Margaret Brennan asked Rep. Tom Suozzi whether Democrats’ focus on the Jeffrey Epstein files is being used to distract from their inability to secure more affordable health care. Suozzi said he supports releasing the files but that his priority remains affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and health care. Republicans released documents last week, and Speaker Mike Johnson plans a vote to push the DOJ to disclose remaining files. President Trump has resisted releasing the files but has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Margaret Brennan Asks If Democrats’ Focus on Epstein Files Is Distracting From Health Care Fight
Margaret Brennan asked Rep. Tom Suozzi whether Democrats’ focus on the Jeffrey Epstein files is being used to distract from their inability to secure more affordable health care. Suozzi said he supports releasing the files but that his priority remains affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and health care. Republicans released documents last week, and Speaker Mike Johnson plans a vote to push the DOJ to disclose remaining files. President Trump has resisted releasing the files but has not been accused of wrongdoing.
03:24 AM, 11/17/2025Politics
Margaret Brennan Questions Democrats on Epstein Files — Is It a Distraction from Health Care?
CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan pressed Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi on Face the Nation about whether Democrats’ recent push to make Jeffrey Epstein–related documents public is diverting attention from their efforts to secure more affordable health care.
Senate Democrats ultimately agreed to reopen the government under terms pushed by Republicans without winning an extension of Obamacare subsidies, a move critics warn could lead to higher costs for many Americans at the end of the year.
Brennan asked Suozzi:
“Democrats who won elections a few days ago credit their wins to the affordability issue and the message focused on that. Can you explain the focus this past week in the House by Democrats on the Jeffrey Epstein files?”
She suggested the transparency effort might be seen as a diversion and asked whether it was a tactic to distract from the failure to achieve health care changes. Suozzi responded that multiple factors drive attention in Washington.
“I think it’s a combination of factors of people shining their lights on the most hot topic at the time,”
He added:
“Jeffrey Epstein, of course, is an important topic. I’m sure I will vote to release his files, but that’s not my priority. My priority is to focus on the things Americans care about: affordability, immigration, taxes, crime, and health care. That’s what people are fighting about, concerned about, and that’s what we should be focused on in Congress.”
Last week, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released a tranche of Epstein-related documents after House Democrats circulated emails that referenced President Donald Trump. Those emails included a line calling Trump the “dog that hasn’t barked” and referenced an alleged victim who “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with Trump. In one exchange, Epstein wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell, “you see, I know how dirty Donald is.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is expected to hold a vote to compel the Department of Justice to release the remainder of the files it holds. President Trump has resisted releasing the full set of files, prompting questions about what might be withheld. The dispute has created visible tensions within MAGA circles, including public criticism of Trump by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
At this time, Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case.
Watch the full clip via CBS News.