In short
Face the Nation discusses U.S. energy prices amid renewed Iran conflict and a new U.S.-Venezuela oil deal; military leaks and munitions shortages; Middle East troop posture; and midterm-election messaging and affordability in Michigan, including Canada tariffs and voting rules.
Guests (backgrounds)
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright: U.S. Secretary of Energy, recently returned from Caracas; argues for expanded U.S. production.
- Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO): Armed Services/Intelligence Committee member; former prosecutor; focuses on defense readiness and troop policy.
- Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI): Chair of the House Republican Conference; messaging for GOP midterm convention.
- Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D-MI): Michigan’s top elections official; Democratic nominee for governor.
- Ray Washburn: Sunoco chairman and GOP Midterm Convention co-chair/host committee chair.
Key claims & notable examples
- Wright: Labor Day gas/diesel prices should fall as demand peaks and refiners can produce more via regulatory changes; diesel tightness tied to damaged Russian refineries; considers “all options” but favors “maximum production”; says Venezuela deal is “zero cost” to taxpayers and will expand refining and exports; no nuclear deal may require waiting for a new Iranian regime.
- Crow: Polygraphing top military officials in leak probe is rare; links to a broader “fear” environment after purging generals; claims munitions stockpiles are very low; argues U.S. should draw down Middle East forces; supports expanding Afghan special immigrant visas.
- McClain: GOP convention in Dallas aims to energize base; claims Republicans secured border and passed major tax cuts; argues tariffs target Canada’s alleged unfair practices (e.g., 250% dairy tariffs) and “death tax” repeal.
- Benson: Says 40% of Michiganders struggle with basics; blames Canada tariffs for higher costs (claims average family pays $5,600 more); proposes “subnational agreements” to reduce tariff impacts; defends Michigan voter-roll accuracy and mail voting.
- Washburn: Says demand is steady, refineries running ~98%; predicts lower oil prices if Iran/Russia refining disruptions ease; cites forward strip prices dropping despite $90 oil.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOBreaking News from Ukraine
1:28 to 2:26
Discussion on President Trump's envoys visiting Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict.
“There is breaking news today from Ukraine, where after 19 months in office, President Trump has finally sent his top foreign policy envoys to visit.”
Interview with Energy Secretary Chris Wright
2:26 to 11:18
Energy Secretary Chris Wright discusses U.S. energy prices, supply challenges, and strategies regarding Iran and Venezuela.
“Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, who joins us from Denver.”
Interview with Congressman Jason Crow
11:26 to 14:01
Congressman Jason Crow addresses military leak probes and U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
“So CBS is reporting that several dozen of the highest ranking officials in the United States military were subjected to polygraph tests as part of the sweeping leak probe that Secretary Hegseth has ordered.”
Challenges in U.S. Military Presence in the Middle East
14:01 to 16:45
Discussion on the need for a strategic drawdown of U.S. forces in the Middle East.
“There's no longer term plan for how we get out of this and how we normalize the markets and how we drive down prices for Americans.”
Bipartisan Efforts to Aid Afghan Allies
16:45 to 20:27
Exploration of efforts to reunite Afghan allies with their families in the U.S.
“We are pursuing temporary protective status and looking at trying to find ways to force a vote in the House and the Senate to move it forward because we have a moral obligation.”
Democratic Strategy for the Midterms
20:27 to 22:59
Congressman Crow discusses accountability and impeachment as part of the midterm strategy.
“We turn now to Congresswoman Lisa McClain.”
Trump's Influence on Midterm Elections
22:59 to 28:00
Congresswoman McClain discusses Trump's role in the upcoming midterm elections and Republican messaging.
“He's trying to level that playing field.”
Discussion on Allegations and Governance
28:00 to 28:22
The conversation revolves around allegations against a congresswoman and the importance of governance in addressing crime and economic issues.
“But at the end of the day, we got to continue to do what's right for the American people.”
Michigan's Affordability and Election Integrity
28:54 to 35:57
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson discusses affordability issues and the integrity of voting in Michigan.
“I want to get to that issue of affordability.”
GOP Midterm Convention Insights
35:58 to 42:02
Ray Washburn discusses the GOP Midterm Convention, its significance and insights on gas prices and consumer behavior.
“We go now to Ray Washburn, co-chair of the GOP Midterm Convention that is happening later this week in Dallas.”
Show all 13 chapters
Global Oil Supply and Price Predictions
42:02 to 43:01
Discuss the impact of geopolitical events on oil supply and pricing forecasts.
“OK, they're doing no exports because Ukrainians, you know, are bombing their refineries.”
Secret Education for Girls in Afghanistan
43:03 to 45:53
Explore the situation of girls in Afghanistan being denied education and the underground schools created to serve them.
“In the five years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the United Nations has found more than two and a half million girls have been denied a secondary education.”
Reflection on 25 Years Since 9/11
45:56 to 46:33
Reflect on the consequences of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and its impact on women's rights.
“On Friday, America will mark 25 years since the September 11th attacks that brought it to Afghanistan and into its longest war, justified in part by the promise of freeing women and girls from oppressive Taliban rule.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Margaret Brennan:I'm Margaret Brennan in Washington and this week on Face the Nation, there are new signs of resiliency in the job market, but prices remain high. As Americans hit the roads and skies before the end of summer, gasoline prices are at the highest ever for a Labor Day weekend. One major factor behind elevated prices, the war with Iran, which flared up again last week. What could that conflict, plus a new landmark U.S. oil deal with Venezuela, mean for consumers in the U.S.? We'll ask Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who's just back from Caracas. Plus, as Republicans begin to make their case to fall voters at their first ever GOP midterm convention, we'll hear from the fourth-ranking Republican in the House, Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain, and the co-chair of the GOP Midterm Convention, businessman and Sunoco chairman, Ray Washburn.
