CO-SPONSORS OF THE SANDERS PLAN. DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY
OF OREGON. WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW, SIR.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHUCK.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. >> START WITH THIS QUESTION --
THE TIMES OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. YOU HAVE A REPUBLICAN PARTY
STILL LOOKING TO REPEAL OBAMACARE.
THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY DO THAT IS STILL THERE FOR THE NEXT
COUPLE OF WEEKS. WHY MUDDY UP THIS ISSUE?
WHY SPEND SO MUCH TIME WORKING ON A NEW HEALTH CARE PLAN, WHEN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TOOK SO MANY BULLETS FOR FIGHTING FOR
OBAMACARE AND YOU STILL HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR IT, AND IT'S
STILL THE LAW OF THE LAND? >> WELL, IN THE COURSE OF
ARGUING OVER TRUMP CARE, TRUMP WEALTHCARE, I MIGHT ADD, WE
TALKED TO CITIZENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I HAD 36 TOWN HALLS IN OREGON MOSTLY REPUBLICAN COUNTIES,
TWO-THIRDS OF THEM. WHAT THE CITIZENS IN REPUBLICAN
COUNTIES CAME OUT AND SAID IS, OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS JUST
TOO COMPLICATED, TOO INEFFICIENT AND TOO STRESSFUL, AND THERE WAS
REAL DESIRE, AND I'M TALKING REPUBLICAN COUNTIES, FOR A
SIMPLE, SACLESS HEALTH CARE THAT JUST BY VIRTUE OF BEING AN
AMERICAN YOU HAVE COVERAGE WHEN YOU NEED IT.
>> LOOK, SOUNDS GREAT. EVERYBODY WANTS THIS UNTIL YOU
TELL THEM THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR TAXES RAISES IN ORDER TO
PAY FOR IT.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE. AGAIN, I GO BACK TO OBAMACARE.
IS THIS YOUR WAY OF SAYING OBAMACARE IS A FAILURE?
>> NO. THIS IS OUR WAY OF SAYING THAT
IN THE COURSE OF DEFENDING OBAMACARE, BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A
LEAP FORWARD, WE'RE ALSO VERY AWARE OF HOW STRESSFUL HEALTH
CARE REMAINS. IF YOU CAULK TO CITIZENS, BLUE
COLLAR CITIZENS, HEY, AM I ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID IN OREGON?
THE OREGON HEALTH PLAN? IF I EARN MORE I HAVE TO GET
OFF, GO TO AN EXCHANGE? ON THAT EXCHANGE DO THAT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE YEAR? WHAT IF I HAVE A NEW EMPLOYER,
COVERS ME, NOT MY CHILDREN? CAN I GET MY CHILDREN ON TO THE
C.H.I.P. PROGRAM? CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE
PROGRAM? A GAUNTLET OF PAPERWORK AND
COMPLEXITY NO OTHER DEVELOPED CITIZENS IN KNOW OTHER DEVELOPED
NATION FACE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FACE HERE.
AND IT'S CHEAPER. CHEAP ARE FOUR OUR NATION.
THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT -- >> LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
YOU SAY CHEAPER FOR THE NATION, BUT WHETHER YOU USE THE SANDERS
ESTIMATES OF $14 TRILLION, ADDITIONAL IN THE FEDERAL
SPENDING, ONE ESTIMATE, ANOTHER PUTS IT TWICE THAT A YEAR, $3
TRILLION A YEAR. WHERE DO YOU GET THIS MONEY?
>> BECAUSE THE SAME ESTIMATES SAY THAT THE TOTAL SPENDING BY
OUR CITIZENRY ON FEDERAL BUDGET AND OFF FEDERAL BUDGET PUT
TOGETHER, TOTAL COST TO OUR SOCIETY GOES DOWN.
YOU CAN IMAGINE WHY. MEDICARE HAS A, AN OVERHEAD OF
ABOUT 3%. PRIVATE INSURANCE HAS 25% TO 30%
THAT'S WASTED. PRIVATE INSURANCE DENIES YOUR
CLAIMS EVEN WHEN THEY SHOULD COVER WHAT YOU HAVE.
EVERY TIME YOU ARE SICK OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT, OR MEMBER OF YOUR
FAMILY, YOU HAVE TO GO TO WAR IN ORDER TO GET THE BILL PAID.
AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF THE STRESS.
HAVING A SYSTEM THAT IS CHEAPER FOR THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, THAT PROVIDES BETTER COVERAGE THAN OUR CURRENT
SYSTEM, THAT GIVES PEACE OF MIND INSTEAD OF THE STRESS WE HAVE
NOW, THAT'S APPEALING TO DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
>> I UNDERSTAND WITH THE WAY YOU'RE PAINTING IT, BUT TO BE
HONEST, SENATOR, SOUNDS A LITTLE TOO ROSY.
WAS WHY CHUCK SCHUMER WRONG IN 2009 SAYING MEDICARE FOR ALL
WOULD BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY? >> AND SPONSORED SINGLE PAIR AS
A HOUSE MEMBER AND HE WAS LOOKING AT COMMENTING ON JUST
THE FEDERAL COST, IF YOU PUT MORE WEIGHT THERE.
BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO APPROACH MEDICARE FOR ALL THAT DON'T COST
ANOTHER SINGLE PENNY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I'VE BEEN ARGUING WE NEED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC OPTION.
