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Shutdown Over But Ripple Effects Drag On; Timing May Vary on Restoring Food Benefits, Receiving Back Pay; Sources: Epstein Accomplice Maxwell Gets Special Prison Treatment; Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) Discusses About Extension of Subsidies; Lawmakers Face Health Care Deadline as Govt Reopens; Judge Urged to Disqualify Prosecutor in Comey, Letitia James Cases. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired November 13, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

DON RIDDELL, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, perhaps.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Yes, we very well might.

All right. Don Riddell, thank you to you. We really appreciate it.

And we are following a number of breaking news stories, including we're following the Hill, where potentially that we will see a vote on the release of the Epstein files. A number of Republicans could potentially be joining Democrats. We're going to follow that and more.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Not exactly business as usual. The government shutdown might be over, but how long till we get back to normal?

Plus, could a 50-year mortgage help you afford a home? How about a portable mortgage? We'll look at some of the Trump administration's ideas to make housing more affordable.

And some say it resembles Vladimir Putin, Russia unveiling a humanoid robot powered by A.I. But the big reveal didn't quite go as planned.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

The shutdown is over, but the struggle is still real for millions of Americans. That's because full SNAP benefits and back pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers still hasn't hit bank accounts. Flights are still being canceled. Health care costs are about to surge for millions of Obamacare enrollees if Congress doesn't act before January. CNN's Rene Marsh is with us now on this story.

Let's start first with the food. You have 42 million SNAP recipients, and it's not like the House voted and they saw their money.

RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And they may have to wait a few more days. And -- and remember, we've been talking about SNAP for several weeks now because this program has really became the flashpoint of this shutdown and really illustrated the area in which Americans were feeling the pain. So, the big question now is when will the -- the Americans who -- who rely on this program receive their full benefits?

And it really depends on what state you live in. It is a patchwork and it will be different from state to state. But on average or generally speaking, anywhere from the next three days to a week, people can begin to receive these full funds. And the good news about this funding package that the President signed last night is that it also includes funding this particular program for a full year. So, this program is secure for that amount of time.

KEILAR: And what about federal workers who, you know, they're looking for their back pay. They haven't gotten paychecks.

MARSH: Yes, we're talking about more than 1.4 million federal workers who are either furloughed or working without pay. Many of them missed some two full paychecks during this shutdown. And when they will receive their back pay really, again, is going to rely on and depend on which agency that they work for. Many of these agencies have different pay schedules. In speaking with the labor unions in old times, they usually would get their back pay within three business days. There is some concern it could take longer this time around because of many of the staffers within these H.R. departments at these agencies have either been furloughed or left the job as part of the administration's larger downsizing of the federal workforce.

But again, generally speaking, we are expecting people will start getting their back pay in the next few business days or several business days. We heard from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem saying that TSA will get their back pay in the, quote, "coming days."

KEILAR: And these Obamacare subsidies, the extension of which Democrats were demanding, I think people have become very aware of them. What about them? Because they're set to expire at the end of the year.

MARSH: Right. And that was really the sticking point, which is why this fight lasted as long as -- as it did. Democrats really holding out for a vote on that. We know that because of this deal that was signed, it guarantees a vote in early December in the Senate. We talked about this before. It's unlikely to go anywhere. But this is something that will impact some 24 million Americans.

And we're talking about subsidies going away and what that means for premiums. It could mean as much as 112 percent increase on these health insurance premiums. So, along with groceries being more expensive, this is the other issue that Americans could be facing if something isn't resolved with extending these subsidies. Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. Renee, thank you so much for taking us through that. A lot of eyes still on this. Jessica.

DEAN: Next week, lawmakers are due to vote on whether to release the Jeffrey Epstein files now that the House is back in session. But before that vote, CNN has learned some new exclusive details about his longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the special treatment she's receiving in prison from private meetings in the chapel to having her cellmates moved out, even an unlimited supply of toilet paper.

[15:05:08]

Sources say Maxwell has privileges simply not offered to other inmates.

CNN's MJ Lee is here now with her reporting.

MJ, Maxwell was just moved in August. You've been looking into this. What's the explanation for her getting this special treatment?

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's a really good question, because when she was transferred to this minimum-security prison, there were a lot of raised eyebrows because when you are a convicted child sex trafficker, you don't get to be typically in a minimum-security prison. And what sources told us about her life in prison is that she is getting treatment that usually you don't see with a typical average inmate.