0:57Margaret Brennan:Democrats plan to counter that convention to make their case. But what do they plan to do about affordability? We'll talk with Colorado Democrat Jason Crow and Michigan gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson. It's all just ahead on Face the Nation.
1:27Margaret Brennan:Good morning and welcome to Face the Nation. There is breaking news today from Ukraine, where after 19 months in office, President Trump has finally sent his top foreign policy envoys to visit. Steve Wyckoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kiev earlier in an attempt to end the now five and a half year long war with Russia. Their trip comes after months of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's pleas for the envoys to visit. The two were in Moscow yesterday. That was Wyckoff's sixth visit with Mr. Putin that we are aware of. Vladimir Putin said he rejected Zelensky's suggestion of a ceasefire, but both leaders agreed to temporarily halt attacks on the capital cities to allow for the envoys to visit.
2:12Margaret Brennan:Here at home, Americans are enjoying their last unofficial weekend of summer, But with the midterm elections now less than two months away, voters want answers on when the price of gas and other goods will go down. We begin today with the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, who joins us from Denver. Mr. Secretary, it is Labor Day and Secretary Besant had predicted we'd see three dollar gas by September 20th, depending on the Iran talks. Do you think we're going to be back at three bucks in the next two weeks?
2:49Jason Crow:Well we passed peak demand time with Labor Day tomorrow the end of the summer rising season and the Trump administration a couple weeks ago rolled out a change in regulations that will allow American refiners to produce more gasoline and diesel with their existing equipment. So seeing demand likely go down in the next few weeks and supply going up I think prices headed downward is not an unreasonable expectation.
3:16Margaret Brennan:What about the diesel fuel that trucks and trains rely so heavily on? We saw that record high price of$5.89 a gallon this week. Is, for example, an export ban off the table?
3:32Jason Crow:You want to keep as much energy flowing as possible. The diesel situation has been challenging because Russian refineries have suffered significant damage. Russia used to be a meaningful exporter of diesel. Today, they don't export any diesel. And in fact, they've become a meaningful importer of gasoline. So it's global refining capacity is why gasoline and diesel prices are high, even more than oil prices. And this is, for 17 years, Democrat policies have been attack hydrocarbons, get as many refineries and coal plants closed. you could summarize their energy and climate policies in two words, expensive energy.
4:16Jason Crow:Well, you could also say Russia shouldn't have invaded Ukraine and then they'd still be able to export.
4:21Margaret Brennan:But to the point of what you're going to do about it, are you looking at an export ban?
4:28Jason Crow:We consider all options of how you can move prices that are favorable for American consumers. But right now we're leaning in on maximum production, energy addition. Again, in gasoline, in diesel, in the electricity sector, the way to solve a supply shortage is to grow supply.
4:47Margaret Brennan:I want to ask you about Iran. You were on another network this morning and you said the U.S. may not reach a nuclear deal with this current Iranian government and may have to wait for a new regime. If that is the current assessment, should the American people prepare themselves that the new normal will be these, for example, strikes like we saw just two days ago on Iranian oil tankers? Are you shutting down diplomatic outreach?
5:18Jason Crow:No, we were always open for a deal. That's President Trump's goal is always to have a negotiated settlement and not use a military solution unless absolutely necessary. But the biggest role of our military in the region right now is to stop the export of any Iranian crude or crude related products, natural gas, whatever. We are strangling their economy to try to bring either a change in policy from the existing regime or a new regime. Their current strategy is is slowly failing for them. Our exports of oil through the Strait of Hormuz are at the highest they've been since the conflict started.
5:56Jason Crow:but they're still causing trouble. But what we can do is add supply in Alaska, in the Gulf, in Venezuela, everywhere we can, and continue to grow the rate of exports from the Middle East as well.
6:09Margaret Brennan:But I mean, to that point, Secretary Besson said something like the Strait of Hormuz will be irrelevant in two years. It takes time to build pipelines to avoid the strait. How do you go from $90 a barrel now back to where we were pre-war, like 50 buck range. How quickly?
6:28Jason Crow:You know, that's as soon as we can get barriers out of the way to grow production. Venezuelan production is well ahead of schedule. 50 % growth in oil exports in the eight months we've been involved. That's pretty tremendous. Alaska has been sanctioned more than Iran by Democratic politicians. We've got to unleash Alaska. And that's happening. The Gulf of America has enormous oil and gas reserves there. Those are growing as well. And of course, we're in constant dialogue with the Canadians, our neighbors to the north. They've got huge room to expand oil production capacity. So you're trying to center the world on bettering people's lives and economic growth in the long run.
7:07Jason Crow:Every month, production is growing. Every month, production is growing.
7:11Margaret Brennan:You mentioned that is a bigger challenge. Yeah. You mentioned Venezuela a few times there. We're finding. Sorry, go ahead. Go ahead, Margaret. Go ahead. This is a problem with remote. We love having you in studio so we don't step on each other. I apologize there. You mentioned Venezuela a few times. How is U.S. investment in Venezuelan oil production consistent with American energy dominance and independence?
