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Now: Senate Votes On Healthcare Plans As Millions Face Higher Bills; Indiana Senate Meets To Consider Partisan Redistricting; Federal Judge Orders Immediate Release Of Abrego-Garcia. Aired 12- 12:30p ET

Aired December 11, 2025 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to Inside Politics. I'm Manu Raju in for Dana Bash, and we're following breaking news on Capitol Hill. You're looking at live pictures of the Senate floor, where right now, senators are voting on Democrats' and Republicans' competing healthcare plans.

But don't hold your breath for a Christmas miracle. Both plans are expected to fail, which means in just 20 days, 24 million Americans who rely on Obamacare subsidies will face crippling healthcare costs unless something dramatically changes.

I'm joined right now by a terrific group of reporters here and joining me live here in studio. So Leigh Ann, you are up there with me every day talking to the senators. We know ultimately what's going to happen here. Right now they're voting on a Republican plan that does not extend those Affordable Care Act subsidies, makes other changes to healthcare law, including allowing people giving more access and using their healthcare savings accounts to pay for different healthcare plans.

But this also is going to be blocked right now by Democrats in the Senate. How do you see this ultimately playing out? Is there any chance of a deal before they leave Christmas?

LEIGH ANN CALDWELL, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, PUCK: No, absolutely not. And they're not acting as if they're trying to get a deal either.

RAJU: There are no negotiations happening.

CALDWELL: None. And so what's happening are Republicans are talking amongst themselves, are in the same situation that they've been every single time there is a debate over healthcare where the Republican Party can't even come to consensus on what they want on healthcare.

And so yes, senators are begrudgingly moving forward on this. RAJU: Because before it wasn't even clear whether Republicans put a

flat plan forward at all, and ultimately, they decided to put this bill on the floor because they needed something, Republican senators said, we need something to vote for.

CALDWELL: Yeah, they just decided this two days ago, and this was the clearest plan that was available. And so they decided, I'm told in their closed door Tuesday lunches that the decision was -- the argument was, do we hold a vote or not, and ultimately they decided, let's hold a vote. It's better to at least pretend like we have a plan on healthcare than to have nothing at all, because this is going to be a big issue heading into these midterms, because healthcare is an affordability issue, and all of this is playing into each other, and so Republicans decided, yes, there's going to be no outcome.

They adamantly opposed these ACA subsidies, most of them, but they needed something to show voters.

RAJU: What about Trump's level of involvement in all this because, look, he was -- he has said that the money should not be extended through the -- under the Affordable Care Act, these tax credits that people use to pay for their healthcare insurance. He said money should go directly to individuals. This -- the Republican supporters of this bill that's being vote on right now, would -- they say deal would implement the President's philosophy here?

However, the President has not put forward his own plan. He had at one point, there have been signs that he's going to put forward his own plan, but they got blow back because they were talking about potentially extending those very same ACA subsidies.

ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: That's right. That's right. You really -- I mean, where's the President's involvement? Good question. You really haven't seen him really get involved in this. The vague description that he's made of what he wants to see as far as healthcare, sounds a little bit like it aligns, like the Cassidy plan that -- that has -- is getting put forth but -- but you really haven't seen him come out to endorse any of these proposals at this point.

I asked White House officials earlier this week. Here are the various options on the hill right? Can you say directly which one the President is backing here and where the White House is getting involved? And you get -- it was silence, right? Weeks ago, you did hear from White House officials that he was hearing out different plans from White House aides, different proposals backing different legislative solutions to extend the ACA.

Those really have gone quiet. You know, some of those conversations, or at least White House officials willing to say that have gone quiet. You know, you have these factions in the Republican Party, those who you know firmly oppose Obamacare and those in swing districts who really are worried about the spiking premiums that are going to come about in the New Year.

And at this point, you're not -- you're seeing a president who is keeping a distance from really a political minefield.

RAJU: Yeah. I want you to listen to what Senate Majority Leader John Thune told me this morning. I asked him about that political minefield, the concerns about would Republicans -- is he worried about the impact on his party as we head into the midterm election year, if this issue is not resolved.

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RAJU: How big of a problem, do you think this will be politically for the GOP if these subsidies are not extended and so many people see their healthcare premiums increase?