A couple of examples, unlimited toilet paper. She is being largely isolated from other inmates, including cellmates at one point being moved out of her cell, private guest visits at the chaplain's office inside the prison's chapel and inmates being transferred out of that prison after raising concerns about Maxwell. And just to unpack at least two of these examples, the toilet paper one, just because it's -- it's -- it's a little intriguing and I think some people might hear that example and think, why do we care about toilet paper?

Well, when you are in prison, these kinds of daily necessities are really a luxury and people guard them when they are in prison because they don't know when they're going to run out. And you have to go to the commissary typically if you want to get more than the two roles that you are typically allotted as an inmate. So, the fact that she's having unlimited access does show you that it's different than the treatment that other inmates get.

And then, in terms of the inmates that have raised concerns about Maxwell, there's an example of one inmate that sources say had raised concerns about Maxwell, including by speaking to a reporter. Her daughter had been the victim of sex trafficking. She was clearly really troubled by the fact that Maxwell was at this prison. And as soon as that happened, she was summoned to the lieutenant's office, basically scolded, and then ended up being transferred to a higher security prison. And we are told that the warden at the prison had a town hall where she told all the inmates, do not talk about Ghislaine Maxwell to the outside world. And clearly, when you do that, there's an example of somebody paying a price.

DEAN: Yes, very interesting.

What does the Bureau of Prison say?

LEE: Yes, this is what a spokesperson told us in response to our story. They said, "The BOP has a duty to ensure no inmate is treated any different from the next and that no inmate is subject to acts of violence while in custody."

Essentially, they are saying, you know, this isn't special treatment that Ghislaine Maxwell is getting. This has all been necessary because of high -- how -- how high profile she is and the fact that there have been death threats made against her. And they noted a couple of things about our story. They said the meals that were being delivered to her room, that's no longer happening. Apparently, that was only for a period of a month. They also said the town hall that the warden had that I mentioned, that that was actually specifically in response to the threats that have been made to Maxwell.

But no question, after all of the headlines yesterday heading into today with the new documents about Epstein communications, whatever Ghislaine Maxwell is doing, whatever treatment she is getting should be scrutinized and should remain in the spotlight.

DEAN: All right. MJ Lee, excellent reporting. Thanks so much for bringing it to us.

And still to come here, while federal agencies begin to reopen after the longest ever government shutdown, the future of health care subsidies remains in limbo. We'll discuss that with Congressman Carlos Gimenez. That's next.

Plus, how attorneys for James Comey and Letitia James urged a federal judge to disqualify the interim U.S. attorney handpicked by President Trump to prosecute those cases.

And later, the Trump administration says it is actively evaluating portable mortgages. What is that?

That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:13:20]

KEILAR: Congress is back in session and back on the clock. The enhanced Obamacare subsidies at the center of the shutdown fight will expire at the end of the year, and with no extension, tens of millions of Americans could see their premiums jump an average of 114 percent. Republican leaders in the Senate have promised to vote on the subsidies before they expire, but it's not so clear in the House.

Speaker Mike Johnson says that he's open to working with Democrats to address health insurance costs, but would not guarantee a vote on extending the enhanced subsidies.

Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez of Florida is with us now.

Sir, you support a one-year extension on these subsidies. Are you expecting the Speaker to allow a vote on that?

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I haven't spoken to the Speaker about it. I think it's still up in the air. There are a number of us on our side of the aisle that want to see the extension of these subsidies, because I think it would hurt a great number of American -- American citizens.

But mind you, the termination of these subsidies was actually put in by the Democrats. They're the ones that -- that put the subsidies in place, knowing that it was not sustainable. And they're the ones that actually put the end date. And so, I find it very ironic that they are now saying that's our issue, when in fact it was their issue. They created this.

Now, I'm also -- one thing you need to think about, the subsidies are there to try to make the Affordable Care Act affordable. So, that means that the Affordable Care Act right now is unaffordable. It is running amok. It is full of problems, just like we said there was going to be full of problems when it was passed originally by the Democrats. And now we need to fix it.

And so, the Speaker is committed to fixing the health care, you know, issue, the Affordable Care Act, either by replacement or by fixing it so that it becomes affordable again.

[15:15:08]

Right now, it is unaffordable. I want the one-year extension to give us the time to fix the underlying problem, which is the un-Affordable Care Act. And that's what we're facing today.