7:41Jason Crow:Well, first of all, it's the Western Hemisphere. It's America's. And the great thing about this deal the United States did, no cost, zero cost to American taxpayers. But we're going to get massive amounts of discounted oil price and ownership interest in some production there. But it's a win for Venezuela as well because it helps the investment climate to draw more and more foreign capital in, mostly American capital, but from elsewhere around the world, to grow their production, lift the incomes and job opportunities for Venezuelans and lower energy prices for the United States. A classic win-win business deal.
8:20Margaret Brennan:But is it really sustainable if the deal is with an unelected and arguably illegitimate government that has not committed to holding elections, which the U.S. says are a priority? How can you instill confidence when it's a deal with Delce Rodriguez?
8:43Jason Crow:There will be elections, of course. Those are coming. But this is a win-win deal. Any government that took power in Venezuela would say, wow, we're going to draw more capital, grow our production, increase jobs and tax revenues in Venezuela and tighten our relationship with the United States. That's a pretty big win. I don't think it's that dependent upon which government is in power on whether that deal is a win. So there's also a lot of refining capacity in Venezuela that we will see investment to drive that back up. Under President Biden, we had over a dozen refineries closed in the United States and Gavin Newsom doubled down and strangled two more refineries in California in the last 12 months.
9:24Jason Crow:That's the way to expensive energy in the long term, not just during a conflict.
9:29Margaret Brennan:But just to button that up, you said there will be elections. Do you have a timeline for that? Does this deal with the current government make it impossible, for example, for Maria Karina Machado, a person who won the last election, to actually return, for democracy to return?
9:48Jason Crow:Oh, there are dialogues going on right now between the former leaders of the parliament, the election that was the last sort of fair election in 2015. The opposition leaders that fled the country are back in the country meeting with the existing powers. You need to get secure voter rolls. You need to have rule of law. We need to release the political prisoners and get the conditions for free and fair elections. But those are coming.
10:13Margaret Brennan:Okay, but no time frame on that, okay? I'm told by the producer that we are going to have to leave it there. Secretary Wright, thank you. And we do hope to have you in person again so that we're not stepping on each other. Face the Nation will be back in a minute. Stay with us. Matching outfits, extravagant birthdays, many nicknames, a few classic moves of a dog-obsessed parent. At Ollie, they're obsessed with how obsessed you are with your pup, which is why they obsess over giving your dog the best. Ollie's fresh, human-grade recipes are developed by real chefs and backed by vet nutritionists.
10:48The meals are perfectly portioned. And come with a pup-tainer and scoop for easy storing and mess-free serving, delivering the best experience for you and your pup. And through the Ollie app, you can actually check in on your dog's health with real vets. By uploading a picture, their team can check your dog's weight, digestion, teeth, and coat. They'll then provide next steps on how to keep them thriving. And because they're just as obsessed as you are, there is zero judgment if you check in every day. You could say Ollie feeds the obsession. Go to Ollie.com slash FirstBox and use code FirstBox to get 70 % off your welcome kit.
11:23Ollie, feed the obsession.
11:25Margaret Brennan:We're joined now by Colorado Democratic Congressman Jason Crow. It's good to have you here in person.
11:31Jason Crow:Thank you. Thanks for having me.
11:32Margaret Brennan:So CBS is reporting that several dozen of the highest ranking officials in the United States military were subjected to polygraph tests as part of the sweeping leak probe that Secretary Hegseth has ordered. This includes combatant commanders. They're looking for who leaked the highly classified details about the nation's stockpiles of sophisticated weapons. This is extremely rare.
11:58Jason Crow:Yeah.
11:59Margaret Brennan:Is it appropriate? has congressman told anything about the outcome?
12:03Jason Crow:I haven't been briefed anything about this. I'm a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee. We haven't received any information. It's just been public reports. And certainly stopping leaks and protecting classified information is really important. And I would always support that. The problem is, is the broader context that Pete Hegseth has created here. He has purged over 80 generals and admirals. The top 10 percent of the entire military chain of command has been purged. We are at a 25-year low for the number of women on the promotion list. And he's created an environment of fear.
12:36Jason Crow:He's pushed out journalists. He's pushed out media. This is part of his effort to create fear and to clamp down on information coming out of the Pentagon.
12:46Margaret Brennan:I mean, polygraph tests are part of routine cadence. But from what I understand, it's the number, it's the rank of people here. It also seems to confirm the reporting about the problems with America's munitions shortages. Right. What is the state of that?
13:04Jason Crow:Well, because they don't they don't want people to know this is exactly the point. They don't want people to know what's actually happening. That's why they fired the editor of the Stars and Stripes, an independent newspaper that's been around since 1861, by the way. 1861, it was founded during the Civil War to be an independent media outlet for our service members so that people would understand what they're going through. This is the broader trend of them not wanting anybody, including members of Congress, to understand what's going on. Munitions have been depleted. The stockpiles are very low.
13:36Jason Crow:Contrary to what Donald Trump wants us to believe, these types of precise munitions do not grow on trees. They take a long time to build up. They started this war. The president started this war without a plan, without a strategy. And I just heard your prior guest, Secretary Wright, talk about numbers and barrels. And that's all tactical discussion, right? These are tactical decisions. There's no strategy here. There's no off ramp. There's no longer term plan for how we get out of this and how we normalize the markets and how we drive down prices for Americans. Yes.
14:09Margaret Brennan:Speaking of the region, one of the other things we're looking at is the 50 ,000 personnel the U.S. keeps currently in the region. The Navy's fifth fleet is headquartered in the country of Bahrain. The chief of naval operations held a town hall this past week. A sailor asked about, like, when can I go back and get all my gear? And he said, we're not getting back in there anytime soon. I just want to be completely honest about that. Should we understand that as saying the U.S. is withdrawing or drawing down personnel from the Gulf?
