The Brian Lehrer Show National Politics with Senator Booker: Health Insurance, Baby Bonds, and More
Dec 4, 2025
U.S. Senator Cory Booker, a leader in criminal justice reform and urban policy, discusses pressing health care issues in Congress, including the fight over ACA subsidies and the implications of potential Medicaid cuts. He compares his 'baby bonds' proposal to Donald Trump's, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to wealth equality. Booker also touches on his marriage to Alexis Lewis and their interfaith traditions, while emphasizing the need for generational renewal in the Democratic Party to secure a brighter future for young Americans.
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Subsidy Cliff = Healthcare Tsunami
- Senator Cory Booker warns ending ACA subsidies will trigger a healthcare tsunami with massive premium hikes and coverage losses.
- He links the subsidy cliff and proposed Medicaid cuts to a potential nationwide catastrophe for patients and providers.
Pressure Republicans Now, Not Later
- Booker urges immediate pressure on Republicans to extend subsidies and warns of midterm consequences if they don't act.
- He calls for constant public engagement now, not waiting until election season, to protect coverage and prevent deaths.
Private Detention Centers Under Fire
- Booker condemns private immigration detention and says he works to strip federal support from private prison operators like GEO Group.
- He plans a visit to Delaney Hall and frames private prisons as morally objectionable policy failures.