KEILAR: Yes. I mean, we're hearing these concerns, even people who aren't on the Obamacare exchange, but we're hearing that complaint from everyone. It's a huge problem that you all in Congress are -- are addressing or need to address.

GIMENEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: I want to ask you on the Epstein files, Speaker Johnson is saying that he will bring a vote next week. Will you vote, if -- if there is that vote, will you vote to force DOJ to release all the Epstein files?

GIMENEZ: I have no problem in releasing, you know, the files that -- that they have. I know that they've also run into the court system. And the court system -- some of the files they can't release because then it would put in jeopardy the names of a lot of the victims and they want their privacy. And so, whatever files can be released, should be released. We need to put this behind us, every, you know, this drip and drab that comes out every once in a while. It's another story, et cetera.

Like I said before, if there was something in there that somehow implicated, you know, the President -- President Trump, the Biden administration would have shown it to us during their time when they had control of the files. I have no problems in -- in releasing those files as long as the court -- the court system says they're eligibility to -- eligible to be released.

KEILAR: Why does the -- this White House then, do you think, why are they fighting to not release it? GIMENEZ: Look, like I said, I don't know -- I don't know why there's -- there's a fight, but, you know, the American people need to know the truth, whatever -- whatever it is and whoever it is. And so again, I'm very confident that the President is not implicated in this. And that because of who he was, again, the Biden administration would have let us know that, okay, a long time ago.

But there's some -- some of these files need to be protected because of these victims.

KEILAR: Those emails that were released, you don't think they're -- that raises any questions?

GIMENEZ: I'm sorry.

KEILAR: The emails -- the emails that were released talking about him don't raise any questions for you?

GIMENEZ: Not right now, no. Not -- not, you know, the ones that I read is somebody said, hey, you know, somebody's seeking information, you can either protect them or you can throw them under the bus. And I think that's somebody giving legal -- legal advice to Epstein to see how it, you know, what works best for him.

KEILAR: No, the -- the email where -- the email where Epstein is saying to Maxwell that Trump spent hours at Epstein's House with someone whose name was redacted, who Republicans are now saying was Virginia Giuffre.

GIMENEZ: Right. And she has said that any time that she spent with him, he did absolutely nothing wrong. So, there you have it.

KEILAR: Yes. No, and I've -- I've asked people about that as well. She's also, unfortunately, not living anymore, right? Nor is Jeffrey Epstein. So, some questions raised by those emails, we don't have parties that we can ask. And what Ghislaine Maxwell is saying is sort of undercut by that.

Nonetheless, I do want to ask you because I want to talk to you about these boat strikes.

GIMENEZ: Okay.

KEILAR: I think it's really important that we move on to talk about that, because you've been supportive of the U.S. strikes on these alleged drug boats. There's this carrier strike group ...

GIMENEZ: Right.

KEILAR: ... that's now in the region. A U.S. official said last week that the Trump administration is seeking a DOJ legal rationale for strikes against land targets without congressional authorization. Are you okay with that, them seeking a legal rationale for strikes against land targets without congressional authorization?

GIMENEZ: Look, I've been okay with destroying those people that have been killing hundreds of thousands of Americans for years. You know, I -- I had Christopher Wray in front of my subcommittee ask him why these organizations were not labeled as terrorists. They were actually killing more Americans than al-Qaeda ever did. And so, whether you're killed by a bullet, a bomb or poison, you're still being killed.

And so, these are terrorist organizations. It's been demonstrated that they have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. More Americans have died of overdose in the last five years than were killed in the entire Second World War. And so, these folks have been at war with us. And so, yes, we need to protect the American citizens. We need to protect our people. And I'm glad that the President is actually taking some decisive action to do just that. So, yes, I will support the -- the elimination of these drugs.

KEILAR: No, but that's not what I'm asking.

GIMENEZ: And those people that are trying to carry these drugs.

KEILAR: Do you want ...

GIMENEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: Do you think Congress should have ...

GIMENEZ: Okay.

KEILAR: ... you're okay, so you're -- the -- the congressional part of it.

GIMENEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: Okay, not a problem.

GIMENEZ: Look -- I mean, look ...

KEILAR: Okay.

GIMENEZ: ... these are terrorists -- you know, the -- look, I look -- I look at -- look at it this way.

