>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE."
JOE." JOINING US NOW, DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT SENATOR
AMY KLOBUCHAR OF MINNESOTA.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK ON THE
SHOW.
SHOW. >> THANKS, MIKA.
>> WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT’S
GOING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, BUT
FIRST I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
LABOR SECRETARY ALEX ACOSTA AND
HIS RESPONSE AND LACK OF APOLOGY
YESTERDAY WHEN HE HELD A PRESS
CONFERENCE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE
JEFFREY EPSTEIN SWEETHEART DEAL
SITUATION.
SITUATION. I GUESS SOME MIGHT BE WORRIED
THAT IF HE’S NOT HELD
ACCOUNTABLE, SOMETHING REALLY
WRONG COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.
WHAT COULD BE DONE TO HOLD HIM
ACCOUNTABLE AND GET THE ANSWERS
TO THE QUESTIONS WE NEED.
>> I DON’T THINK HE SHOULD BE IN
THAT JOB ANY MORE.
ACTUALLY, HE HAS JURISDICTION
OVER HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
I DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
FIRST PLACE. THAT BEING SAID, PEOPLE NEED TO
STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT THIS
IS ABOUT.
IS ABOUT. THIS IS ABOUT LITTLE KIDS,
LITTLE GIRLS.
LITTLE GIRLS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A LOT
OF POWER IN THESE KINDS OF
CASES.
CASES. AND HE MADE A DECISION INSTEAD
OF PURSUE AGO LONGER SENTENCE,
PUSHING THIS TO TRIAL, AND BY
THE WAY, THERE WERE A LOT OF
VICTIMS.
VICTIMS. I’M SURE SOME WOULD HAVE WANTED
TO TESTIFY AND HE COULD HAVE
ALSO -- THEY CAN SUBPOENA
VICTIMS TO TESTIFY.
I THINK HE COULD HAVE MADE A
CASE.
CASE. THE OTHER PIECE ABOUT THIS WAS
THE SENTENCE.
THE SENTENCE. THIS GUY, THIS BILLIONAIRE WAS
ALLOWED TO WORK AND GO TO HIS
JOB TO MAKE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
SIX DAYS A WEEK.
I THINK IT’S OUTRAGEOUS.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A SPECIAL
DEAL HERE AND THAT’S WHY YOU SEE
SO MUCH CONCERN IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION GOING
ON.
ON. AND THIS STORY YESTERDAY THAT,
HEY, HE HAD TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM
THE LOCAL D.A., I USED TO BE A
LOCAL D.A.
LOCAL D.A. AND I AM WELL AWARE OF THE LONG
SENTENCES THAT U.S. ATTORNEYS
CAN GET.
CAN GET. WE HAD ONE OUT OF MINNESOTA
INVOLVING TWO GIRLS JUST
RECENTLY OVER 30-YEAR SENTENCE
FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
SO THIS HAPPENS.
AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT
SOMETHING VERY WRONG ABOUT WHY
THIS DEAL WAS MADE.
>> SO, SENATOR, YOU WANT TO BE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
FOR THIS COUNTRY.
TALK TO PEOPLE THAT SEE THIS
STORY AND SEE THAT THE RICH AND
THE POWERFUL LIVE BY A DIFFERENT
STANDARD BECAUSE WE COULD BLAME
ACOSTA AND TRUMP, BUT IT’S NOT
JUST ACOSTA.
JUST ACOSTA. IT WASN’T JUST THE U.S. ATTORNEY
IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. IT WASN’T JUST THE FACT THAT
DONALD TRUMP WAS RUNNING BUDDIES
WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
YOU COULD SAY THE SAME THING
ABOUT NEW YORK.
YOU COULD SAY THE SAME THING
ABOUT BILL CLINTON BEING RUNNING
BUDDIES WITH HIM.
YOU COULD SAY THE SAME THING
ABOUT WE FOUND OUT YESTERDAY
THAT THE NEW YORK D.A. DIDN’T
REQUIRE HIM TO CHECK IN, THE NEW
YORK COPS DIDN’T REQUIRE HIM TO
CHECK IN AS A REGISTERED SEX
OFFENDER, THAT THEY ACTUALLY
WENT TO COURT AND TRIED TO GET
THE JUDGE TO DOWNGRADE HIM FROM
A LEVEL THREE SEX OFFENDER TO A
LEVEL ONE SEX OFFENDER.
