The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, Democrat of Delaware, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” broadcast November 24, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The 2024 election was historic for several reasons. Among them, the first openly transgender person was elected to the United States Congress. She joins us now from the state she will represent, Delaware. Democratic Representative-elect Sarah McBride. Welcome to Face à la Nation.
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: Thanks for inviting me, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, it’s interesting, given how polarized and angry and divided this country is, that people choose to serve and show up. You told my colleague Scott MacFarlane that it was your personal experience caring for your husband during his battle with terminal cancer that inspired you to run. Do you think health care policy will be the focus of your work here?
REP.-ELECT MCBRIDE: Well, I’m certainly happy to be back here in Delaware after two weeks of orientation and to have the privilege of serving this state that I love in Congress. I ran to reduce the costs facing workers, retirees and their families. This means reducing the cost of health care, but also housing, child care and everyday expenses like gas and groceries. I ran for office after my experience caring for my husband, Andy, during his battle with cancer. And throughout that experience, even though Andy ultimately lost his life, we both knew how lucky we were. We knew how lucky Andy was to have health insurance that would allow him to receive care that would hopefully save his life. And we both knew how lucky we were to have flexibility from our employers. This allowed Andy to focus on his full-time job of getting care, and me to focus on the full-time job of being by his side to care for him, love him, marry him and accompany him until his death. And I ran for office because I don’t believe that, in the richest and most developed country on the planet, that time and ability to get treatment should be a matter of luck. I believe this should be the law of the land. And that’s why, during my time in the Delaware General Assembly, I took paid family and medical leave and secured the largest investment in our state’s Medicaid program. And I want to do that work in Congress on health care, but also on housing and child care.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Paid leave is something Mr. Trump has paid lip service to, we’ll see in the new Congress if that happens. We find in our CBS poll that 86% of voters believe congressional Democrats should find common ground with Mr. Trump and Republicans. Do you think you can?
REP.-ELECT MCBRIDE: Well, I’ve said throughout this campaign that I will work with anyone who is willing to work with me to help Delawareans, to reduce the costs that my constituents face. There are opportunities for us to find common ground. But it’s also clear that this administration, as it begins to fill its appointees with the authors of Project 2025, that many of the policies that this president will pursue are likely to hurt my constituents and raise prices. And so where I need to fight back, I will. But where I can find common ground, I will certainly seek it. That’s what I did during my time in the General Assembly, where almost every bill I passed passed with bipartisan support.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As you mentioned, you were here for orientation. House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about your coming to work and some objections from a South Carolina Republican representative regarding the restroom you might use. Here’s what the speaker said.
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (ON TAPE): A man is a man, and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman. That said, I also believe that this is what Scripture teaches, what I just said. But I also believe that we treat everyone with dignity.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think you are treated with dignity by your colleagues?
REP.-ELECT MCBRIDE: I didn’t show up in the United States House of Representatives to talk about the toilets I use. I didn’t run to talk about myself. I ran to deliver the Delawareans. And while the Republicans in Congress seem to be focused on bathrooms and trans people, and specifically on me, I’m focused on rolling up my sleeves, diving into the details, setting up my office, and getting started on the working hard to meet Delawareans’ expectations on issues that keep them up at night. And I look forward to working with any colleague who is willing to work and take seriously the issues that matter, because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how I’m treated. What matters is how the American people are treated and whether we are truly focused on the issues that matter to them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, some of your fellow Democrats in Congress, including Tom Suozzi and Seth Moulton, have also recently spoken about their feelings, looking back on the last election, and said that Democrats should be more open in saying whether they opposed transgender athletes playing. in women’s sport. These are the specific examples they cited. What would you say to your future Democratic colleagues on this subject? Do you understand why some parents, for example, feel uncomfortable or frustrated?
REP.-ELECT MCBRIDE: Look, I think this country is still entering into a conversation about who trans people are, about the whole diversity of the community. And I’ve already had conversations with colleagues in the Democratic caucus that span a diversity of thoughts on how the party should engage on a range of issues. But I think we are all united that every American deserves equal rights. I think we are all united in the fact that attempts to attack a vulnerable community are not only petty, but are actually an attempt at misdirection. Because every time we hear the new administration or Republicans in Congress talk about a vulnerable group in this country, we must be clear: This is a diversionary attempt. It’s an attempt to distract from what they’re actually doing. Every time, every time we hear them say the word trans, watch what they do with their right hand. Look at what they are doing to pick the pockets of American workers, to defraud seniors by privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Look what they are doing by undermining workers. And here’s also what we need to be clear about, because I think last week was a great example of that. Every moment and energy spent diverting the federal government’s attention to going after transgender people is not being spent on reducing the cost of living for our constituents. And we need to be clear that there is a real cost to the American worker every time they focus on this topic.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Very good. Representative-elect to Congress, I’m sure we’ll see you again here in Washington. We’ll be back right away.
