Below is a transcript of an interview with Democratic New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who aired on May 11, 2025 on "Facing the Country with Margaret Brennan".
Ed O'Keefe: Welcome back to "Facing the Country". Now, we turn to New Mexico’s Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who joined us this morning from Santa Fe. Governor, I'm glad to see you. Part of the reason we want to hear about you this week is that Republicans in Washington are debating the future of Medicaid and proposing various potential changes to the program. Your state has the highest Medicaid enrollment per capita and we checked it out in the end. We hope this week will have a clear picture of what Republicans are considering doing with their budget blueprint for Medicaid. But I understand 70% - over 70% of Medicaid coverage comes from federal funding. If they start cutting any form, do you have plans to make up for the difference?
government. Michelle Lujan Grisham: Good looking, ED, I think every state, including this state, will do everything possible to protect the people they serve. So we will do the same thing – in fact, we created these Medicaid and related health care state grant programs and trust funds. But it's just an effort to undermine the health care we know, tear it apart from everyday Americans and make it more costly to everyone else, and it will close hospitals - think that 432 hospitals nationwide are on the edge now. About one-third of their funds come from Medicaid. Therefore, you have fewer providers with fewer access points. There is no state, including this country, that can take such cost transfer. And you know, businesses didn’t have employees at the time because they couldn’t get access to health care. What they didn't talk about was a huge economic factor, which was outrageous - I just wanted to do one more quickly because I know we wanted to know something else. I have a governor working on it-I think, in front of me, my governor Martinez, is credited with finding ways to economically recession-era economy in New Mexico with a view to saving money. They cut behavioral health completely from Medicaid, and over a decade later we are still digging out the remaining providers and the contractors are leaving. People cannot access it. People die, more substance abuse, more drug use, more behavioral health. High-risk issues. It's a disaster and people will die. The child will die.
Ed O'Keefe: I wonder - as part of this potential rollback, do you have to revisit the decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act if the federal government cuts its funds?
government. Lujan Grisham: So I'm working on investing in quality and visiting in New Mexico. If we were to go backwards on these extensions, we wouldn't be able to do it. I thought my legislature would expect me, so I'm going to go- it's a trailer and I'm going to come out to make sure we hold Medicaid and tell-it's if these cuts come, we get Congress-so it's a plea for everyday Americans. You call your MP to let them know what this impact means for you and your family. Women - Remember, fewer obgynns, fewer access points, higher maternal health mortality, and higher infant mortality -
Ed O'Keefe: Yes.
government. Lujan Grisham: We need to make sure Congress understands that this is a way to adapt or address health care issues that may take advantage of some efficiency and can use some quality investment. There is no doubt that there is some waste and fraud. Do this. Unselectively breaking up Medicaid means you are following hard-working Americans, rather than unwanted billionaires and unwanted companies—or asking for a $1.5 trillion tax cut.
Ed O'Keefe: That's it - it's a problem that every governor has to deal with in one way or another, because Congress breaks down what to do. I would like to ask you for more unique information about New Mexico and several other states. Of course, you have a border with Mexico, and the Trump administration has now established a unique defense zone within about 170 miles, putting the military in the area in control for about three years. You are looking at the map there. The yellow area is essentially this new defense zone. This means that troops can detain invaders entering the area. I'm curious, will this alleviate your concerns about the border governor's transit? Is this what to do?
government. Lujan Grisham: I don't think so. This is not my biggest concern with the lack of due process, which I think is clearly a violation of the Constitution and what we do with immigration. What I think we should do - I believe most of my state members are hiring more border patrol personnel through Congress’ border policies, making sure we use the military where we need it, to ensure that states can get guards on natural disasters and related issues. This makes no sense. For several administrative departments today, our border crossing points are already the lowest. *We should do more. We should do more to prevent people from getting visas and demanding refugee and asylum status. We shouldn't just do this to South Africans. This makes no sense. But this is not my biggest problem. My biggest problem is the horror of accidental ice attacks and sweeping in businesses across the country, including many communities in New Mexico. I made a boundary flight. I want to pay attention. You know, this is - seeing tanks rolling along the border, acting in this way and showing this military force - unsettling -
Ed O'Keefe: Yes.
government. Lujan Grisham: But I prefer Congress - the faster they pass the border than the bill (Both Party Border Act), then maybe we will have some common sense in this debate. Follow the cartel. Follow bad members. Bring me public safety. Do this across the state. This makes a difference. They didn't do that. They rolled around in tanks, allegedly detaining 100 or more people - I don't even know what time range -
Ed O'Keefe: We'll continue -
government. Lujan Grisham: It's hard to get this information.
Ed O'Keefe: Right. We will continue to track it and ask these questions to understand the number of detained-
government. Lujan Grisham: OK.
Ed O'Keefe: Governor, thank you very much for joining us. We are grateful and we will be back soon.
*Editor's Note: The number of attempted immigrants crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border reached a monthly high under Biden Amistration in December 2023, then fell the following year.