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The Situation Room

Lawmakers Assess Path Forward on Shutdown; Rep. Greene Reacts to Sweeping GOP Elections Losses; Rep. Nancy Pelosi Announces She Won't Run for Reelection. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired November 06, 2025 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, the Senate is in session and CNN is learning more about bipartisan negotiations to possibly end the record-long government shutdown. About a dozen centrist Senate Democrats are engaging in talks with their Republican counterparts, but Democrats are urging their colleagues not to cave without an extension of those soon-to-expire health care subsidies. They're pointing to Tuesday's election victories as proof their voters want Democrats to fight. Leaders of both parties are now cautiously assessing their next steps after those elections.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And joining us now to discuss this and more, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. She serves on the House Oversight and Homeland Security Committees. Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

When we spoke the other day last month, it was relatively recently, you acknowledged that the cost of living here in the United States is still high under President Trump. Is that a major reason why Republicans, you believe, lost the elections the other day?

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA), OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: It's a massive reason, and I think they were surprised by it, but it's been something I've been talking about for quite some time, and that's the most important thing people care about, the ability to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and also their safety and security for their financial future.

BROWN: Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Thune, and Vice President J.D. Vance, they all downplayed the election results, disputing that this is a broader wake-up call for your party. Are they wrong?

GREENE: I don't think they should downplay it. I'm from Georgia, and we lost two very important Public Service Commission seats that were statewide races in the State of Georgia. I think that should be a big wake-up call to my home state. We've got the entire slate coming up in 2026 with governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and Jon Ossoff's Senate seat is up for election. So, I think it's a major wake-up call, as well as other down-ballot races like Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

BROWN: You've been really clear, including on this show, about your unhappiness with both Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune. Who would you rather see lead Republicans in Congress?

GREENE: I think that's a very hard question. Here's my issue. I'm America first, and I don't apologize for that. And I believe Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, should be serving the American people.

[10:35:00]

And when you campaign on America first, it's like having a restaurant advertising like a certain type of food and then you don't deliver America first, and your customers come in your restaurant, and there's -- the food's totally different, and they're like, wait a minute, this isn't what I was coming in for. You're not going to have those return customers. And I see it through that business lens.

And here -- you know, I was talking about I was telling my staff on the way here, I said, I voted to fund the government on September 18th. And here we are today is November 6th. And the House has not been in session since then. And I just -- I truly believe that's an utter failure. And you can't expect people to show up and be passionate about voting for you when you're not even going to work, and they're going to work every single day and struggling to pay their bills.

BROWN: So, there's no one you can think of that you would like to see lead the Republicans in Congress?

GREENE: I haven't even heard those conversations yet, but we're not even meeting. So, it's -- you know, it's hard to do that.

BLITZER: The president, President Trump, told Senate Republicans behind closed doors yesterday, as you probably read about, that Republicans are getting, quote, "killed" over the government shutdown, and that's why they must change their approach or risk future losses. I know you feel similarly. Have you spoken directly with the president about this?

GREENE: I have not, but I did speak to him some time ago about using the nuclear option and overriding the filibuster. And I told him, I said, Mr. President, this is the only way you're going to get your agenda across. And I called for it, I think it was early October, I actually started calling, saying that, you know, Democrats should vote to fund the government, but Republicans are equally responsible, and if they're serious about funding the government, they should use the nuclear option and override the filibuster to get it done. And so, I'm very pleased to see President Trump saying the same thing I'm saying.

BROWN: I'm just curious, when did you talk to him about that? Because he came out recently, as you well know, and called for Republicans to get rid of the filibuster and use the nuclear option. Do you think that could have been tied to your push for that, or when did you talk to him?

GREENE: I think president -- well, I spoke to him about that -- on that issue, that phone call was actually several months ago, because I had been seeing it coming. We're not accomplishing the agenda, we're not passing bills that reflect his executive orders, and there is no effort to have any type of consensus on a health care plan, which I am very passionate about, as health insurance premiums are crushing Americans.

And -- but I'm not sure what changed his mind on that, but he called for it before, in his first administration. So, this is something that President Trump believes in.

BROWN: Have you talked to him during the shutdown?

GREENE: No, I have not spoken to him with the shutdown.

BROWN: You obviously are very devoted to President Trump. You've made that clear, you have campaigned for him. Is there anything, though, you'd critique or do differently?

GREENE: My critique is not being focused on America First, but I largely blame that on our Congress, because I serve in the House. I also blame that on who's advising him in the White House. You know, keeping him on nonstop tours around the world and nonstop meetings with foreign countries' leaders is not America First. It's just not. I think domestic policy should be the most important issue that the president and the Republican-controlled House and Senate are working on, and that showed up in the election on Tuesday.

BROWN: But as the President, does he get some responsibility for that?