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Well, I think again, we have people who are willing to address that issue, but you can't fix this program. I mean, you can't -- you can't just do a blanket extension without reforms. It is -- it is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. It's been driving up insurance premiums for people in this country at three times the rate of inflation. And so you've got to have -- you've got to have some reforms to make this work.

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RAJU: Jamie, what do you think about that message from the Republican leader, because he says -- he's criticizing Obamacare, he says that program. He's saying you can't just fix this program and extend these subsidies.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: If you're in a swing district, that's not going to make you very happy. It doesn't solve the problem. You know, to Leigh Ann's point about they're pretending to do something, to your you know, talk about affordability, these healthcare costs, this is the third leg of the stool.

You have grocery prices, housing prices and healthcare costs. It's not a hoax. Affordability is not a con job. And these Republicans up on the hill, they will not vote for either of these plans, but they're not going to be happy next year, in February, when their constituents are you know, they're getting closer to midterm elections, and they have constituents who can no longer afford this.

RAJU: And this is why you're seeing that tension really play out in the House, in particular among those more moderate members that you're referring to as well. Look at the members who signed on to what's known as a discharge petition on Capitol Hill. Now that is what -- how you circumvent the leadership and you try to force a vote on the floor of the House that succeeded with the Epstein vote. Remember that just a couple weeks ago.

Now, there's an effort underway to try to extend those Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years that's being led by Brian Fitzpatrick. He's one of three Republicans in districts that Kamala Harris won last year, but the other members who are on that discharge petition include Congressman Don Bacon. He is retiring, but he represents the swing district. Rob Bresnahan, another swing district.

You see Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler, Democrats from swing district. Jeff Van Drew, David Valadao. They all have one thing in common. Marjorie Taylor Greene is probably the one person who is not in a swing district. Of course, she's retiring and has her own politics there, but it just shows you where the concern is among those members who are central to the Republican majority.

CALDWELL: Yeah, the swing district members are absolutely terrified of heading into this election year and their own party refusing to address the issue at hand. What Republicans are saying, that, you know, Republican leadership are saying, is we want to reform the system. We want to make this system better for everyone, not just those people who are on Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. But that's not the immediate problem here, and that's what these people who have to face voters in these challenging elections know very clearly.

And you know, their resistance to anything related to the Affordable Care Act is they're so dug in that it could play into costing them the majority essentially.

RAJU: What's interesting is that Democrats -- Democratic leaders, are not behind this effort. It doesn't sound like that they were really encouraging people, trying to force a vote on this plan. Remember, it would extend ACA subsidies for two years. It has some other changes as well, but perhaps there's an opening to get a deal the Democratic leaders.

Hakeem Jeffries wants to do it, but if he does that, then it could give a victory to some of these more modern Republicans.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Yeah, you have some political ammo that you have, right? The Democrats have made clear, really, going back to the to the shutdown, that, OK, if you don't, you know, come and you're -- if you don't show the willingness to reach a deal on the ACA, the Democrats have shown that they are going to use this as an attack line against Republicans going into the midterms --

RAJU: Is that a risk though Jamie for Democrats?

GANGEL: Well, look, I think finally, you're sort of seeing Democrats get their messaging. I mean, what are the phrases we've heard since President Trump went to Pennsylvania, out of touch, doesn't get it, billionaire bubble. Those are very simple, clear messages. You add that healthcare costs are going up because these guys didn't get the job done. That's effective for Democrats.

RAJU: Yeah. We'll see what happens. There's a vote happening right now on the Senate floor. We expect Democrats to block this GOP plan that GO -- Republicans will block the democratic plan. We'll bring that to you live. We're monitoring these votes and will bring you any developments as they happen.

Up next, we're standing by for a map altering vote in Indiana that will have major ramifications for the midterm elections. Plus from Nixon to George W. Bush, I'll talk to a former White House Chief Usher who served seven presidents. What does he think about all the changes coming to the place he worked for nearly four decades? Stay with us.

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RAJU: We're following breaking news on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is voting on the first of two competing healthcare plans. We will bring you the final vote when it happens. But for now, in just over an hour, the Indiana Senate will meet to decide if President Trump's push to redraw the state's congressional map will succeed.

[12:15:00]

It is still not clear if Republicans have the votes to turn all nine House seats red, despite the GOP's super majority in the state senate, (inaudible) up the pressure in this high stakes fight, saying (inaudible) anybody that votes against redistricting and the success of the Republican Party in D.C. will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA primary in the spring.

