>>> SIX DAYS AFTER THE MIDTERM ELECTION ANDS SOME DEMOCRATS ARE
ALREADY TALKING 2020.
WEST VIRGINIA STATE SENATOR
RICHARD O
RICHARD O RICHARD OJEDA LOST HIS HOUSE
BID.
BID. BROWN WON A THIRD SENATE TERM IN
OHIO LAST WEEK CARRYING A STATE
DONALD TRUMP WON IN THE LAST
ELECTION.
ELECTION. HE TOLD THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
HE’S THINKING ABOUT RUNNING.
AND HERE’S WHAT SENATOR KIERSTEN
GILLIBRAND SAID ON "THE VIEW"
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. >> YOU HAVE ANOTHER, HOW MANY
YEARS LEFT ON YOUR TERM?
>> SIX, SIX MORE YEARS.
>> SIX MORE YEARS.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> OKAY, ARE YOU STAYING IN THE
SENATE OR ARE YOU GOING TO RUN
FOR PRESIDENT?
FOR PRESIDENT? >> WELL, I’M OBVIOUSLY DEDICATE
TODAY SERVING NEW YORKERS, BUT
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT MORAL
QUESTION I’VE BEEN THINKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> JOINING ME NOW, SENATOR
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, DEMOCRAT
FROM NEW YORK.
SHE HAS A BOOK OUT, BOLD AND
BRAVE, TEN HEROES WHO WON THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
IT IS A CHILDREN’S BOOK.
I’LL GIVE IT TO MY DAUGHTER.
SHE’S VERY MUCH INTO THIS GENRE.
YOU SAID THIS MORNING YOU WERE
CONSIDERING THINKING ABOUT THE
QUESTION RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> I’M CURIOUS WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN IN REAL TERMS?
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?
WHAT’S GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> TO ME IT’S REALLY A MORAL
QUESTION AND I DO BELIEVE
THAT -- I BELIEVE IN RIGHT
VERSUS WRONG AND UNFORTUNATELY
UP UNTIL THIS ELECTION I
BELIEVED THAT WRONG WAS WINNING.
SO AS I TRAVEL THE STATE, AS I
TRAVEL THE COUNTRY, I REALLY SAW
THE RESPONSE AND THE EFFECT OF
ALL THE HATE THAT DONALD TRUMP
HAS PUT INTO THIS COUNTRY OVER
THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND IT’S SO DISTURBING AND IT’S
REALLY CALLED ME PERSONALLY TO
FIGHT AS HARD AS I POSSIBLY CAN
TO RESTORE THAT MORAL COMPASS
BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS THIS
COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON REALLY
CORE PRINCIPLES THAT WE CARE
ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE
BELIEVE IN THE GOLDEN RULE, THAT
YOU SHOULD FIGHT FOR OTHER
PEOPLE’S KIDS AS HARD AS YOU
FIGHT FOR YOUR OWN.
AND I FEEL THAT THAT’S BEEN
CRUMBLING AND LOST UNDER THIS
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. SO I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT
AND I AM GOING TO REFLECT ON
WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I
SHOULD DO BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE
ALL OF US HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT
WE’RE GOING TO DO TO RESTORE
WHAT’S BEEN LOST.
AND I JUST HAVE TO THINK WHERE I
CAN DO THAT BEST FROM.
>> SO, WHAT IS THAT CALCULATION?
THERE’S A MORAL QUESTION,
THERE’S A BUNCH OF TACTICAL
QUESTIONS, A BUNCH OF
ORGANIZATIONAL QUESTIONS.
ORGANIZATIONAL QUESTIONS. WHAT’S THE SORTS OF YES/NO
THRESHOLD?
THRESHOLD? >> SO, FOR ME IT’S WHETHER THIS
IS WHAT I NEED TO BE DOING.
IT’S SORT OF, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU
PREPARED IN A TIME SUCH AS THIS
TO DO SOMETHING THAT’S VERY HARD
AND DIFFICULT, REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER YOU WILL WIN, REGARDLESS
OF WHETHER IT’S EASY, BUT YOU’RE
DOING IT BECAUSE OUT OF THAT
MORAL CONVICTION.
MORAL CONVICTION. AND SO FOR ME THE SOLE THING I
HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT I HAVE TO
THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT IS
WHETHER THIS IS WHAT I’M CALLED
TO DO.