GREENE: Well, of course. I mean, every president is responsible for the way that they lead, but they're also in a silo of information. And I think that's why, after the election on Tuesday, you saw President Trump come out and react differently, probably because they couldn't keep him siloed, and here's the polls, sir, and this is what people are saying. I think he saw for himself, and he's reacted.

BLITZER: It's very interesting. You're an influential Republican in the House of Representatives, and we hear you breaking with your party on several issues like the shutdown, the government shutdown, health care, foreign policy, the Epstein files. You say that's nothing new. But Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she's arguing that this is all a, quote, "revenge tour" on your part because President Trump prevented you from running for Georgia's Senate seat next year. Is there any truth to her claim?

GREENE: No, there's no truth to it. I actually put out a statement earlier this summer on why I didn't want to run for Senate, and if you look at the gridlock in the Senate right now, that actually I find repulsive, it just shows -- why would I -- I'm a serious person. I like to achieve things. I never want to go work somewhere where you can get nothing done.

BROWN: So, do you have any ambitions for a statewide or nationwide office?

[10:40:00] GREENE: So, everyone's asking me that, and I think it's because Washington has never seen someone come in with pure intentions. I'm literally one of those disenfranchised forgotten Americans that feels like the government has failed them, and I just so happen to get elected to Congress.

So, I didn't come in here with some sort of career or desire to just continue climbing the ladder. All I really want to do is do the job that I'm doing right now, and I'm trying very hard to do it, but we can't even go to work. So, it's pretty hard to do it.

BLITZER: Are you completely, completely ruling out the possibility of running for president in 2028?

GREENE: So, that was a rumor that got started yesterday, completely baseless. I never said I was running for president in 2028. I said I wasn't running for governor in this upcoming election. I said I wasn't running for Senate in this upcoming election, and I haven't said I'm running for president.

Think about this. I'm against foreign wars to the military-industrial complex. Do you think they'd donate to me? No. I'm against big pharma. So, do you think big pharma would donate to me? No. Health insurance industry? Absolutely not. I've been burning them to the ground. So, I wouldn't be a candidate that would have all that big donor money. I'd have to send out, like, small-dollar campaign requests. But seriously, though, I never said that. It just -- the rumor started yesterday, and it got shared everywhere. So --

BLITZER: That's why I asked the question.

GREENE: Yes.

BROWN: There you go.

BLITZER: Congressman, I want you to stay with us. We have more questions for you.

GREENE: OK.

BLITZER: Don't go anywhere. You're in the Situation Room. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

BROWN: We have much more to discuss with Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. So, you've said it yourself that you're frustrated with your own party. You feel like it's not delivering. Are you or would you ever consider leaving the GOP?

GREENE: No, I haven't ever considered that. So, everyone may not know this, but I ran for Congress in 2020 frustrated with my own party. I feel like many Republican candidates, they campaign one way, and then when they get power, they do nothing with it, or they never fully deliver what they promised to the American people. And I think there are many voters right now, and I think that showed on Tuesday, that genuinely feel that way.

I represent Americans that are really done with foreign wars and foreign policy, really want to focus on our own problems, our issues. I'm very much one of those MAHA moms, I guess you would say. I was against the COVID vaccine and the lockdowns, and we want to see more in that area, especially when it comes to food. I'm one of those that supports our farmers over any farmers all over the world, and bailing out Argentina and blaming our cattle ranchers is not the way to go.

And so, you know, I think it's incredibly important for Republicans to understand the people that vote for them, not the people that come and support them in Washington, like the lobbyists and the industries, but the regular people. And that's who I represent, and no matter who gets mad at me, I'm not going to apologize for that.

BLITZER: Are you still against the COVID vaccine? I asked the question because the other day I got the COVID booster shot and the flu shot as well. I'm just wondering if you still oppose that.

GREENE: I am opposed, Wolf, and I'm opposed because I know so many people that have had vaccine injuries and truly blame COVID vaccines for some of their loved ones' deaths. And there's a lot of research that I don't think has been fairly shared with all Americans on the effects of the COVID vaccines, and so there is a large portion of Americans and people all over the world are very much against them, but I believe in health care freedom.

And so, I believe if you want to go get a vaccine, of course, you can do that, and I'll never judge you for that, but I also believe that parents shouldn't be forced to have their children vaccinated for them to attend school or sports or anything else. I really think we need to do away with that.

BLITZER: Yes. I was told by my doctor, get the COVID booster shot because even if you come down with COVID later, it'll be a milder case because you had the COVID booster shot.

GREENE: Oh, wow. So, I had COVID in 2020 early on, and I've never had it since. And so, I'm thankful for my natural immunity, but I'm also very empathetic for anyone that had a hard time with COVID or lost someone.

BLITZER: All right. Let's talk about political futures right now. I assume you heard that the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that she's planning to retire from Congress, not seek reelection when her term ends. She's been in Congress for almost 40 years. She's 85 years old. What's your reaction?