14:43Jason Crow:I have for a long time thought that we need to draw down our forces generally in the Middle East. We need to get out of endless conflict in the Middle East. Donald Trump campaigned on this, by the way.
14:56Margaret Brennan:He knew that
14:57Jason Crow:Americans are fed up with an endless cycle of conflict and the quagmires in the Middle East.
Read the full transcript
15:01Margaret Brennan:But even from the Navy's Fifth Fleet, you want to pull back from that base?
15:05Jason Crow:No, not from that particular base. I'm talking about overall. You'd mentioned the 50 ,000 service members. We've had 50 ,000 plus service members in this region since 2001. That is a high, high number. That is to support our endless conflicts in the region. Right. We can move that number down. We can save money for taxpayers. We can be stronger. We can be more nimble. But the broader point here is that Donald Trump has doubled down on 25 years of endless conflict. That's cost us three to five trillion dollars. Thousands of American lives, hundreds of thousands altered forever. Right. We have been at war in the region for 25 years now.
15:46Jason Crow:Since 9-11. Since 9-11. That's not OK. It's not inevitable. That does not need to happen. Right. So what is happening now is, again, a perpetuation of this conflict that has to stop.
16:00Margaret Brennan:And I understand Secretary Hagseth sent letters out to the Army this week extending troop deployments as well. And our Ellie Watson obtained some of those letters. Let me ask you about a story we shared last week on Face the Nation. General Ali Zai, an Afghan commander who has asylum here in America, is under current government restrictions due to his nationality. He can't travel outside. He hasn't been able to bring his wife and three children to this country, even though he has asylum here. What are vets like you trying to do to reunite those who fought alongside us in that Afghan war?
16:39Jason Crow:There's a bipartisan group of us who are fighting hard to expand the special immigrant visa program to what it used to be before the Trump administration came in and dismantled, entirely dismantled that program, cut the visas, defunded all of the agencies and departments and personnel that were working to keep that promise. We are pursuing temporary protective status and looking at trying to find ways to force a vote in the House and the Senate to move it forward because we have a moral obligation. to these folks who fought with us. Me and others who came back after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may not be here today if it weren't for those Iraqis and those Afghans who fought with us, served with us, were essential to our war effort.
17:24Jason Crow:Beyond a moral obligation, it's a national security imperative. If we want to go someplace in the world and conduct operations, keep America safe, We always, without exception, work with local forces and people on the ground. Those folks will not be there for us. They will not work with us and keep American soldiers safe in the future if they don't think we'll have their back.
17:48Margaret Brennan:Let me ask you about a little bit of Democratic politics because you are out there on the front lines battleground. Co-chair, I understand, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. You're headed to Dallas this week for the Republican GOP midterm convention. what's the purpose? What are you going to actually try to achieve while you're there?
18:07Jason Crow:Yeah, we're going to hold them accountable. That's what we're going to do. How are you going to hold them accountable? By calling out their lies, right? They're going to get up there. I know how this is going to happen. I mean, all of this is so predictable at this point. They're going to get up there, and they're going to talk about how great everything is. This is what Donald Trump does. You know, the economy is A++ +, where we're hotter and better than ever. None of that is true. People are losing their farms. They're losing their health care. They can't afford basic costs. We are going to be there to call them out on their failed policies and the fact that we are now almost two years in this administration.
18:44Jason Crow:And on every measure, every measure, Americans' lives have gotten worse.
18:50Margaret Brennan:Well, on that point, if Democrats are trying to flip the House, gain control of Congress, you've also got to convince people you're going to do something when you get there. Both the president and Speaker Johnson have said if Democrats take control, they'll undoubtedly launch impeachment inquiries. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, on another network this morning saying the president has undoubtedly committed impeachable offenses. Is that the plan? Is that what people should be looking for if Democrats win two years of impeachment inquiries?
19:18Jason Crow:The plan is for accountability. Now, I know a lot about impeachment because I prosecuted the first impeachment trial. I sat on the floor of the Senate in my first term in Congress and made the case to those senators. I looked in their eye and I said, Donald Trump is a danger. He is not qualified. He's not competent. And he's corrupt. They didn't listen to me then, even though there are plenty of warning signs. So impeachment is one tool of many. And I'm less concerned about, you know, the specific tools. And I won't hesitate to use that tool if we need to. But what we have to do is look at what's available and what's going to deliver results for accountability.
19:56Jason Crow:That's what I'm concerned about, because the corruption is boundless. This is the most corrupt administration in the history of America. And what corruption really is, is stealing from my constituents. It is taking money out of the pockets of Coloradans, money that should be used for their health care, for their homes, for their farms. And it's going into the pockets of Donald Trump and their cronies. And I'm going to go after that money and I'm not going to apologize for it.
20:21Margaret Brennan:Well, I'm going to have to ask you another time exactly how you plan to do that, but we're going to leave it there for today. Congressman Crowe will be right back. We turn now to Congresswoman Lisa McClain. She is the chair of the House Republican Conference, and she joins us today from New Haven, Michigan. Congresswoman, you're not just one of the most powerful Republican women in Washington. You also work on messaging. I want to ask you about President Trump's plan to hold this big gathering in Dallas. His approval rating currently is 39 percent, according to CBS on Iran inflation, even lower.
