to make as much room as
(01:15):
they can to take care of their wealthiest, most fortunate donors.
It also blows a four trillion dollar hole in the
deficit and makes increases the debt ceiling by five trillion dollars.
That from the party that says that they actually care
about deficit spending, they should never say that. Have that
come out of their mouths again, well.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
As we consider who will ultimately benefit from what is
largely an extension of existing tax rates set by the
twenty seventeen tax bill, the President and your Republican colleagues
argue that this is making sure that most of the country,
including I'm sure the vast majority of your constituents, don't
see a tax hike at the end of the year.
Is it not good that that will be avoided?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
In the words of our previous president, who actually handed
President Trump the most like the best economy in the
entire world, that's malarkey. Because it is July. We can
deal with expiring tax cuts in separate legislation and focus
on making sure that we have tax breaks that actually
(02:20):
help the middle class and working families, and and you know,
if they wanted to extend those tax cuts to the
wealthiest most fortunate Americans. You know, be my guest, but
don't skew the tax breaks so disproportionately to people who
are already successful and leave the middle class out. This
bill has you know, taxes, you know, cuts in taxes
(02:44):
on tips that actually expire in a couple of years.
They're capped at twenty five thousand dollars. I don't think
folks who earn tips know that. And the tax breaks
for the wealthiest, most fortunate Americans, the millionaires and billionaires,
they're made permanent. So you know exactly where Maga Republicans
and Trump's priorities are taking care of the most fortunate
(03:05):
and taking healthcare and food assistance and energy tax credits
that make sure that we can keep energy savings, energy
savings high and our electric bills low. That's the goals
of this bill.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Congresswoman. We have seen that individual components of this bill
poll pretty well. And you know how this goes. You
take out components of a bill and it pulls differently
poorly than the big beautiful bill, as the President calls it.
Some do poorly. In this case, we saw Tony Fabrizio's
poll find that two thirds of voters agree there's waste,
fraud and abuse in Medicaid that justify reforms. How do
(03:44):
you message against that as a Democrat?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
This bill, this bill cuts a trillion dollars out of Medicaid,
and the Congressional the Independent Congressional Budget Office says that
it causes seventeen million people to lose their healthcare through
Medicaid and the ending of tax credits in the Affordable
Care Act. You know, when Republicans say that they are
(04:07):
going after people who shouldn't have Medicaid, they cite undocumented
immigrants andrant undocumented immigrants are already prohibited from getting access
to Medicaid and they're not on Medicaid. There isn't a
trillion dollars of Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse. They know it.
And the analysis from the Independent Congressional Budget Office says
that as well.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Well as we consider questions around immigration and the housing
of migrants specifically, President Trump yesterday, of course, was in
your state of Florida to visit a new migrant facility
that's being dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. Take a list in, Congressman
to what the President said during his tour.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Very soon, this facility will have some of the most
menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.
We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only
way out is really deportation.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Congressman, I know you've put out a statement around this facility,
but if these migrants do need to be housed somewhere,
what in Florida would be a better solution? What would
you recommend to the president and Governor DeSantis for.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That matter, Keley Donald Trump is full of baloney. He
isn't having the most violent, dangerous undocumented immigrants detained. The
overwhelming majority of people that are detaining are having ice
agents that are masked, snatched people off of job sites,
(05:34):
and they're taking in people who are here making a
better way of life for themselves, in our family, that
have been contributing to our economy. He made a million
people undocumented overnight by yanking TPS and humanitarian parole from
half a million Venezuelans and half a million Haitians who
did it the right way, followed the rules. I mean,
(05:56):
he is lying when he says that he is prior
poritizing the worst of the worst, and that alligator Alcatraz
so called Alligator. Alcatraz site is on a very environmentally
sensitive site that was abandoned years ago when they were
planning an airport because it was deemed to environmentally sensitive.
