ICYMI: Murphy On Face The Nation: Republicans are in the Witness Protection Program while the Federal Government is Shut Down
Press (Murphy)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2025
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Deni Kamper
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
MURPHY ON FACE THE NATION: REPUBLICANS ARE IN THE WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM WHILE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN
Click Here to Watch Murphy’s Full Interview
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined CBS’ Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan to discuss the White House and congressional Republicans’ refusal to negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government and protect health care for millions of working families. Murphy also expressed cautious optimism about the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and urged the Trump administration to keep the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas to see the deal through and finally bring the conflict to an end.
Murphy slammed House Republicans for refusing to come back to Washington to reopen the government: “They're on vacation. The only way you can solve a shutdown is to have two parties that are in Washington negotiating. This is pretty simple. Republicans are boycotting negotiations. They're in the witness protection program all over the country, refusing to even show up for work. If they're serious about sitting down and reopening the government, they would be in Washington rather than spread out all over the country.”
Murphy laid out the differences between what Republicans and Democrats are fighting for: “There's no negotiations happening right now because Republicans are boycotting those negotiations. They are boycotting negotiations to reopen the government because they are desperate to raise premiums on people in this country by 75 precent in order to finance their tax cut for the wealthy. Their only priority is protecting the billionaire class and the corporate class. The other reason the House of Representatives isn't in town right now trying to reopen the government? Because they are about to have enough votes to pass a resolution mandating the release of the Epstein files so JD Vance and Donald Trump's number one priority is protecting billionaires, protecting corporations and raising premiums, raising health care costs by 75 percent on American citizens. So, yes, I think that Democrats should say, ‘If you want our votes for a budget, it can't be a corrupt budget. It can't be a budget that is going to devastate the lives of middle class families in this country in order to protect and reward billionaires.’ That's a pretty reasonable request.”
He explained why this moment is unlike any previous government shutdowns: “This is an emergency. In about a month, premiums are going to go up by people by 75 percent and we have to make a decision whether this budget is going to allow for that to happen or to stop it. What's happening in Chicago right now is an emergency. What is happening at the FCC as they try to shut down free speech in this country is an emergency. So we have a responsibility in this upcoming budget to prevent disasters and to address the destruction of our democracy and the rule of law that's happening all over this country.”
On the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Murphy emphasized the need for both sides to commit to finally ending the conflict: “It's important that these hostages are coming home, and I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There's no politics about this moment, as you're going to see some very tearful reunions tomorrow, hopefully, as these hostages are released. But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it's both heartbreaking and infuriating. This deal has been on the table for over a year, and it's been Benjamin Netanyahu, because of his political considerations domestically, trying to protect himself has frustrated the ability to find peace and to get the hostages home far before today. So again, this will be a good week. But as you have reported, there are big issues to come. Israel is not fully pulling out of Gaza. There is no clear path forward on what the security and governance force is going to look like inside that country. There's certainly a risk of hostilities beginning again if we don't build on this first phase and come to some decisions about what Gaza looks like heading into next year.”
A full transcript of the interview is below:
BRENNAN: “Just on this topic: I know you have a lot of differences with the president, but on this, is this a clear win?”
MURPHY: “It's really important that we have a cease fire. It's important that these hostages are coming home, and I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There's no politics about this moment, as you're going to see some very tearful reunions tomorrow, hopefully, as these hostages are released. But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it's both heartbreaking and infuriating. This deal has been on the table for over a year, and it's been Benjamin Netanyahu, because of his political considerations domestically, trying to protect himself has frustrated the ability to find peace and to get the hostages home far before today. So again, this will be a good week. But as you have reported, there are big issues to come. Israel is not fully pulling out of Gaza. There is no clear path forward on what the security and governance force is going to look like inside that country. There's certainly a risk of hostilities beginning again if we don't build on this first phase and come to some decisions about what Gaza looks like heading into next year.”
BRENNAN: “And President Biden wasn't willing to put this kind of pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu. President Trump has. Your point is that's got to be sustained pressure to see this all the way through?
MURPHY: “Yeah. I mean, listen, I think the barrier here has been Netanyahu. Netanyahu is only going to move if he thinks that his relationship with the United States is at risk. And so clearly the pressure is going to have to continue to be strong and constant.
BRENNAN: “Now let me ask you about the other diplomacy that needs to happen just up the street, frankly. You have called on Democrats to stiffen their spines to stand up to the President of the United States. At what point, though, does this pain become too much in terms of the cost of the shutdown? And when are Democrats going to show some flexibility on this?”