20:56Margaret Brennan:He says put the focus on him, though, for these midterms. Pretend he is on the ballot. Isn't doing that possibly helping the opposition? Oh, I don't think he thinks so. And I don't think so either. Listen, Trump is absolutely on the ballot. But the whole goal of the midterm convention is to get Republicans together and share the stories of what we've done through this Congress in the past two years and get our base fired up and united. And I'll remind everybody what Republicans did was secure the border. We passed the largest tax cuts in history. We want to keep more money in your pockets. And what our goal is, the midterm convention, is really compare and contrast the two roads, one communist crazy versus traditional American common sense values.
21:55So that's the goal of the midterm convention. And I'm pretty excited to go.
22:00Margaret Brennan:Well, Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report said of your party's prospects in the midterms, Republicans should brace themselves. The outcomes could be bad, really bad or truly horrible. What he was zeroing in on are the tariffs and the fuel and fertilizer costs that are hitting rural voters. I know out in North Dakota, Senator Kevin Kramer said farm country, serious trouble for Trump. Are rural voters in Michigan also serious trouble? I've had the opportunity to be in the district and talk to the rural voters. Right. We have a lot of farmers in our communities. And what the farmers are excited about and actually applaud the president for is actually standing up to Canada and try and level the playing field with the tariff.
22:48Since the 1990s, Canada has had a 250 percent tariff on our farmers for things like milk and cream and poultry. He's trying to level that playing field. Number two, the president for our farmers also has enacted 20 new trade deals, 20. The last time we had a trade deal was under Barack Obama, and we had three. And the third thing that our farmers really applaud the Republicans and President Trump for is actually the death tax. We want to keep more of those family farms in the family. So we want to make sure that they can pass that generational wealth on to the next generation. Yeah.
23:33Margaret Brennan:Oh, sorry. We are going to take a quick break. You're freezing up a bit. I'm hoping we fix that during this break. Stay with us if you could. More Face the Nation.
23:48Margaret Brennan:Welcome back to Face the Nation. We continue our conversation now with Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain. Congresswoman, you were talking about how Michigan was navigating some of the Trump tariffs. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation said those tariffs cost your state $23 billion since January of 2025. That's the equivalent of$5 ,619 per Michigan household. There are more tariffs coming on Tuesday from Canada to hit back at the U.S. It's going to hit this aluminum, dairy, steel, appliances. This is a big market for Michigan. How much is this going to hurt? Yeah, listen, I shop at the same grocery stores as everybody else does.
24:33But what the president's trying to do is actually level the playing field. Because what we're not happy with is we want a trading partner with Canada. And right now, they're not being a great trading partner. And I'll give you a great example. We have trading tariffs, for example, country of origin tariffs, for example, on China. What our trading partner Canada is doing is say, hey, China, put your goods through Canada. We'll take a little piece off the top. Then we will pass those goods through to the Americans and act like there's no tariff, like they came from China. That's not a good trading partner, number one.
25:11Number two, we have to level the playing field, like I said earlier. Canada, since the 1990s, has had tax and tariffs on our dairy farmers at 250 percent. Listen, we think that's a sliding scale, right?
25:25Margaret Brennan:That only kicks in at a certain level. We don't want a trading war with Canada. We want a trading partner with Canada. So I applaud the president for actually trying to level the playing field. But it comes with a bit of pain. And you think voters will understand that? It absolutely does. But at the end of the day, I trust that President Trump is not going to do anything to hurt the American people long term. But because we've had these poor trading policies, and I might remind you that we are at a$60 billion deficit right now with Canada. What's the matter with trying to level those long term and getting the tariffs that Canada is charging us lower?
26:07I applaud the president for doing that, for trying to level the playing field.
26:11Margaret Brennan:Well, hopefully there'll be a return to those negotiations. Let me ask you a little bit about House business since you are in leadership. The National Republican Congressional Committee announced last week it's going to spend nearly half a million dollars boosting Max Miller. He's the Ohio Republican congressman who's been accused of domestic abuse by his two former partners. Speaker Johnson said he still he still supports Miller's reelection. Do you? Listen, divorces are ugly, and I'm glad I'm not in his shoes right now. I support anybody with an R behind their name. I hope when all of this comes out that it's not true, but at the end of the day, we got to let the process play out.
26:55I'm focused on winning the house back, taking the house back, keeping the house, because we are the only party that's actually putting more money in your pocket, making sure that crime is down, securing the border and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. And Max Miller has been a good advocate for his constituents doing that.
27:15Margaret Brennan:But your some of your Republican colleagues, including Katie Britt over in the Senate, Jim Banks, John Husted, Roger Marshall, Shelley Moore Capito have called on Miller to resign or quit. They also have ours next to their names. And so does Senator Tim Sheehy, who said this guy's clearly a degenerate sociopath. He should step aside and seek help as as the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress. How do you make peace with that? I think they've tried that avenue and he's chosen to stay in the race. So, like I said earlier, divorces are really ugly. I hope this comes out that he's OK. But at the end of the day, he's our nominee right now.
28:01I wish the allegations weren't true. The allegations aren't true. But at the end of the day, we got to continue to do what's right for the American people. And that's what we're trying to do, keeping more money in your pocket, making sure we secure the border and making sure crime rates are down.
28:19Margaret Brennan:Congresswoman McClain, thank you very much. We'll be right back. Hey there, I'm Kendra Adachi and my show, The Lazy Genius Podcast, helps you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. And you get to decide what matters. I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to give you a new way to see. Episodes of The Lazy Genius Podcast are full of compassionate time management tips and permission slips to do what makes sense for you. New episodes drop every Monday. Follow and listen to The Lazy Genius Podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
28:52Thank you.