TO DO. AND OTHERWISE, I WILL CONTINUE
TO FIGHT AS HARD AS I CAN FOR
NEW YORKERS AND BE A VOICE FOR
THEM IN WASHINGTON AND FIGHT FOR
THE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES THAT
ARE DESPERATE AND NEED HEALTH
CARE AS A RIGHT AND ALL THE
OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE PRESSING
ON FAMILIES IN MY STATE.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT THE SORT OF
MORAL DEGRADATION THE TWO YEARS
OF THE PRESIDENCY.
THERE ARE WAYS OF VIEWING THE
PRESIDENCY AND WHAT THE DEFINING
ISSUE GOING INTO 2020 IS.
ONE IS THIS PRESIDENT, THIS
INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTS SOMETHING
PARTICULARLY INSIDIOUS FOR
AMERICA, FOR AMERICAN POLITICS.
AND THE OTHER, WHICH WAS KIND OF
THE WAY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE RAN
IN THIS MIDTERM WAS RUNNING
AGAINST BASICALLY THE REPUBLICAN
AGENDA.
AGENDA. IT WAS LIKE THEY’RE RUNNING
AGAINST PAUL RYAN EVEN THOUGH
DONALD TRUMP WAS THE TOP OF THE
TICKET.
TICKET. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THOSE TWO
AVENUES?
AVENUES? >> IT’S ALSO ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE
FOR.
FOR. SO, IF YOU BELIEVE IN THIS MORAL
COMPASS, IF YOU BELIEVE IN THIS
CORE VALUE THAT WE SHOULD CARE
ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE ARE
OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER, THAT YOU
SHOULD TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU
WANT TO BE TREATED, THAT’S WHY
WE FIGHT FOR HEALTH CARE AS A
RIGHT AND NOT A PRIVILEGE.
IT’S WHY WE WANT GOOD EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR EVERY
CHILD NO MATTER WHICH BLOCK THEY
GREW UP ON OR UNIVERSAL PRE-K,
DEBT FREE COLLEGE.
IT’S WHY ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE
WORKING FULL TIME SHOULD HAVE
THAT TRAINING, WHATEVER THAT
TRAINING IS TO GET THAT
FULL-TIME JOB SO THEY CAN EARN
THEIR WAY INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS.
FUNDAMENTALLY WE BELIEVE THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRACY
WAS ANYONE CAN REACH THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
AMERICAN DREAM. LIFE, PURSUIT OF LIBERTY AND
HAPPINESS FOR ALL.
THAT IS WHY THE MORAL FRAME IS
SO IMPORTANT.
SO IMPORTANT. EVERYTHING YOU’RE FIGHTING FOR,
YOUR VISION OF WHAT AMERICA
SHOULD LOOK LIKE IS SO
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. THE ONE ISSUE, CHRIS, I THINK IS
SO ENCOMPASSING IS YOU HAVE TO
GET THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.
YOU CAN’T ACHIEVE ANY OF THESE
BASIC RIGHTS, THESE BASIC
PROTECTIONS UNTIL YOU TAKE ON
THE DRUG COMPANIES.
YOU CAN’T GET TO UNIVERSAL
HEALTH CARE THAT’S AFFORDABLE
UNLESS YOU TAKE ON THE DRUG
COMPANIES, YOU TAKE ON THE
INSURANCE COMPANIES.
INSURANCE COMPANIES. YOU CAN’T BUILD THE KIND OF
SUPPORT THAT PEOPLE NEED UNTIL
YOU TAKE ON THE SPECIAL
INTEREST.
INTEREST. SO, THE BEST THING WE COULD DO
IS FOCUS ON GETTING MONEY OUT OF
POLITICS, HAVING PUBLICLY FUNDED
ELECTIONS, RESTORING VOTING
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. WE’RE SEEING WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
GEORGIA, WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
FLORIDA, WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY WHERE OUR RIGHT TO
VOTE IS BEING FUNDAMENTALLY
UNDERMINED.
UNDERMINED. >> THERE IS TALK ABOUT THE HOUSE
DEMOCRATS BRINGING THAT UP AS A
FIRST BILL, SOME SORT OF
STRENGTHENING THE VOTING RIGHTS,
VOTER REGISTRATION NATIONWIDE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
>> WE SHOULD HAVE AUTOMATIC
VOTING.
VOTING. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SAME
DAY REGISTRATION EARLY VOTING.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAIL IN A
BALLOT ANY TIME.
>> NEW YORK IS TERRIBLE --
>> TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE.
>> I SAY IT AS A NEW YORK VOTER.
>> WE NEED PROPER REDISTRICTING
IN 2020.