GREENE: Well, my reaction is I believe in term limits, and I've cosponsored that bill, and it's been decades now that I believe we have seen the failure in Washington, D.C. However, I will praise Nancy Pelosi. She had an incredible career for her party. I served under her speakership in my first term of Congress, and I'm very impressed at her ability to get things done. I wish we could get things done for our party like Nancy Pelosi was able to deliver for her party. So, I wish her well in her retirement, but I would like to see people exit Washington a lot sooner rather than wait until their 80s.

BLITZER: Yes. We all -- I agree. We all wish her well.

BROWN: I want to ask you about something else that you've been really openly passionate about, and that is the need for more transparency around the Epstein files.

[10:50:00]

You even told us last month that you're concerned about threats because you want to expose some of the people in power who were on Jeffrey Epstein, who was part of Jeffrey Epstein's ring. According to the survivors, there's a list of men they haven't released yet. You said you're willing to read that list on the House floor. What more can you tell us about that and the names?

GREENE: I told the lovely women that I met that are victims of Jeffrey Epstein, they also say they are victims of another group of men, one that they're afraid to list publicly, and I told them that I'd be happy to read that name on the House floor for them. There hasn't been any movement forward on that. Of course, that's up to those women, and that's their decision. However, I remain steadfast, and my belief is that all of this information should be released. No one should be protected. That's completely unfair, and I think it's a failure of administration, administration, administration that they never released it. No one has released this stuff.

And so, this is something that the American people are extremely angry about. I think it also played a part in Tuesday's election of why some people are just mad and they don't want to go vote, and it's not going away anytime soon.

BLITZER: Have you made your concerns about the Epstein files known to the president directly?

GREENE: Yes. Yes, I have. I don't share my personal conversations with the president, but I did express how important it is.

BROWN: We should be clear, the president has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein's crimes, but what do you say to people, perhaps people in your own district, who feel like his administration isn't being transparent on this issue, and it brings a lot of questions up for them?

GREENE: I don't really have to explain it. It's pretty much everyone across the board agrees, release the Epstein files. So, this is something that I get calls into my office almost every day about. We track all the calls that come into my office, and I think that's extremely important, whether they come from the district or out of district, and it's all over the country. People just want this information released.

BROWN: What are you seeing in terms of the calls and the volume there on that issue and other issues?

GREENE: Epstein continues to be one of the top calls, the biggest call that we're getting right now is health insurance premiums. Of course, this is a crisis. I continue to demand a plan from my party. I've had pushback. Well, Marjorie, why don't you introduce your own bill? That may be something that I do. However, every member of Congress has a whole stack of bills that we would love to get to the floor for a vote, but we can't get anything to the floor for a vote unless the speaker chooses to bring it.

So -- but I continue to push back. Democrats created this problem. Republicans have yet to solve it, and it's unfair to the American people. Across the board, people cannot afford health insurance.

BLITZER: Yes. They need health insurance. Before I let you go, a final question. You've been very generous with your time. Thank you very much. The conservative activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, as you probably heard, she's now credentialed as a member of the new Pentagon Press Corps after the Defense Department placed rules on reporting that most news outlets refuse to agree to. Does that at all concern you?

GREENE: No, I'll just say good luck with that.

BLITZER: Good luck to her being a Pentagon --

GREENE: Good luck to the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Yes.

BROWN: What do you mean by that?

GREENE: I think everyone knows what I mean by that. Well, we'll see what her reporting shows.

BROWN: I'm just curious what your perspective is overall on what the Pentagon did on that front. I mean, you have done interviews with media outlets that you once deemed unfriendly or biased. You've also said you're a big believer in the First Amendment, right? Freedom of the press, freedom of speech. So, do you disagree with moves like that to restrict the press?

GREENE: I think our First Amendment is the most important, and I believe that's why it is the first. And I talk to anyone that requests an interview with me, and here lately that's become incredibly important to me. I'm very tired of the toxic nature of politics here in Washington, but also across the country. Families have been torn apart. People have gotten divorced. It separates parents from children.

And so, I'm trying to lead by example, and I can only do my part, and that is to talk to everyone and to talk to everyone in kindness. We don't all have to agree, but that's being an American. And thank goodness for that, right? But we have the freedom to do that, and our freedom of speech, our First Amendment rights, allows us to do that.

And so, my personal belief is, and I can only do it on my own, is that I need to set an example in the leadership role I am in by speaking nicely to everyone and sharing my viewpoints, but also listening to others.

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: And being available to talk about what's going on.

BROWN: To the press.

GREENE: Yes.

BLITZER: Which is so important. We all believe in freedom of the press. It is so, so important.

GREENE: I agree.

BLITZER: Yes. All right. Thank you very much, Congresswoman.

GREENE: Thank you.

BLITZER: Appreciate you joining us.

BROWN: Thank you for coming back on the show. We appreciate your time.

Coming up, lawmakers are pushing to make a deal to reopen the government before the end of the week. New CNN reporting is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BROWN: Happening now, breaking news. The Trump administration is set --

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