28:53Margaret Brennan:We turn now to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is the Democratic nominee for governor in Michigan. Good morning to you. Good morning. Thanks for having me. Sure. I want to get to that issue of affordability. A new University of Michigan analysis revealed 40 percent of the state's population struggles to pay for basic necessities. Is that affordability issue something you can improve on as governor? Yes. Well, first, thanks for having me. And And affordability is the centerpiece of our campaign. Our campaign is ultimately about driving down costs, growing our economy so that we can increase well-paying jobs in our state, protecting democracy and ending corruption.
29:32And everywhere I go in Michigan, I hear heartbreaking stories about choices that residents are having to make, moms having to choose between whether to pay for food or childcare, seniors on a fixed income trying to decide how they're going to still pay for medicine with these rising costs. The next governor of Michigan must address these. And I've done that as secretary of state. I know how to fix broken systems. I've run our state agencies well. I've improved our democracy. I improved our Department of Motor Vehicles in a way that has saved people time, saved people money and made their lives easier.
30:00I've done that as secretary of state. I'm ready to do that as governor.
30:03Margaret Brennan:Well, one of the challenges in Michigan, of course, is the fact that a large portion of your state's exports, 36 percent, go north to Canada. On Tuesday, Canada's tariffs on steel and aluminum products, U.S.-made dairy and appliances will go into effect as part of this trade dispute. It's going to be between 15 to 50 percent on$20 billion worth of American-made goods. How much is that going to hit Michigan? It already has. I mean, since Trump took office, we've seen our expenses go up. And these tariffs, particularly with Canada, have increased prices in Michigan more than any other state. the average Michigan family is paying$5 ,600 more.
30:46That's a tax on our groceries. That's a tax on our small businesses on gas. And what's frustrating to me in this race is that my opponent has been fully supportive of these tariffs. He's voted multiple times in support of them instead of in support of the people of Michigan. That is cowardice and that is not leadership. And Michiganders need a governor who will lower their costs and stand up to the president, as I've done as secretary of state. So I announced this week my intention as governor to ensure we're negotiating subnational agreements, partnering with other governors if necessary to ensure we're developing ways to, in spite of the federal government's best efforts to drive up costs with these taxes and tariffs, negotiate subnational agreements that will drive down costs and protect the people of Michigan.
31:25That's what we need the next governor to be able to do. And that's what I've done and will do as governor.
31:29Margaret Brennan:Well, your Republican competitor was on this program last weekend. He said he doesn't want more trade dispute and will talk to the White House about it. You just said subnational agreements, but practically speaking, how at the state level can you do anything to cancel out the costs coming from the federal government's dispute? Well, first, it's important to note my opponent could talk a good game, but the bottom line is he's either been silent or he's voted for these tariffs. And that means we call these tariffs in Michigan the John James tax because of his actions, because of his inability to stand up to the president as a congressman.
32:06We are hit with these taxes. We are hit with these increased prices. And he has to take responsibility for that instead of running away from it. But in addition to that, subnational agreements are things that governors in other states have already talked about and negotiated to drive down costs when the federal government won't do that. So as governor, I can meet with officials in Canada and identify specific ways we can ensure trade between Michigan and Canada gets around these tariffs, reduces costs. And in particular, when it comes to our auto industry, we need a governor who's going to stand up for our auto workers, who's going to stand up for this critical industry in our state and ensure that our partners to the north are working with us collectively to create jobs and drive down costs.
32:43That's what a subnational agreement can help guarantee.
32:46Margaret Brennan:Just quickly, what vote are you talking about? Because most of the tariffs have come from executive action. There was a vote in February in Congress in which my opponent voted in support of these tariffs. And also, notably, he's been consistently asked on the trail if he would stand up and do anything about these. And he's been silent on them, both as a congressman and as a candidate for governor. Let me ask you about your current job. Two million Michiganders vote by mail. Ballots go out on the 19th. And a federal judge, again, this past Friday blocked the Postal Service from enforcing President Trump's new mail ballot rules.
33:24Margaret Brennan:He tried to put those in through executive order. Do you see any impact on voting in your state? Well, first, we have to see this as the latest attempt by this Trump administration to try to create chaos and confusion about our democracy. We've been battling this for the better part of six years now since 2020. And what we will do here in Michigan is continue to ensure that states run elections. And that means in Michigan, where citizens have a right to vote by mail, we'll use every tool in our toolbox to ensure they know the truth about our elections. will follow the law, will protect the right to vote.
33:57And that's why, frankly, state officials who know how to do that and stand up to the president are so important right now, because this isn't just about 2026. This is about 2028, when we will need a governor in Michigan who will know how to protect democracy and protect our voters' voices and votes. I've done that as secretary of state. And notably, when my opponent lost his last statewide race in 2020, he did not stand by the will of the voters. He joined the president in trying to overturn and undermine that election. That makes him unfit to be governor in this moment. And it's why it's all the more important that in this race, Michigan is led by a governor who knows how to protect democracy and protect citizens' right to vote from home.
34:34Margaret Brennan:President Trump has already sort of laid the groundwork saying that Detroit is corrupt. He already said, don't discount fake mail and ballots that will show up at the last minute in Michigan. I know that in the last Last election, Michigan ended up finding noncitizens who did vote. There were 22 cases under review. Your attorney general has charged six people with those election law violations. Given that this is something the president's already focused on, how are you verifying the names on your voter rolls? You know, we've done more in Michigan than any other state to ensure that our roles, our voter rolls are accurate.
