Sen. Tillis Discusses Saudi Arabia, Health Care, National Debt on Meet The Press

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 -- The office of Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release:

Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) appeared on Meet the Press and discussed Saudi Arabia's explanation on Khashoggi, health care reform, and the national debt.

Click HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEITcH40nrA&feature=youtu.be) to watch the full interview.

Tillis on if he finds Saudi Arabia's explanation on Khashoggi credible: (https://youtu.be/aEITcH40nrA?t=28)

"No, not at this point. We have to get to the bottom of this and figure out who in Saudi Arabia gave the order to do this and hold them accountable, even if that includes the Crown Prince. We need to work with Turkish officials to get as much information as we can so we can draw a conclusion and give the appropriate consequence and hold those who committed this horrible act accountable."

Tillis on the Saudi-U.S. relationship if the Crown Prince was involved and remains in power: (https://youtu.be/aEITcH40nrA?t=81)

"I don't think we can have one. We can't have someone who would authorize this sort of an act to be in a position of power in a nation that it is very important to us, but we need to explore the limits of our relationship if he is found to be involved. I know the State Department and Intelligence Community are taking this seriously and we are putting a lot of resources towards finding the truth. If the facts lead to the Crown Prince being involved, it will be very problematic for our relationship with them moving forward."

Tillis on health care and mandatory spending: (https://youtu.be/aEITcH40nrA?t=291)

"It is a false narrative to say Republicans want to get rid of protections for pre-existing conditions, and I filed a bill to protect those in the event that the courts deem the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. We have to make changes to our health care system so it becomes sustainable for the long-term just like we need to for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Democrats are not mentioning the numerous reports that say if we stay on the current trajectory we are going to have a crisis. No one wants to take away these programs for those who need it, but we have to have sustainable solution and we need 60 votes to get that done."

Tillis on the U.S debt: (https://youtu.be/aEITcH40nrA?t=403)

"We can't go further in debt, and I voted against the most recent spending bill because it was just too much money being spent. We have to make the American people recognize we have a powder keg of dynamite with our debt. We are reaching a point where the interest being paid on our debt could exceed the amount we spend on our military, so we need to balance our books and budget just like American families."