KEILAR: No, that's fair.

GIMENEZ: I look at the both ...

KEILAR: I just wanted -- I just wanted to be clear on that.

GIMENEZ: Okay. Yes.

KEILAR: Yes, I -- I just want to be clear on that front.

GIMENEZ: Yeah.

KEILAR: So, you recently visited SOUTHCOM HQ, which oversees these strikes. And then 10 days after the commander ...

GIMENEZ: Right. KEILAR: ... Admiral Alvin Holsey, made an unusual move of stepping down just a year into his tenure.

[15:20:05]

When he -- when you -- did you speak to him? Can you tell us about that? Did you -- did you talk to him in any sort of fulsome way? Did he raise any concerns with you about the legality of the operations?

GIMENEZ: Unfortunately, I can't tell you what I spoke about because it was in a classified setting. And so, I really can't verify one way or the other. It was a classified setting, the conversations that we had, he and I.

KEILAR: All right. Congressman Carlos Gimenez, thank you so much for being with us. Really appreciate it.

GIMENEZ: My pleasure.

KEILAR: And coming up, dramatic moments during a hearing over the U.S. attorney prosecuting James Comey and Letitia James, what the judge asked near the end that caused audible gasps in the courtroom. We'll have that next.

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[15:25:27]

DEAN: Two weeks from now, we should know whether a judge will disqualify interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan from her job. During a hearing today, attorneys for former FBI Chief James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James argued Halligan was unlawfully appointed and therefore has no authority to charge their clients. The judge says she will be issuing her ruling on that before Thanksgiving.

Halligan is Trump's former personal lawyer and was handpicked by him to serve as interim prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia. Her predecessor, Erik Siebert, was pushed out after refusing to bring charges over concerns about a lack of evidence.

Let's discuss now with John Dean, CNN Contributor and former White House counsel for the Nixon administration.

John, it's good to see you here.

The DOJ attorneys were arguing that the attorneys for Comey and James are trying to, in their words, elevate what is at best a paperwork error here. What -- how would you assess what we saw today?

JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, given the reporting I've had and as well as the mainstream and some bloggers, it doesn't look like it was a good day for the government. The judge wasn't buying this retroactive approval argument that this was just a technical paper shuffling error. In fact, she was very familiar with the other cases that -- where other judges have thrown out U.S. attorneys appointed in the similar fashion of Halligan. So, I think the government is going to be in trouble on this one.

DEAN: And James' attorney told the judge that under the government's theory, again, this was their words, someone like Steve Bannon or Elon Musk could go get into a grand jury -- go into a grand jury and get an indictment, and the attorney general could later authorize that. What did you think about that argument?

J DEAN: It was sort of fantasy land. The judge -- this is a seasoned judge. This is a senior judge from South Carolina. So, they brought her in. So, there was no political influence that could be argued. She's strange to this area. She's not a partisan in any fashion. So, she just didn't buy this kind of fantasy argument that was being offered by the government because they know they've already lost these cases in other jurisdictions and it's not likely they can survive in this. I think the -- that Comey and Letitia James are going to have a good Thanksgiving.

DEAN: And so, look, just to back up for a second, when we were leading into your interview, we laid out a little bit of it. But Lindsey Halligan is the President's former personal attorney. She has never been in a -- in a federal courtroom like this, bringing forth an indictment, presenting to a grand jury. That was all new for her. And she was handpicked by the President. Her predecessor pushed out when he expressed concern over these cases.

In terms of just the politicization of this entire thing, you are someone who's lived through a lot of American history in the last several decades. What are your thoughts on that piece of it?

J DEAN: Well, it's -- it's a sad case that the Department of Justice even filed it. It's purely political. It is retribution and revenge. And that's coming through as the process proceeds, just the way they have acted. The fact they pushed out the prosecutor who refused to prosecute. There was a declination memo that was filed by the line prosecutors who said, this is a case that should never be brought.

So -- and this -- this judge is flushing a lot of this information up. And she wants to -- you know, she wants it on the table rather than to brush it aside and move on.

DEAN: All right. So, we should have a ruling before Thanksgiving. That's just a couple of weeks from now. John Dean, always good to see you. Thank you for your thoughts on that. We really appreciate it.

Can 50-year portable mortgages help lower real estate prices? We're going to take a look at the White House proposals that aim to make housing more affordable and explain what this might mean. That's next.

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