35:13And that's why we see noncitizen voting so rare in this state. with 5.5 million people voting in 2024, the highest turnout election in our state's history. I'm really proud that our elections have been ranked among the most secure and accessible in the nation. And we, you know, the fact that we have identified a handful of individuals who are ineligible to vote, we were able to hold them accountable. That shows the system is working. And I'm proud of the work that our 1 ,500 local officials do every day to continue to ensure that every eligible vote and only eligible votes are counted in every election.
35:47Margaret Brennan:Well, Secretary Benson, we wish you well with that upcoming vote, but we also will watch your candidacy and some of these platform issues. Thank you for your time today. We'll be back in a moment. We go now to Ray Washburn, co-chair of the GOP Midterm Convention that is happening later this week in Dallas. He's also chairman of gasoline distributor Sunoco and a real estate investor. Mr. Washburn, good morning to you.
36:13Jason Crow:Good morning, Margaret. Thank you for having me on.
36:15Margaret Brennan:So there's a lot of talk about what is the first ever Republican midterm convention. I'm seeing reports here that lawmakers are being asked to pay$25 ,000 to attend. Vulnerable ones are not. Do lawmakers have to pay to attend and participate?
36:35Jason Crow:You know, the whole attendance and selling the packages is all an RNC thing. I'm chairman of the host committee that's putting the convention on. So I'm not sure exactly in all the different packages they have. But what I do know is we have 20 ,000 people attending all 50 states, every territory, and people started arriving this weekend. And there's a high degree of energy here in Dallas for the convention. So we're very excited.
36:59Margaret Brennan:OK, well, the timing I know for some candidates, it's kind of tough to leave their tight races in certain districts. Do you know how many lawmakers are attending and what the money being raised will do for those who attend?
37:14Jason Crow:Yeah, well, obviously, it's going to be a great networking thing for the candidates to come down. There are going to be a lot of donors here and high profile people, not only in the administration, but in the donor community. So their events stacked every single day. So it's very advantageous for them to come, even if it's just for a day, just to meet and network in. So we have a high degree of candidates coming. We pretty much have every race represented here except for a couple that couldn't break away.
37:46Margaret Brennan:Well, President Trump said this past week that he thinks in Dallas the speaker to focus on is former Texas AG Ken Paxton, who's running for Senate. And he kind of he was half joking here. He said people don't like the way he dresses, looks or does interviews. But he's he's the centerpiece candidate. Is he the centerpiece candidate? Is that kind of the drive and focus?
38:12Jason Crow:For the convention? Is that what you're asking? Correct. The focus for the convention is Ken Paxton? Well, no. Every candidate is a focus of the convention. You know, Ken Paxton, just because this is his home state, obviously he's a very high-profile person. Yesterday, Trump announced that they were going to contribute to his campaign. Ten million dollars with more to come. Elon Musk has announced that he is putting in a substantial amount of money. So there's a lot of momentum for the Paxton campaign starting this week, which we knew was going to happen, starting with the convention through, because he hasn't had a chance to put ads up this summer.
38:49Jason Crow:And actually, the first ad dropped this morning. So there's going to be a wall-to-wall ad campaign for Ken Paxton from here through the convention.
38:56Margaret Brennan:Yeah, a lot of focus on Texas and how competitive it might be. I want to ask you about the— No, it is. Sorry, if you can hear me, I want to ask you about your other role at the top of Sunoco. It is the largest reseller of refined fuels. That means you're selling to gasoline stations. You've got to look inside what's happening with consumers right now. Are they changing their behavior based on the fact that gas prices are, what, more than 20 percent higher than last Labor Day?
39:28Jason Crow:Well, you know, it's interesting. and the energy secretary spoke to it earlier right now, we've passed peak demand for the summer. And so going into the fall, the refineries are turning more out. It's very interesting. The refineries are running at 98 % right now. And so it's an energy versus the 1970s and the malaise of the Carter administration when we had lines around the block. You have no issue at all finding any gas station to drive into and fill your car up. There are no lines. There's been no demand destruction really at all that we've seen this year. People are filling their cars up and they're still driving.
40:03Jason Crow:Is it painful? Yes, it's more expensive. But, you know, as inflation adjusted to what it was in the 1970s when it was typically around 5 % of someone's paycheck, today it's less than 2%. So it is more expensive because you see the signs in front of everyone. But companies like Costco, Buc-ee's, the big retailers, they've really done a great job on keeping a lid on prices to where they could be. They could be much higher, but they're not.
40:31Margaret Brennan:Do you think we've actually seen the worst of the energy shock? I mean, what's concerning you now?
40:39Jason Crow:Well, we have supply. As the energy secretary said earlier in your broadcast, we passed peak demand. Supply is increasing. And demand, as long as it stays steady where it is, I mean, it hasn't gone. Demand for gasoline has not gone up, but it hasn't gone down either. So it's been pretty steady. So what we're our projections to the fall are pretty much the same flat demand. And, you know, as a distributor of gasoline, we'll sell about 17 billion gallons this year is we feel very positive through the rest of the year for our business. But we're selling to the stations and the margins that they do.
41:15Jason Crow:That's up to the stations to determine those.