We're in the middle of hurricane season. Just yesterday, while
(06:19):
DeSantis and Trump were doing their press conference, it started
to flood while he was speaking because it was raining
so hard, and their infrastructure is so flimsy that it
would blow away like match six in a hurricane, to
say nothing of the fact that it is on sacred
tribal land that they have never consulted with the Mikasuki
tribe of Florida on This is a boondoggle and a stunt,
(06:43):
and an inhumane one at that, and it's wildly inappropriate.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We heard from the President yesterday when he was delivering remarks,
he had advice for migrants on how to outrun alligators. Congresswoman,
don't run in a straight line. Run like this, he said,
waving his hand from side to side. I'm not sure
what motivates comments like this. What did the President mean?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Joe, have you ever reported on an ice detainee escaping?
I bet you haven't, because it doesn't happen. And it's
also the fact that the majority of the detainees that
Trump has been rounding up have been law abiding people
who are simply here to make a better way of
life for themselves and their families, who contributed to our economy.
And you know, just before this segment, your reporter reported
(07:30):
on the hit to the economy that rounding up these
undocumented immigrants and the fear of deportation are having on
beer sales and soda sales, and it's gonna hurt construction
companies and restaurants and farmers. I mean, they're all sounding
the alarm bell here. The Trump administration is really going
(07:55):
through a process of trying to bleach America, not making
America safe, and with no regard for people who are
fleeing countries where they're being oppressed, that they face danger,
and they're going to try to send people back to
that danger. When we are a refuge and always have been,
and we certainly need to make sure we get rid
of criminals. But that's not what Donald Trump is trying
(08:15):
to do. It's very obvious.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
All right, Congresswoman, we appreciate your time. As always. Democratic
Congresswoman Debbie Wasser and Schultz of Florida, thank you
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
As Republican lawmakers work to advance President Trump's tax bill,
today we look across the aisle to see how House
Democrats are watching this process. Joined by Democratic Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz of Florida. She's live with us from Capitol Hill. Congresswoman,
it's great to see you give us a sense of
what we're in for here tonight. The state of play.
We understand the takeout food is arriving. Are you going
(00:28):
to be there all night?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, it's unclear because the Republicans are rounding up
as many of their folks as they can to try
to ram through the worst bill that I've seen in
my entire career. It's an abomination. It would kick seventeen
million people off of their healthcare. It is the biggest
cut to nutrition assistance, meaning they're going to force millions
(00:53):
of people to go hungry, including veterans, the disabled, elderly children.
This is a bill that is a massive tax cut
giveaway to billionaires and wealthy corporations. That is what this
whole bill is in service to, and their massive spending
cuts are essentially trying to make as much room as
(01:15):
they can to take care of their wealthiest, most fortunate donors.
It also blows a four trillion dollar hole in the
deficit and makes increases the debt ceiling by five trillion dollars.
That from the party that says that they actually care
about deficit spending, they should never say that. Have that
come out of their mouths again, well.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
As we consider who will ultimately benefit from what is
largely an extension of existing tax rates set by the
twenty seventeen tax bill, the President and your Republican colleagues
argue that this is making sure that most of the country,
including I'm sure the vast majority of your constituents, don't
see a tax hike at the end of the year.
Is it not good that that will be avoided?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
In the words of our previous president, who actually handed
President Trump the most like the best economy in the
entire world, that's malarkey. Because it is July. We can
deal with expiring tax cuts in separate legislation and focus
on making sure that we have tax breaks that actually
(02:20):
help the middle class and working families, and and you know,
if they wanted to extend those tax cuts to the
wealthiest most fortunate Americans. You know, be my guest, but
don't skew the tax breaks so disproportionately to people who
are already successful and leave the middle class out. This
bill has you know, taxes, you know, cuts in taxes
(02:44):
on tips that actually expire in a couple of years.
They're capped at twenty five thousand dollars. I don't think
folks who earn tips know that. And the tax breaks
for the wealthiest, most fortunate Americans, the millionaires and billionaires,
they're made permanent. So you know exactly where Maga Republicans
and Trump's priorities are taking care of the most fortunate
(03:05):
and taking healthcare and food assistance and energy tax credits
that make sure that we can keep energy savings, energy
savings high and our electric bills low. That's the goals
of this bill.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Congresswoman. We have seen that individual components of this bill
poll pretty well. And you know how this goes. You
take out components of a bill and it pulls differently
poorly than the big beautiful bill, as the President calls it.
