CBS Host Says Democrats Lost Shutdown Fight as Lieu Pushes Cost-Cutting Message

CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan pressed Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California's 36th Congressional District on his party's midterm messaging. She said Democrats lost the fight over the record-setting Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

"OK, so you still believe that Democrats can retake the House?" Brennan asked. "What is your main message?"

"The American people voted in Donald Trump because they wanted lower costs and he lied to them," Lieu replied. "We have surging inflation, skyrocketing gas prices. The Trump tariffs have raised costs across many products across America. People are drowning in debt and in bills, and Democrats are going to reduce health care costs, lower costs across the board, reduce your energy costs. That's the message we're—"

Brennan cut in. "How are you going to do that? Democrats shut down the government to have an argument over health care, and they didn't get any policy concessions, and premiums went up. You lost that fight."

Lieu said the House had passed a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits and called on the Senate to approve it.

He added that when Democrats regain control, they would reverse the massive Medicaid cuts, Medicare cuts and Affordable Care Act cuts that Trump and Republicans enacted last year.

The DHS shutdown started on Feb. 14. President Donald Trump signed a bill on April 30 that funded much of the agency and ended the record 75-day lapse.