Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan Extended Interview: America's Mayors Panel
Feb 3, 2026
Mark Freeman, Republican mayor of Mesa, AZ, focused on water planning and courting semiconductor and tech investment. Quentin Lucas, Democratic mayor of Kansas City, highlighted an affordable housing trust fund and zoning fights over federal detention plans. Eileen Higgins, Democratic mayor of Miami, spoke on using public land, permitting reform, workforce training, and immigration impacts. David Holt, Republican mayor of Oklahoma City, addressed housing, immigration enforcement, and federal-municipal relations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Use Public Land And Faster Permits
- Activate public land and speed permitting to reduce development costs and build more affordable units.
- Revamp permitting systems so affordable projects can move from approval to groundbreaking in months, not years.
County Land Yielded Thousands Of Units
- As a county commissioner, Eileen Higgins activated county-owned land and delivered or rehabbed 4,000 affordable units.
- She reports about 3,000 more units are currently in the pipeline.
Bipartisan Local-Federal Housing Push
- Mayors across parties are seeking federal collaboration on housing and crafting bipartisan bills.
- Local reforms plus targeted federal support are both necessary; no single silver bullet exists.