Some do poorly. In this case, we saw Tony Fabrizio's
poll find that two thirds of voters agree there's waste,
fraud and abuse in Medicaid that justify reforms. How do
(03:44):
you message against that as a Democrat?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
This bill, this bill cuts a trillion dollars out of Medicaid,
and the Congressional the Independent Congressional Budget Office says that
it causes seventeen million people to lose their healthcare through
Medicaid and the ending of tax credits in the Affordable
Care Act. You know, when Republicans say that they are
(04:07):
going after people who shouldn't have Medicaid, they cite undocumented
immigrants andrant undocumented immigrants are already prohibited from getting access
to Medicaid and they're not on Medicaid. There isn't a
trillion dollars of Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse. They know it.
And the analysis from the Independent Congressional Budget Office says
that as well.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Well as we consider questions around immigration and the housing
of migrants specifically, President Trump yesterday, of course, was in
your state of Florida to visit a new migrant facility
that's being dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. Take a list in, Congressman
to what the President said during his tour.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Very soon, this facility will have some of the most
menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.
We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only
way out is really deportation.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Congressman, I know you've put out a statement around this facility,
but if these migrants do need to be housed somewhere,
what in Florida would be a better solution? What would
you recommend to the president and Governor DeSantis for.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That matter, Keley Donald Trump is full of baloney. He
isn't having the most violent, dangerous undocumented immigrants detained. The
overwhelming majority of people that are detaining are having ice
agents that are masked, snatched people off of job sites,
(05:34):
and they're taking in people who are here making a
better way of life for themselves, in our family, that
have been contributing to our economy. He made a million
people undocumented overnight by yanking TPS and humanitarian parole from
half a million Venezuelans and half a million Haitians who
did it the right way, followed the rules. I mean,
(05:56):
he is lying when he says that he is prior
poritizing the worst of the worst, and that alligator Alcatraz
so called Alligator. Alcatraz site is on a very environmentally
sensitive site that was abandoned years ago when they were
planning an airport because it was deemed to environmentally sensitive.
We're in the middle of hurricane season. Just yesterday, while
(06:19):
DeSantis and Trump were doing their press conference, it started
to flood while he was speaking because it was raining
so hard, and their infrastructure is so flimsy that it
would blow away like match six in a hurricane, to
say nothing of the fact that it is on sacred
tribal land that they have never consulted with the Mikasuki
tribe of Florida on This is a boondoggle and a stunt,
(06:43):
and an inhumane one at that, and it's wildly inappropriate.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We heard from the President yesterday when he was delivering remarks,
he had advice for migrants on how to outrun alligators. Congresswoman,
don't run in a straight line. Run like this, he said,
waving his hand from side to side. I'm not sure
what motivates comments like this. What did the President mean?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Joe, have you ever reported on an ice detainee escaping?
I bet you haven't, because it doesn't happen. And it's
also the fact that the majority of the detainees that
Trump has been rounding up have been law abiding people
who are simply here to make a better way of
life for themselves and their families, who contributed to our economy.
And you know, just before this segment, your reporter reported
(07:30):
on the hit to the economy that rounding up these
undocumented immigrants and the fear of deportation are having on
beer sales and soda sales, and it's gonna hurt construction
companies and restaurants and farmers. I mean, they're all sounding
the alarm bell here. The Trump administration is really going
(07:55):
through a process of trying to bleach America, not making
America safe, and with no regard for people who are
fleeing countries where they're being oppressed, that they face danger,
and they're going to try to send people back to
that danger. When we are a refuge and always have been,
and we certainly need to make sure we get rid
of criminals. But that's not what Donald Trump is trying
(08:15):
to do. It's very obvious.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
All right, Congresswoman, we appreciate your time. As always. Democratic
Congresswoman Debbie Wasser and Schultz of Florida, thank you
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