HILLARY CLINTON: I just have to say thanks
for the endorsement, Bill.
[laughter]
Took you long enough.
- Oh, snap.
[cheering]
JAKE TAPPER: That was Hillary Clinton back in the day
taking a jab at mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City
for holding out on endorsing her last year.
Is she about to get her revenge?
de Blasio's soft poll numbers have
led to talk of Hillary Clinton challenging
his re-election bid.
And, of course, she would have dominion
over a certain Manhattanite-- President-elect Trump.
So will she run?
The panel's back with me.
Neera Tanden, confidante of Hillary Clinton
and attendee at a recent Bill de Blasio fundraiser.
NEERA TANDEN: Yes, the morning of the story.
JAKE TAPPER: Is it possible that Hillary Clinton will
run for mayor of New York City?
NEERA TANDEN: You know, I think she's going to figure out
ways to help kids and families.
That's been what she's been focused on her whole life,
and there are a lot of issues that are affecting them
over the next couple of years.
But I don't expect her to ever run for any elected office
again. JAKE TAPPER: You don't-- ever?
NEERA TANDEN: Yeah. JAKE TAPPER: Ever again?
NEERA TANDEN: That's my sense.
You know, I don't expect her-- I don't
expect her to run for this.
And I don't expect her to run for other office.
I think her job is to-- what she's thinking about right now
is how to help serve kids and families,
as she has her whole life.
JAKE TAPPER: All right, well, let's leave that there.
I want to go back to Obamacare, because the Senator weighed in,
and I know a lot of people have thoughts.
Here is Senator Chuck Schumer talking
on January 4 about Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare.
Take a listen.
SEN.
CHUCK SCHUMER: They want to repeal it
and then try to hang it on us.
Not going to happen.
JAKE TAPPER: --you want to see Democrats do if Republicans--
or when Republicans, I should say, repeal Obamacare?
NINA TURNER: I mean, continue to fight.
I mean, Jake, people in this country,
I mean, health care is the most fundamental thing
that they have.
Your wealth is your health.
And for Republicans, after 60 times
of trying to repeal it, for them to not
have a replacement in mind at this moment is scandalous.
You cannot just throw people out.
30 million people, their lives hang in the balance over this.
And that is real.
Health care is real.
And Democrats certainly understand that.
It doesn't seem like Republicans do.
JAKE TAPPER: Alice, there are millions of Americans
who now have health insurance because
of the Medicaid expansion that was part of Obamacare.
Also, there are millions of Americans
who can now afford health insurance because
of tax subsidies and stipends.
Is it important that Republicans have something in mind for them
before they take that away?
ALICE STEWART: That's clearly in the works.
And Schumer is exhibiting what we're
seeing from a lot of Democrats-- imposing the Pottery Barn
rule with regard to Obamacare that you broke it, you own it,
when regard-- the truth is it's been
broken since its inception.
And we've heard assurances from Speaker Ryan over the past week
that they're not going to pull the rug
out from underneath these people that currently have coverage.
And Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, look,
we are going to be promise keepers.
This is a promise we made to voters.
We were elected based on repealing
and replacing Obamacare.
And they are committed to doing just that
and making it a smooth transition.
NEERA TANDEN: You're absolutely right.
Donald Trump said he would repeal and replace together.
In fact, after the election, he said he would
repeal and replace together.
And there are 5 million people who voted for Donald Trump--
at least 5 million-- who are receiving health care because
of the Affordable Care Act.
JAKE TAPPER: Because of the stipends
or because of the Medicaid expansion?
NEERA TANDEN: Both. Both.
JAKE TAPPER: Yeah.
NEERA TANDEN: And because of the exchanges
and because of Medicaid.
And those people trusted Donald Trump that they
would know what their plan is.
They expect the same or better.
And right now what Republicans are saying
is, please jump off this cliff, and we'll tell you where
the net is on your way down.
They are not planning-- no.
The absolute truth is here you are right.
They should have the plan, and their plan right now is to tell
you after the next election.
Americans can see through that.
75% of Americans oppose that plan.
And I hope they listen to Donald Trump, who's already raising
questions about the strategy, and give
people the plan they're going to have
as they vote to replace it.
JAKE TAPPER: Senator, you saw Senator Rand Paul had said
that President Trump committed to him
repeal and replace, to have a replacement.
When I asked Kellyanne Conway about it,
she had no commitment as to the timing.
But you think, how can the Republicans
not have it replacement? SEN.
RICK SANTORUM: Well, here's the interesting thing.
And this is why Rand Paul, I think, is apoplectic.
And a lot of conservatives-- a lot of conservatives
are saying we need to have a replacement in place.
And here's why, because if you repeal Obamacare,
that means you repeal all-- and they're
going to do it through reconciliation, which
means just taxes and spending.
That's all they can really touch.
They can't touch a lot of policy, which means they're
going to get rid of the taxes.
They're going to get rid of the fees.
They're going to get rid of all the spending proposals.
And so they're gone.
So they're going to have to replace it, which
means they're going to have to vote
for new taxes, new spending.
And Conservatives are saying, whoa, whoa, whoa.
We're not going to do that. JAKE TAPPER: Right.
SEN.
RICK SANTORUM: You've got to do it at the same way so it
doesn't look like we're-- a few months
before the election next year--
JAKE TAPPER: You want the Obamacare taxes.
SEN.
RICK SANTORUM: We're going to want some of them.
And some of the money that's there from Obamacare
is going to have to be used, or at least some version of it,
has to be used to finance a lot of the proposals that are being
put forward to help subsidize the private insurance
programs that're going to be put forward.
So there will be a replace-- a repeal and replace.
That I don't think, logistically, they're
going to put up a vote to repeal everything and then
have to vote for a tax increase to put a new thing in place.
JAKE TAPPER: It's just a fascinating story.
Nina, Senator, Alice, Neera, thank you so much.
Appreciate one and all.
Happy New Year.
Thanks for being here.