THE JUDGE SAID I’VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. SO THIS IS MORE THAN ACOSTA.
ACOSTA SHOULD BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. THIS IS THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
HOW DO YOU FIX THIS?
>> YOU HAVE TO GO IN, AND I
WOULD DO THIS AS PRESIDENT, YOU
HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU’RE
GOING TO DO YOUR JOB WITHOUT
FEAR OR FAVOR.
AND YOU WANT TO PUT AN ATTORNEY
GENERAL IN THAT’S GOING TO DO
THE SAME THING AND U.S.
ATTORNEYS WHERE THEY GO TO WORK
AND SAY I DON’T CARE WHO CALLS
ME AND WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE
CONNECTED TO.
CONNECTED TO. I’M GOING TO TREAT THESE CASES
FAIRLEY.
FAIRLEY. AND BELIEVE ME, IN MY FORMER
JOB, I HAD THIS HAPPEN QUITE A
BIT.
BIT. WE TRIED TO PUT A JUDGE IN JAIL.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, TONS OF HIS
FRIENDS CALLED ME AND SAID, HEY,
HE’S NOT A BAD GUY.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT?
HE STOLE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS FROM A DISABLED
WOMAN.
WOMAN. I THINK HE IS A BAD GUY AND I
DON’T CARE THAT HE WAS APPOINTED
BY A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.
THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO
DO ALL THE TIME AND IT’S A
PROSECUTOR OR AS A PRESIDENT.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE
LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE AND
HAVING THEIR BACK, REGARDLESS OF
HOW MUCH MONEY PEOPLE HAVE.
AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY BOTHERS
ME AND SO MUCH OTHER PEOPLE
ABOUT THIS STORY.
>> SENATOR, IT’S WILLIE GEIST.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> HEY, WILLIE.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
HEALTH CARE AND THERE ARE SOME
VOTERS LOOKING AT THIS LARGE
FIELD OF DEMOCRATS DECIDING
WHICH CANDIDATE TO BACK OR MAYBE
WHETHER TO ABANDON PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND TO VOTE FOR ONE OF
YOU.
YOU. AND WE’RE ALARMED ABOUT SOME OF
THE THINGS THEY HEARD ON THE
DEBATE STAGE ABOUT HEALTH CARE,
NAMELY SOME OF THE CANDIDATES
WOULD LIKE TO TAKE AWAY PRIVATE
HEALTH INSURANCE AND GO WITH A
GOVERNMENT RUN SINGLE PAYOR
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND HEALTH
CARE?
CARE? >> I AM NOT FOR THAT BILL
BECAUSE I DON’T THINK WE SHOULD
KICK OFF OF AMERICA OFF OF THEIR
HEALTH INSURANCE.
HEALTH INSURANCE. I BELIEVE THAT --DOCTOR’S CREED,
DO NO HARM.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WAS A
BEGINNING AND NOT AN END.
IF YOU WANT A BOLD IDEA, A BOLD
IDEA IS TO TAKE ON THE
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES,
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN
DURING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
THEY ACTUALLY KIND OF GOT A DEAL
AND MOVED ON AND ARE NOW
CHARGING INCREASING RATES FOR
THINGS LIKE INSULIN, SIMPLE
DRUGS THAT AMERICANS RELY ON
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
MY IDEA?
MY IDEA? WE PUSH NEGOTIATIONS UNDER
MEDICARE TO BRING THOSE COSTS
DOWN.
DOWN. IT WILL BRING THE COST DOWN FOR
THE SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM. WE ALLOW FOR LESS EXPENSIVE
DRUGS TO COME IN FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES TO CREATE COMPETITION.
THERE ARE TWO LOBBYISTS FOR
EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM
THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.
THEY THINK THEY OWN WASHINGTON.
THEY DON’T OWN ME.
SO THAT’S A BOLD IDEA.
ADDING A PUBLIC OPTION SO WE
BRICK DOWN THE COST OF PREMIUMS
AND MOVE TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH
CARE.
CARE. IT’S TAKING WHAT’S GOOD AND
BUILDING ON IT AND CREATING A
SITUATION WHERE WE WILL MOVE TO
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, BUT NOT
KICKING PEOPLE OFF THEIR
INSURANCE IN FOUR YEARS.
>> SO TO BOIL IT DOWN FOR A
VOTER WHO IS WATCHING, YOUR IDEA
IS LISTEN, THERE’S GOVERNMENT
HEALTH INSURANCE, IF YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU NEED IT, IT’S THERE,
BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO FORCE YOU
INTO IT.