My partner -- my panel is back for this -- that not so subtle threat, but we've seen this threat intensify day after day after day. This is so important for Trump, and it's not just because they may get two Republican seats, additionally. It's because the President, if he loses this, this will be one of the rare moments where he is defied by his own party.

GANGEL: Absolutely, I want to go to Indiana and meet these Republicans. This is -- this is a rare breed. Look, Donald Trump never wants to admit he's wrong. But what you're hearing from Republicans on the record is that this redistricting battle probably shouldn't have happened.

Be careful what you wish for, and you're seeing it in -- play out in a state like (inaudible) I'm fascinated to see what this is like in the next three to six months, because as we're going into the midterm elections, you are seeing cracks in the Republican Party grow and grow that three months ago you didn't see.

RAJU: Yeah, that's exactly the narrative that Trump is trying to stop here, which is why he's issuing all these threats. But what will be remarkable, look, they have a super majority in the Indiana State Senate, 40 Republicans and 10 Democrats. It would take 16 no votes, Republican no votes, to kill this and this is what Trump said in Truth -- this Truth Social post in addition to that.

He just went after the state Indiana Republican president there, Rod Bray. He says he won't be in politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party in our country again. He said, one of my favorite states, Indiana will be the only state in the union to turn the Republican party down. It seems to me, in reading the tea leaves and talking to folks that Trump and Republicans, they're concerned they may lose this.

CALDWELL: Yeah, I mean, Indiana Senate Republicans do not want to do this. That is why they have held off. This is -- I was told that part of the reason they decided to actually hold this vote, there was a line of thinking that perhaps that would stop the threats from Trump, and that would stop the swatting, that would stop all the political violence that is being directed toward them as far as threats are concerned.

You know, there's -- people think that that's not going to stop, especially if they defy them. But now this is an on the record, vote in public, even though, in private, they don't want to move forward with this. They are under a tremendous amount of pressure, and it's really going to be interesting to see what they do publicly.

KANNO-YOUNGS: I think it's really smart to look at this not just as the ramifications for very, very important midterm election, but also zoom out to look at it as -- through the lens of Trump's grip on the party. We've talked for years about Trump has a tight grip over the Republican Party.

And you know, even last year, if you were to tell me, or months ago, you were to tell me, J.D. Vance has gone and made visits to Indiana, Trump has made calls to Indiana, they've poured money into this as well to pressure these Republicans. And still it's not working. At times, Trump's own messaging has seemed to turn off some of these Republicans as well.

When you talk about the way that he attacked Tim Walz and then how a local Republican in Indiana opposed that language and Trump as well. It's -- it's fascinating, usually, in recent years when we've seen this kind of pressure applied from the White House and from Trump on to Republicans, whether in Congress or in states, we have seen capitulation, and we are not yet seeing that.

GANGEL: Can I just say two words, lame duck. You're beginning to see where his power is cratering a little bit, and these politicians are -- it's an existential political threat to them. They're going to do what's in their interest.

RAJU: It happens to every president and it will happen to Trump, and that will be what we discuss after that. But look at the -- let's just zoom out and talk about where things are nationally. In Indiana, this would be a two additional Republican seats if they do succeed here. So it have nine Republican seats, likely in the midterms.

But what about just nationwide? Because remember, this is unprecedented. Typically, redistricting happens at the beginning of a decade because of the new census, but Trump had pushed this to happen in Texas in the middle of the decade to help him in the midterms. Next year, they had five Republican seats. Could pick up in the midterms because of that.

Then they responded, or Democrats did in California, and now you're seeing it down the line. Right now, we project about nine Republican pickup opportunities because of the gerrymandering, six Democratic pickup opportunities. But there are several other states, not just Indiana, that are out there.

Florida being one of them. Of course, Republicans control Florida. What will they do? If they act, then Democrats may go even further in Virginia, where they control the powers in Virginia and in Maryland and Illinois.

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So but you know, when you look back at it, all this is happening and it -- there could actually be a wash in some ways.

CALDWELL: Yeah. It absolutely could. And you know, when they started this, you just went through the map, but they were thinking they could get 18 seats, perhaps in this process. They were surprised and shocked, I'm told that the President could not believe that he was outmaneuvered by Gavin Newsom in California, and that Democrats would actually fight back with this.