41:17Margaret Brennan:Well, let me ask you about the forecast ahead here, because crude oil is roughly ninety dollars a barrel. Yesterday, Secretary Besant said that is going to plummet once the Iran war ends. Take a listen.
41:32Jason Crow:We have an energy supply shock, and that is going to end. And I actually think on the other side of this, on the other side of this, we're actually going to see oil prices$40 or$50 because there's so much supply coming on. It's just constricted right now.
41:49Margaret Brennan:So 40 to 50 bucks a barrel, what time frame would you put on that kind of price drop?
41:57Jason Crow:Well, Russia right now, their refineries are only running at 40 percent, 40 percent. OK, they're doing no exports because Ukrainians, you know, are bombing their refineries. Once that comes back online, which it should hopefully soon, once the Iranian situation is resolved, well, then you do have a tremendous amount of supply that's bottled up. that'll come back on the market. So if you look at what's called a strip price a year from now, yeah, yeah, they're two pretty big wars, but there can be a resolution to getting energy out. If you look at what's called the forward strip price, what people are projecting a year from now, it's much, much lower than the$90.
42:36Jason Crow:So the oil traders are all looking out and thinking there is going to be a resolution within the next few months, in which case prices will come back down. But we're not in the refining business. I mean, that's the thing with refiners. They're buying their feedstock today and they're taking a big risk. If prices drop, they're going to be very exposed.
42:57Margaret Brennan:Ray Washburn, we'll watch Dallas this week. Thanks for your time this morning. We'll be right back. In the five years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the United Nations has found more than two and a half million girls have been denied a secondary education. But some educators have been running secret schools. Senior foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tayyib has a look inside one.
43:24Jason Crow:Mursal, not her real name, greets her small circle of students at a location we cannot reveal. An Afghan woman journalist filmed these scenes for us in secret, and we have concealed everyone's identity for their own safety. The girls here are all between the ages of 14 and 16, old enough for the Taliban to ban them from formal education. Today's lesson, hydrocarbons. Even in the shadows, the girls work through complex chemical equations, carrying only discrete pens and notepads that won't reveal where they have been. I tell my students not to be afraid, but to move around the city cautiously, Mursal says.
44:04Jason Crow:I try to reassure them that nothing bad will happen. It's a promise of safety Mursal knows she cannot make. Since a Taliban swept back into power five years ago, it has made Afghanistan the only country in the world where women are systematically barred from university and girls from high school. I always come to class in fear, says 16-year-old Tabasam. I am terrified that one day I might get arrested. Abdul-Kahar Balki is the spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and insists there are no such thing as secret schools. It's homeschooling. Homeschooling is not banned. It's not suspended.
44:51Jason Crow:You can see why I'm a bit incredulous about the idea that this is just homeschooling. These are girls who are not at home. They are going to a place, learning on subjects that they cannot do at public schools anymore because your government has banned it. And they are doing it in secrecy. And they are doing it, in their words, in fear. Public schools, again, public education is not banned. There are avenues for them to learn and go to a madrasa. It is not a secret. It's not underground. Why make it so hard? Again, I'm going to stress that governments make laws and regulations in light of their priorities.
45:32Jason Crow:And currently, the Afghan government has suspended public schooling, a certain form of schooling from seven onwards for girls. A priority to bar women and girls from formal education with no end in sight. My message to the American people is to know about what's happening to the women and girls of Afghanistan, says Mursal. Do not forget them. On Friday, America will mark 25 years since the September 11th attacks that brought it to Afghanistan and into its longest war, justified in part by the promise of freeing women and girls from oppressive Taliban rule. A generation later, Margaret, and Afghan girls find themselves once again fighting.
46:21Jason Crow:for that same freedom.
46:24Margaret Brennan:MTS Tayyip reporting in Kabul. That's it for all of us today. Thank you for watching. Until next week, for Face the Nation, I'm Margaret Brennan. The senior executive producer of Face the Nation is Mary Hager Laird. The executive producer is Anne Hsu. This broadcast was directed by Shelley Schwartz. Face the Nation originates from CBS News in Washington. For more Face the Nation, where online at facethenation.com and on YouTube. Face the Nation is also rebroadcast on our CBS News 24-7 streaming network at 12.30 on Sundays. It's available through our Paramount Plus app.
47:04Jason Crow:The critically acclaimed series, Colin from Accounts, returns for a brand new season. You proposed to me drunk out of nowhere at my best friend's wedding. I was being spontaneous. You didn't have a ring. It was just, it was embarrassing. All episodes streaming September 10th. Still will they, won't they? Who cares? But what is it? We're friends. We're togetherly... We're friendly together. With a dog. Colin from Accounts, new season streaming September 10th, only on Paramount+.
From the publisher
This week on Face the Nation, there are new signs of resiliency in the job market, but prices remain high.
As Americans hit the roads and skies before the end of summer, gasoline prices are at the highest ever for a Labor Day weekend. One major factor behind elevated prices: the war with Iran, which flared up again last week.
What could that conflict – plus a new landmark U.S. oil deal with Venezuela – mean for consumers in the U.S.? We'll ask Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who's just back from Caracas.
Plus, as Republicans begin to make their case to fall voters at its first ever GOP midterm convention. We'll hear from the fourth ranking Republican in the House, Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain and the Co-Chair of the GOP Midterm Convention, businessman and Sunoco chairman Ray Washburne.
Then, Democrats plan to counter that convention to make their case, but what do they plan to do about affordabilility? We'll talk with Colorado Democrat Jason Crow and Michigan gubernatorial candidate hopeful Jocelyn Benson.