MURPHY: “Well, I listened to the Vice President, and he's just not living in reality…There's no negotiations happening right now because Republicans are boycotting those negotiations. They are boycotting negotiations to reopen the government because they are desperate to raise premiums on people in this country by 75 precent in order to finance their tax cut for the wealthy. Their only priority is protecting the billionaire class and the corporate class. The other reason the House of Representatives isn't in town right now trying to reopen the government? Because they are about to have enough votes to pass a resolution mandating the release of the Epstein files so JD Vance and Donald Trump's number one priority is protecting billionaires, protecting corporations and raising premiums, raising health care costs by 75 percent on American citizens. So, yes, I think that Democrats should say, ‘If you want our votes for a budget, it can't be a corrupt budget. It can't be a budget that is going to devastate the lives of middle class families in this country in order to protect and reward billionaires.’ That's a pretty reasonable request.”
BRENNAN: “You're talking about the premiums that will increase an average of about $1,000, I believe, for those who are using some of these…”
MURPHY: “That's the average. But in Connecticut, some families will see a $25,000 increase in premiums, and again, in order to afford a $270,000 tax cut for the richest families.
BRENNAN: “It wasn't dealt with earlier when Democrats were in leadership here. But you did hear the Vice President say, when it came to health care, the administration is open to a discussion. We want to lower insurance premiums. That was a quote there. Did you hear any chance of an opening?
MURPHY: “I mean, there are no negotiations happening, in large part because the House of Representatives isn't even here. They have been on an unprecedented five-week recess because they do not want to risk their billionaire tax cut and they also don't want to talk about the president's lawlessness. I mean, that's the other thing that we have to talk about in this budget. If we're going to fund this administration, we need to fund an administration that is paying attention to the law. I would be a sucker, Margaret, to vote for a budget that allows the president to then go and spend money only in states that are run by Republicans and spend no money in states that are run by Democrats.”
BRENNAN: “This is just the seven week deal that we're talking about at this point. The short term correct?
MURPHY: “The long term budget that we pass ultimately has to require that the president not engage in mass scale corruption, but a short term agreement certainly is not going to fix all of the problems that exist right now in the way the president is running the country.”
BRENNAN: “But you have been critical in the past of the tactic of choosing to shut down the government. You were in 2018 you were back in 2013 when it was a discussion
over health care system. Aren't you doing today exactly what you were criticizing then?”
MURPHY: “No, that was a fight over sort of the long term structure of the American health care system. This is an emergency. In about a month, premiums are going to go up by people by 75 percent and we have to make a decision whether
this budget is going to allow for that to happen or to stop it. What's happening in Chicago right now is an emergency. What is happening at the FCC as they try to shut down free speech in this country is an emergency. So we have a responsibility in this upcoming
budget to prevent disasters and to address the destruction of our democracy and the rule of law that's happening all over this country.”
BRENNAN: “But you do not trust that if you vote to open the government and then have a separate conversation about health care that there will be any follow through?”
MURPHY: “Absolutely not.”
BRENNAN: “Because that is what the Vice President was arguing here. That it's like Democrats aren't even saying what it is they want to negotiate over?”
MURPHY: “You cannot trust this administration. And I think it's important to remember that we didn't have a shutdown when Joe Biden was president, and the reason is because they didn't play the kind of games that Republicans are playing. Joe Biden and Democrats, when we were in charge of the Senate, negotiated with Republicans and avoided shutdowns. This shutdown is happening because Republicans are desperate to protect their billionaire tax cut. And all we are asking – we're not asking to fix the entire American health system. We're simply saying, ‘Don't make things worse by raising premiums by people, in some cases, by $25,000 a year.’”
BRENNAN: “The minority leader gave an interview to Punchbowl this week. There is just also the bare bones politics of this. And in that interview, he said, ‘Every day this goes on, every day gets better for us.’ The Speaker of the House said that was a callous state.”
MURPHY: “Well, they're sort of desperately trying to spin what Democrats are saying. Listen, our priority is the American people.”
BRENNAN: “But you’ve been critical if Schumer in the past. Back in March, you were saying, ‘We got to stand up and do something.’ Is this about the tactic of just saying, ‘Hey, we're standing up?’”
MURPHY: “No, as every day goes on, there are more Republicans that are breaking with JD Vance and President Trump and saying, ‘Yes, we should be willing to sit down and talk about the health care crisis that is about to visit this country.’ There are more Republicans
that are breaking with the president's regime of censorship. As every day goes on, there are more Republicans that are willing to stand up and protect the American people, to try to stop the president's destruction of democracy, and, hopefully, at some point,
there will be enough Republicans to join us and try to protect people's pocketbooks, which are about to be destroyed. Their economic livelihoods are about to be destroyed by these enormous increases in health care costs.”
BRENNAN: “But in the meantime, there's also the not getting a paycheck problem.”
MURPHY: “They're on vacation. The only way you can solve a shutdown is to have two parties that are in Washington negotiating. This is pretty simple. Republicans are boycotting negotiations. They're in the witness protection program all over the country, refusing to even show up for work. If they're serious about sitting down and reopening the government, they would be in Washington rather than spread out all over the country.”
BRENNAN: “Senator Murphy, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. We'll be right back.”
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