INTO IT. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND YOU CAN DO IT, BY THE WAY.
YOU CAN HAVE THIS PUBLIC OPTION,
SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA
WANTED TO DO FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING WITH MEDICAID IS ONE
WAY THAT WE REALLY DIDN’T LOOK
AT BACK THEN OR YOU CAN DO IT
WITH MEDICARE.
WITH MEDICARE. THERE’S TWO GOOD IDEAS OUT THERE
AND EITHER OF THEM HAVE SOME
ADVANTAGES.
ADVANTAGES. AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT I WOULD
WANT TO DO AS PRESIDENT.
AND THE DRUGS FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES, THE SAFE DRUGS, I CAN
ORDER THAT AS THE PRESIDENT.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT.
>> AND ANOTHER TOPIC YOU DIDN’T
GET A CRACK AT ON THE FIRST
NIGHT OF THE DEBATE IS WOULD YOU
OFFER HEALTH INSURANCE,
GOVERNMENT TAX FUNDED HEALTH
INSURANCE TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE
COME TO THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY?
ALL THE CANDIDATES ON THE STAGE
THE SECOND NIGHT RAISED THEIR
HAND AND SAID YES.
WOULD YOU OFFER HEALTH CARE TO
PEOPLE WHO COME TO THIS COUNTRY
ILLEGALLY?
ILLEGALLY? >> YOU KNOW, THE UNDOCUMENTED
WORKERS THAT ARE HERE ARE GOING
TO EMERGENCY ROOMS.
THEY ARE GETTING HEALTH CARE ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO I THINK THE CALIFORNIA MODEL
THEY JUST PASSED MAKES SOME
SENSE.
SENSE. BUT I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO
THIS IS AS PART OF COMPREHENSIVE
IMMIGRATION REFORM, WILLIE.
BECAUSE UNTIL WE GET SOME ORDER
IN THIS SYSTEM WHEN WE KNOW WE
HAVE 12 MILLION PEOPLE HERE, THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE FOLLOWING THE
LAW WOULD WANT TO WORK, THEY
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WORK AND
HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO WORK AND
HAVE A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP.
PART OF THAT WOULD BE STARTING
TO EARN THESE BENEFITS AND, OF
COURSE, GETTING HEALTH CARE FROM
THE GET-GO.
THE GET-GO. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A MESS.
AND IF WE DID THIS, IF YOU WANT
TO LOOK AT IT ECONOMICALLY, THE
FORECAST BACK IN 2013 WITH THAT
BIPARTISAN BILL, IT WOULD BRING
THE DEFICIT DOWN BY $158
BILLION.
BILLION. IMAGINE THE MONEY WE COULD USE
ON THINGS LIKE BORDER SECURITY,
ON HELPING THOSE THREE COUNTRIES
DOWN THERE SO WE DON’T SEE THE
CHAOS THAT WE’RE SEEING AT THE
BORDER.
BORDER. >> SO THAT KIND OF REFORM COMES
DOWN THE ROAD, SENATOR, BUT FOR
SOMEONE WHO STEPS ACROSS THE
BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU BELIEVE
THEY SHOULD BE COVERED WITH
TAXPAYER MONEY RIGHT NOW?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE HAVE
TO HAVE BORDER SECURITY.
I DON’T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE
OPEN BOARDERS.
OPEN BOARDERS. LET ME MAKE THAT CLEAR.
SECONDLY, WHEN SOMEONE IS HERE
AND THEY HAVE A HEALTH CARE
NEED, YES, I THINK THEY SHOULD
BE ABLE TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE OR
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS ON OUR HANDS.
BUT THE BEST WAY TO GET THIS
DONE --
DONE -- >> SENATOR, CAN I INTERRUPT FOR
A SECOND, SENATOR?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> YOU ALREADY CORRECTLY, WHICH
SURPRISED ME THAT NO DEMOCRAT ON
THE DEBATE STAGE SAID THIS, THEY
ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH
CARE.
CARE. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR ANY
MEDICAL PROVIDER, ANY HOSPITAL,
ANY EMERGENCY ROOM TO NOT ADMIT
A PATIENT IN NEED.