And so you're absolutely right. Manu, it could be a wash. There's even fears that they could lose seats from this as well. So -- and there's a lot of anger from some on Capitol Hill, some of these Republicans, that it's a lot of political carnage, a lot of political capital for what?

RAJU: And -- exactly -- if there's a wave election, it could impact one thing or another. And what does the Supreme Court do about the Voting Rights Act? Will that impact the midterms this year as well? Those are all major questions that can have an impact this year or the next election cycle.

All right, we're following another developing story. A judge just ordered the immediate release of one most high profile detained immigrants.

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RAJU: Any moment now, Kilmar Abrego-Garcia will be freed from detention. You recall Abrego Garcia, who is El Salvadorian, was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration earlier this year before being returned to the U.S. -- to the U.S., and today, a federal judge ruled he had again been unlawfully detained.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now. So Priscilla, how did the judge explain this decision?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the judge has been at the center of this fraught legal battle between his attorneys and the Justice Department, and at times even the federal judge in the Justice Department in these proceedings. And it's important to note how we got here, which is to say after the United States returned him, and he was eventually detained by immigration and customs enforcement again, they had to decide where they were going to deport him, because he cannot be deported to El Salvador due to a previous court order.

So the administration was pitching African countries to send him to, these far flung countries he has no ties to. But Costa Rica was another option. Costa Rica said they were willing to receive him, that they would give him protections there. And his attorney said that Abrego Garcia was also open to going there, but the administration kept pushing back on that, and that really puzzled the federal judge, who said, if you have not made a decision here, why is he still being held because federal judges, Manu, do have or can order officials to release detained migrants if their removal isn't imminent.

Now, in her conclusion, she summed this all up, and I'll read part of it to you. She said, because Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention to effectuate third country removal, absent a lawful removal order, his requested relief is proper. Separately respondents, the government conduct over the past months belie that his detention has been for the basic purpose of effectuating removal, lending further support that Abrego Garcia should be held no longer.

In other words, in the absence of you making a decision of where you're going to send him, and pushing back on the country that said he would -- that would take him, then he shouldn't be detained anymore, until you figure this out. Now, his release does come with conditions. For example, he has to stay in the custody of his brother in Maryland. He cannot travel outside of the state, and he cannot leave the home unless it's for work, religious services, medical procedures or going to court proceedings. So there are restraints here, but she is saying he needs to be removed immediately.

RAJU: Could this impact other ICE -- how ICE is carrying out these mass deportations nationwide? And also, has the administration responded to this, yet?

ALVAREZ: The administration responded. The Department of Homeland Security said that this is, quote, a naked judicial activism by an Obama appointed judge. This order lacks any valid legal -- legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in court.

What's also going to be fall -- fought in courts, and has been fought in courts, is this idea of third country removals. The administration is keen on this. Essentially, if we can't deport you to your origin country for a variety of reasons, be it frosty relations with a country, or because of these court orders that blocked you from going there, then we're going to attempt to send you somewhere else where you have no ties.

Africa has been a destination in some cases, as well as other countries. So while this case is particular, and this order is particular to Abrego Garcia, it could have ramifications in the way the administration conducts itself in other legal proceedings when they want to send someone to another country.

RAJU: I want to talk about what -- what's happening on Capitol Hill right now. There's a tense hearing in the House where Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, is facing some tough questions from Democrats about the deportation agenda.

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REP. SETH MAGAZINER (D-RI): Lance Corporal Alejandro Barranco, the United States Marine veteran who is behind you, who also has two brothers who are United States Marines. Will you thank Lance Corporal Barranco for his service.

KRISTI NOEM, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Thank you for your service.

MAGAZINER: His father, Narcisco Barranco is a landscaper in California who has lived peacefully in our country for 30 years and has no criminal record. Last spring, while he was mowing the lawn at an IHOP, ICE agents tackled him in the street and imprisoned him for weeks. Will you consider Lance Corporal Barranco's father for parole in place to stay in our country owing to the fact that he has contributed to our country by raising three United States Marines.

NOEM: This is an opportunity to remind everybody that every person that's in this country illegally has an opportunity to voluntarily go home.

MAGAZINER: Oh.

NOEM: -- and come back the right way.

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