OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Reaction to Senate Panel Passing Health Reform Bill on MSNBC
July 15, 2009

... THE HOUSE PLAN CAME OUT LAST NIGHT. THE SENATE WITH THEIR PLAN TODAY. >> GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US TONIGHT. YOU'VE GOT THAT SMILE ON YOUR FACE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE WINNING ON THIS DEAL, DON'T YOU? >> I KNOW YOU'RE AS DELIGHTFUL AND INTERESTING AS ALWAYS, ED. THAT'S WHAT I KNOW. >> WE'VE BEEN BANGING AWAY AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THIS. LAST NIGHT AND TODAY WE REALLY SAW SOME POSITIVE STEPS FORWARD. >> ED, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THIS. SOME PEOPLE SAY GEE, THIS IS BEING POPPED UP IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. DURING THE LAST YEAR, 2008, JOHN MCCAIN, HILLARY CLINTON AND PRESIDENT OBAMA ALL TALKED ABOUT HEALTH REFORM BEING A MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS SHOULD THEY BE ELECT PD . SO EVERY UP WITH OF THE MAJOR CANDIDATES SAID THIS IS WHERE WE OUGHT TO GO. IT WASN'T THAT THEY AGREED ON EVERY FACET OF EVERY BILL, BUT THEY SAID WE MUST HAVE HEALTH CARE REFORM. . >> ARE YOU GOING TO GET ANY REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE ONBOARD ON THIS? >> I EACH NOT SURE WE ARE. I MET WITH REPLICANS TODAY, SOME OF THE MODERATE REPUBLICANS WHO IN MY OPINION WANT TO SEE HEALTH REFORM. THEY WANT TO SEE SOME CHANGES MADE IN THE BILL. AS YOU SAID, WE IN THE HOUSE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MARK-UP OF THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE. PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS. I'M SURE A LOT OF AMENDMENTS ARE GOING TO BE OFFERED BY REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATS TO PERFECT THIS BILL. THE ANSWER IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE AT THE TABLE. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR CASE AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GOING TO JOIN WITH US. HE PLEDGED HE WOULD DO THAT FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> DO YOU FEEL EMPOWERED THAT RECENT POLLS ARE OUT THERE SHOWING THAT 58% OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SEE THE WEALTHY IN THIS COUNTRY PAY MORE. IS THAT THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING? AND ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH IT? >> I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROPOSAL OF THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE. AND I'M PLEASED AT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WANT TO SEE HEALTH CARE REFORM. THEY KNOW IT'S NOT FOR FREE. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY ADDITION NAP VENUE. IT'S ALSO SAVINGS. LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ACT MORE EFFICIENTLY. WANTING TO BRING COSTS DOWN AND INCLUDE ALL AMERICANS. THAT'S WHAT AMERICANS VOTED FOR IN THE LAST ELECTION. >> SO AS FAR AS THE PRESIDENT IS CONCERNED IN THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OBAMA IS GOING TO GET WHAT HE'S ASKED FOR ALL ALONG. THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC OPTION AND IF THERE'S NO REPUBLICANS ONBOARD, THAT'S JUST TOUGH COOKIES? >> I BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE, YES. WE WANT TO HA REPUBLICANS ONBOARD BUT IF THEY WON'T JOIN US, WE WANT TO PASS IT. >> CAN YOU GUARANTEE A PUBLIC OPTION? >> I CAN SAY THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC OPTION IN THE HOUSE BILL. WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN CONFERENCE AND THE SENATE. BUT THE SPT FOR A PUBLIC OPTION. WE'RE FOR A PUBLIC OPTION AND WE'RE GOING TO PASS A PUBLIC OPTION. >> I KNOW YOU WORKED HARD ON THIS. BUT ONE FINAL THING I WANT TO POINT OUT. THERE ARE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES ABOUT WHAT THE ISSUE OF THE SEE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY. >> WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT. IT STARTED OUT IN THE DRAFT BILL OF ACCEPTING BUSINESSES WHO HAD PAYROLLS UNDER 100. IT'S NOW 250 AND GRADUATED UP TO 400,000. >> THAT'S GOING TO BE MASSAGE AS IT GOES THROUGH THE HOUSE? >> IT WILL BE. WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THE CHALLENGES THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE CONFRONTED WITH. >> I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, FOLKS. GET YOUR PHONES OUT. HERE WE GO. IS IT FAIR TO TAX THE TOP 1.2% OF THE RICHEST AMERICANS TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE? TEXT A FOR YES, B FOR NO TO 622639. WE'LL BRING YOU THE RESULTS LATER IN THE PROGRAM. UP NEXT, YOU HEARD IT HERE, PSYCHOTALK. CARL ROVE THINKS IT'S DANGEROUS TO GIVE CONGRESS INFORMATION IN ROVE IS CONCERNED ABOUT LEAKING. WELL, NOW THERE'S A GUY WHO HAS BEEN AN AUTHORITY ON LEAKS. MAYBE WE SHOULD LISTEN TO HIM. ADAM SMITH IS PRETTY FIRED UP ABOUT IT. HE'LL RESPOND TO ALL OF THAT NEXT ON ""THE ED SHOW."" SO BLESSED WITH INSPIRATION I DON'T KNOW MUCH BUT I KNOW I LOVE YOU AND THAT MAY BE ALL I NEED TO KNOW ...