SO IF AN UNDOCUMENTED WORKER, IF
AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT COMES
ACROSS THE BORDER AND HAS A
HOSPITAL NEED, THEN THEY GO TO
THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND THEY HAVE
TO BE GIVEN HEALTH CARE NOW.
CORRECT?
CORRECT? >> THAT IS CORRECT.
YES.
YES. AND SO THAT IS WHY I HAVE THAT
POSITION.
POSITION. SOME OF THESE OTHER BENEFITS, I
THINK THAT WOULD BE PART OF
EARNED CITIZENSHIP.
EARNED CITIZENSHIP. I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD BE
AUTOMATICALLY GIVEN THOSE
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. >> JONATHAN LAMERE.
>> A QUESTION FOR YOU ON THE
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE. VERY BRIEFLY, DO YOU BELIEVE THE
U.S. SHOULD ASK CITIZENSHIP ON
THE CENSUS?
THE CENSUS? >> NO.
>> NO. THE PURPOSE OF THE CENSUS IS TO
FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
HERE.
HERE. AND THAT QUESTION WAS THROWN OUT
OVER 70 YEARS AGO, AS YOU KNOW,
AND WE NOW KNOW WHY THE
ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO PUT
IT ON.
IT ON. IT’S FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
WE FOUND THAT IN THE OPERATIVE’S
PAPERS AFTER HE DIED AND IT’S
VERY CHEER AND THAT’S WHY I
THINK YOU SAID JUSTICE ROBERTS
THROWING IT BACK TO THE DISTRICT
COURTS AND SAYING YOU BETTER
COME ONE A RATIONALE THAT’S
REAL.
REAL. NOW I GUESS YOU HAVE THE
PRESIDENT LOOKING FOR RATIONALE
BEHIND EVERY PAINTING AND UNDER
EVERY SOFA IN THE OVAL OFFICE,
BUT THE TRUTH IS, THEY DON’T
HAVE A RATIONALE.
THEY ORIGINALLY HAD THE COMMERCE
SECRETARY AND THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT SAYING WE’RE GOING TO
GO FORWARD WITH THIS CENSUS.
I KNOW HE SAYS HE’S GOING TO
HAVE ANOTHER SURPRISE FOR US
THIS AFTERNOON, BUT I AM VERY
HOPEFUL THAT SURPRISE HAD BETTER
BE WE’RE GOING TO GET THE CENSUS
OUT THERE AND START BECAUSE THIS
IS A CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY.
>> SENATOR, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO
GO, BUT ON THAT ISSUE, THERE’S
TALK THIS AFTERNOON THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO SUGGEST
WHAT HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER IS
GOING TO BE.
IF HE DOES ISSUE EXECUTIVE ORDER
ABOUT THIS MATTER, WHAT HAPPENS
NEXT?
NEXT? >> I DON’T THINK THAT’S RIGHT
UNDER THE LAW.
I THINK THAT THE CENSUS IS
CONSTITUTIONAL.
CONSTITUTIONAL. I DON’T THINK THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE DOING AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER.
ORDER. I THINK IT’S GOING TO END UP IN
COURT.
COURT. AND IT’S JUST ANOTHER REASON
THAT I WANT TO BE PRESIDENT.
AND I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR
EARLIER DISCUSSION WITH GUY
CECIL.
CECIL. I THINK IT’S VERY CLEAR THAT WE
NEED SOMEONE WHO IS NOT JUST
MAKING A BUNCH OF PROMISES THAT
THEY CAN’T KEEP, THAT WE HAVE
SOMEONE THAT IS OUR CANDIDATE
THAT SEES THEM AS NOT JUST THE
AHEAD OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
COMMITTEE, BUT RUNNING FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT MY RECORD, I
HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THIS JOB
DONE AND AS YOUR PREVIOUS
DISCUSSION SHOWED, THAT IS WHAT
THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WANT.
>> VERY GOOD.
SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BEING ON.
COME BACK SOON.
GOOD LUCK.
GOOD LUCK. >> THANKS, MIKA.
>>> UP NEXT, AS THE SECOND SET
OF DEMOCRATIC DEBATES QUICKLY
APPROACHES, WE’LL TALK TO ONE
BUSINESSMAN TURNED GOVERNOR WHO
HAS ALREADY THROWN HIS SUPPORT
BEHIND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN.
BIDEN. "MORNING JOE" IS BACK IN A
MOMENT.
BIDEN.
BIDEN. "MORNING JOE" IS BACK IN A
MOMENT