IN 2020. YOU NEED TO HAVE NONPARTISAN
REDISTRICTING BY A COMMISSION,
NOT BY, YOU KNOW, GOVERNORS AND
LEGISLATURES WHO ALL DECIDE
DIFFERENT THINGS AND ALMOST
ALWAYS IS STILL POLITICAL.
THAT’S WRONG.
THAT’S WRONG. SO WE NEED TO RESTORE OUR
DEMOCRACY TO THE PEOPLE.
IT’S ABOUT WHAT THIS DEMOCRACY
IS SUPPOSED TO STAND FOR AND
WITH ALL THE ATTACKS ON VOTING
RIGHTS, IT’S NOT ONE PERSON ONE
VOTE.
VOTE. WITH ALL THE ATTACKS ON MONEY
AND POLITICS, PEOPLE WITH MONEY
HAVE AN OUT SIZED INFLUENCE, THE
SPECIAL INTERESTS, THE BILLS
WRITTEN IN THE DARK OF NIGHT.
IT NEVER ENDS.
>> LET ME HE ASK YOU A NEW YORK
QUESTION, CHUCK SCHUMER A SENIOR
SENATOR FROM YOUR STATE, YOU
CALL HIM A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE.
TALK ABOUT NANCY PELOSI.
NO ONE SAYS CHUCK SCHUMER.
DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIS
ABILITY?
ABILITY? >> I’M VOTING FOR CHUCK SCHUMER.
>> YOU THINK HE’S THE RIGHT MAN
AT THE RIGHT TIME?
>> HE’S MADE A DIFFERENCE
ALREADY.
ALREADY. HE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE THINGS
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS
KWUN TRI.
KWUN TRI. HE’LL MOVE FORWARD AS BEST HE
CAN EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE
VOTES, THINGS THAT HELP PEOPLE.
AND I THINK HE’S COMMITTED TO
IT.
IT. >> FINAL QUESTION.
THERE IS A REPORT AND I WANTED
TO ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU PUT A LOT OF ENERGY TOWARDS
VETERAN ISSUES IN YOUR WORK IN
THE SENATE.
THE SENATE. THERE IS A REPORT ABOUT 82,000
SERVICE MEMBERS RIGHT NOW DUE TO
BASICALLY TECHNICAL SCREW UPS AT
THE VA, HAVE NOT GOTTEN PAYMENTS
FOR HOUSING THROUGH THE G.I.
BILL, IT’S BEEN MASSIVELY
DELETERIOUS TO THEIR LIVES.
THIS WAS A KIND OF THING THAT
TRUMP AND OTHERS --
>> THEY PROMISED TO FIX IT AND
THEY HAVE NOT.
UNFORTUNATELY OUR VA HAS BEEN
UNDER FUNDED A VERY LONG TIME
AND THE MORASSE AND THE BACKLOG
CONTINUE TO HARM OUR VETERANS.
IN MY OFFICE WE WORK FOR
VETERANS ALL THE TIME.
GET THEM PAYMENTS DESERVED,
BENEFITS THAT WERE EARNED,
MAKING SURE THEY CAN GET THEIR
MEDALS IF THEY NEVER HAD THEM.
WE’RE WORKING NIGHT AND DAY TO
TRY TO GET BLUE WATER NAVY
VETERANS SINCE I’VE BEEN ELECTED
TO THE HOUSE FOR OVER TEN YEARS,
THE BASIC HEALTH CARE THEY
DESERVE BECAUSE THEY SERVED
DURING VIETNAM AND WERE EXPOSED
TO ALL THE AGENT ORANGE TOXINS,
BUT DON’T GET TREATED LIKE
ANYBODY ELSE BECAUSE THEY
HAPPENED TO BE ON A SHIP OR
AIRCRAFT THAT -- THEY NOT ONLY
TOOK THE WATER AND DRANK IT, BUT
THEY BATHED IN IT AND COOKED IN
IT WHICH WE NOW KNOW
CONCENTRATED THOSE TOXINS.
AND SO OUR VETERANS NEED A VOICE
AND SO I WILL TRY VERY HARD, AS
WILL MY COLLEAGUES, TO MAKE SURE
WE FIX THE PROBLEMS AT THE VA SO
THEY CAN GET THEIR HOUSING AND
GET THEIR BENEFITS.
>> ALL RIGHT, SENATOR KIRSTEN
GILLIBRAND, BOOK BOLD AND BRAVE,
TEN WOMEN WHO WON THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
VOTE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
>> THE PRESIDENT TAKES A RAIN
CHECK TWICE INSTEAD OF HONORING
AMERICA’S VETERANS.