PUBLIC OPTION. PEOPLE ALREADY PAYING MONEY ON
THE EXCHANGE, ALREADY HAVE TAX CREDIT ON THE EXCHANGE.
BEING ABLE TO SBI MEDICARE ON THE EXCHANGE DOESN'T COST A
PENNY IN FACT WILL SAVE MONEY BECAUSE OF A MORE EFFECTIVE,
EFFICIENT SYSTEM. ALLOWING PRIVATE COMPANIES TO
BUY BOO MEDICARE, DOESN'T SPEND A DIME.
WAYS TO PROCEED FORWARD THAT WOULDN'T COST THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ANYTHING, TAKE US CLOSER AND DURING THE COURSE OF
IT THE ENTIRE DOFT OUR SOCIETY KEEPS DROPPING.
WE HAVE AN UNSUSTAINABLE SYSTEM AND HAVE TO -- HAVE A SERIOUS
CONVERSATION. >> SOUNDS LIKE --
>> ABOUT THAT. >> YOUR LAST COMMENT SEEMED TO
THINK, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, YOU'RE ENDORSING THE IDEA OF
MEDICARE FOR ALL BUT THAT ISN'T REALLY -- WHAT YOU JUST
DESCRIBED IS, WE NEED TO HAVE AN INKMENTAL STEP.
FIX OBAMACARE, ADD A PUBLIC OPTION.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT PLAN THAN THIS ONE.
WHICH ARE YOU PUSHING FOR? >> NO.
BERNIE'S BILL ALSO HAVE AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH.
LOWERS THE AGE IN YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO IT IS NOT SAYING IT'S A DRAMATIC CHANGE ALL AT ONCE.
BUT SO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THIS CONVERSATION THINKS YOU CAN
TAKE THE ENORMOUS 1/6, 1 OF OUR ECONOMY, BUT GIVING PEOPLE
VOLUNTEER WAYS. BY THE WAY, UNDER BERNIE'S WAY
IT IS VOLUNTARY FOR PEOPLE TO OPT IN.
LISTEN, THIS CONVERSATION IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE
NATION, WE HAVE THE MOST FRACTURED, STRESSFUL SYSTEM IN
THE DEVELOPED WORLD. WE HAVE THE MOST EXPENSIVE PER
PERSON SYSTEM IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD.
WE HAVE THE MOST EXPENSIVE SYSTEM PER TREATMENT IN THE
DEVELOPED WORLD. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT DOING
BETTER, AND CITIZENS WANT SIMPLICITY.
THEY WANT SEAMLESSNESS. THEY WANT STRESS-FREE.
LET'S HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
>> I HEAR YOU ON ALL OF THAT, BUT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE PROMISING
THE WORLD. AND IT FEELS LIKE I'M HAVING A
DEJA VU WHEN REPUBLICANS ESSENTIALLY SPENT EIGHT YEARS
OVERPROMISING, UNDERDELIVERING AND VOTERS PUNISHED THEM FOR IT.
VOTERS TURNED TO A GUY WITH NO EXPERIENCE EVER RETURNING FOR
POLITICAL OFFICE TO BE THEIR NOMINEE BECAUSE THEY WERE TIRED
OF BROKEN PROMISES TO THE BASE. HOW DOES THIS NOT END UP AS A
BROKEN PROMISE, PIE IN THE SKIES, OVERPROMISE,
UNDERDELIVER? >> I CERTAINLY WOULD CONTEST
YOUR THEORY THERE, BU THEY'VE TURNED TO SOMEONE WHO PROMISED
THE WORLD AND HAD NO PLAN TO BACK IT UP.
AND HASN'T DELIVERED ON ANY OF -- BROKEN EVERY PROMISE.
REMEMBER, A MAN, TRUMP, WHO WAS GOING TO PROMISE YOUR HEALTH
CARE WILL COVER EVERYONE. YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL COST LESS.
YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE OF HIGHER QUALITY.
>> HOW ARE YOU GUARANTEEING -- THIS IS NOT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP,
THOUGH. MY POINT, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
WENT DOWN THIS ROAD.
OVERPROMISING, OVERPROMISING, NOT DELIVERING.
FEELS NO PATHWAY TO PASSING IT. ARE YOU NOT RAISING EXPECTATIONS
ONLY TO ESSENTIALLY BRING BACK THE CYNICISM THAT POLITICIANS
JUST LOVE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING IS EASY, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE
SYSTEM SIMPLE, AND THEN YOU CAN'T GET IT DONE?
>> IT WOULD BE OVERPROMISING TO SAY THIS BILL IS GOING TO PASS
THIS YEAR. THAT IT'S GOING TO GET A
HEARING, BUT TO LAY IT OUT AS A VISION, AS HONESTLY HAS BEEN
LAID OUT, TO SAY WE NEED DISCUSSIONS ACROSS AMERICA HOW
TO MAKE OUR HEALTH CARE BETTER AND THE WAY BERNIE PRESENTED IT
TODAY. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR
COUNTRY. TO WRESTLE WITH HOW WE HAVE A
SIMPLY BETTER SYSTEM THAN WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT.
SO THOSE WHO SAY NEVER TALK ABOUT A VISION OF WHERE WE COULD
GO TO, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THERE TOMORROW, I WOULD SAY WE'D
NEVER HAVE ANY PROGRESS. A HUGE MISTAKE.
>> SENATOR MERKLEY I LOVE THE IDEA OF MORE DEBATE AND YOU'RE
RIGHT ON THAT, AND THAT'