MIDDLEMAN.
WE WILL WORK WITH CONGRESS TO
PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL SAVE
AMERICANS EVEN MORE MONEY AT THE
PHARMACY.
>> Bret: THE PRESIDENT FOCUSSED
DOMESTICALLY TO GET
PHARMACEUTICAL PRICES DOWN.
HOW TO DO THAT IS THE QUESTION.
INCREASED COMPETITION AND GIVE
MEDICARE PART-D PLANS BETTER
TOOLS TO NEGOTIATE FOR SENIOR
CITIZENS AND OPTIONS TO LOWER
PATIENT'S OUT OF POCKET
SPENDINGS.
YOU HAVE THE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
IN THE U.S. APPROVED.
AND 328-BILLION DOLLARS SPENT ON
DRUGS.
49% OF AMERICANS HAVE USED A
PRESCRIPTION DRUG IN THE LAST 30
DAYS.
AMAZING STATS.
OUR PANEL.
STEVE HAYS, KAREN AND MOLLY.
KAREN, AMBITIOUS FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD.
WE HAVE SEEN OTHER
ADMINISTRATIONS TRY TO DO IT.
>> HE BACKED OFF OF HIS CAMPAIGN
PROMISE WHICH WAS TO HAVE
MEDICARE NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH
THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES FOR
PRICES.
THAT WAS THE HOW WITSER OF THIS
AND HE DECIDED NOT TO FIRE.
IT IT'S SIGNIFICANT AFTER THIS
WAS ANNOUNCED THE STOCK PRICES
OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
WENT UP.
>> Bret: PART OF THIS.
THE SECRETARY SAID YOU HAVE
ADJUST.
>> THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE TIME
THAT EVERYBODY SPENDS WATCH DRUG
COMPANY ADS ON TV AND HOW MUCH
INFORMATION COMPANIES ARE
REQUIRED TO PUT THEM IN.
WHY NOT HAVE THEM DISCLOSE THEIR
PRICES IN THE ADS TO?
>> Bret: HE IS SAYING TRANCE
PAIRENCY ON PRICES?
>> YES, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO
NEW REGULATION.
THE POINT ABOUT THE STOCK
MARKET -- IT WASN'T JUST DRUG
COMPANIES BUT THE PHARMACY
BENEFIT MANAGERS.
THEIR STOCKS WENT UP.
THE PLAN DOES GET MORE GENERICS
INTO THE MARKETPLACE.
THAT'S KEY FOR LOWERING THE
PRICES AND THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL
THING.
THE REST IS SHARING AMONG THE
GROUPS.
WHO GETS ALL OF THIS MONEY?
YOU NEED DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT.
IT WILL BE LESS ROBUST THAN
TALKED ABOUT.
>> Bret: THERE ARE SOME THINGS
THEY CAN DO OUTSIDE OF CONGRESS.
>> OH, SURE.
HHS HAS A LOT OF POWER.
THE PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARE BROAD.
YOU LISTED THE GOALS.
A LOT WILL DEPEND ON HOW THEY
ROLL IS OUT.
ON THE MATTER OF RECRUITING
DEMOCRATS, WHAT THE PRESIDENT
DID WAS TAKE A STEP AWAY FROM
HIS CAMPAIGN RHETORIC.
THIS IS A LESS POPULACE PLAN.
IT'S IN LINE WITH WHAT A
TRADITIONAL REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT
MIGHT OFFER.
THAT WILL MAKE IT LESS
ATTRACTIVE TO DEMOCRACY IN
CONGRESS BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS
GOVERNMENT CENTRIC.
>> Bret: THE RUSSIAN
INVESTIGATION.
THE MICHAEL COHEN PART.
PRESIDENT'S ATTORNEY HAS A
CONTRACT WITH AT&T.
THEY HIRED HIM JANUARY THROUGH
DECEMBER.
$50,000 PER MONTH TO PROVIDE
CONSULTING SERVICES TIED TO THE
TIME-WARNER DEAL.
THE HEAD OF AT&T TOLD EMPLOYEES
IT WAS A BIG MISTAKE.
>> HE WAS THE SECOND CEO TO
APOLOGIZE FOR HIRING MICHAEL
COHEN.
THE OTHER WAS A DRUG COMPANY.
IT'S NOT THAT THIS IS ILLEGAL.
IT'S VERY MUCH BUSINESS AS USUAL
THIS WASHINGTON.
IT'S JUST THE INFLUENCE OF THE
INDUSTRY IS THERE.
IT'S NEW PLAYERS IN IT.
IT'S UMP SEEMLY.
-- UNSEEMLY.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF DEALS THAT
CORPORATIONS HATE TO HAVE OUT IN
THE OPEN.
>> THEN THEY SHOULD NOT DO THEM.
LOOK, THIS CUTS AGAINST -- THEY
WANT TO MAKE THEIR BEST
ARGUMENTS.
THIS CUTS AGAINST THE HEART OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN
MESSAGE.
HE WAS GOING TO DRAIN THE SWAMP.
THIS IS THE SWAMP.
IT'S THE SWAMP ONLY SWAMPIER.
THAT'S WHY THIS IS A POLITICAL
PROBLEM FOR THE PRESIDENT.
FOR PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED THE
PRESIDENT BECAUSE I AM SICK OF
WASHINGTON, D.C.
EVERYBODY IS SCRATCHING
EVERYBODY'S BACKS WITH PAY OFFS
AND KICKBACKS.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
>> Bret: I WANT TO REWIND.
IT STARTED WITH A LOT OF FOCUS
ON THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCH TIED TO
ONE OF THE COMPANIES.
THE COMPANY DENIED HE WAS
FUNDING IT FOR THE MONTHEY MADE
IT TO MICHAEL COHEN.
WHAT ABOUT WHERE THAT RUSSIA
PART OF IT STANDS?
>> FIRST IT'S WORTH REMEMBERING
THAT THE REASON THIS IS BEING
DISCUSSED IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A
LEAK.
IT'S A CRIMINAL LEAK.
THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH
LEAKS FROM INVESTIGATIONS.
THE PROBLEM WITH THESE AMOUNTS
IS THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF
GOVERNMENT IS SO BIG.
IF YOU WANT TO DRAIN THE SWAMP,
YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SIZE
OF GOVERNMENT.
EVERYONE IS ACTING LIKE TOTALLY
SURPRISED THIS IS HAPPENING,
IT'S SILLY.
AS FOR THE TRYING TO LINK TO
THIS TO THE RUSSIAN
INVESTIGATION, IT'S INTERESTING
THAT AVANATI WAS TRYING TO LINK
IT TO RUSSIA AND SUGGESTED THIS
INFORMATION IS PART OF THE
LARGER MESSAGE ABOUT RUSSIA.
I DON'T THINK THAT CASE WAS MADE
WELL EXCEPT RUSSIA HAS GLOBAL
INTERESTS AND MIGHT HAVE DISTANT
TIES TO SOME COMPANIES.
>> Bret: THE NUNES PART AND WHAT
THEY ARE NOT GETTING OUT OF THE
DOJ YET?
>> WELL, AT THIS POINT, IT'S
BEEN INTERESTING THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE.
WE DON'T SEE THEM IN THAT
POSITION THAT OFTEN.
THE HILL WILL PUSH THE
REPUBLICANS FOR THIS SOURCE TO
BE REVEALED.
THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE --
ONCE THE PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS
THAT THIS SOURCE IS ALSO
SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN
COOPERATING WITH THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION, WHETHER WE WILL
CONTINUE TO SEE THIS UNITED
FRONT.
>> THAT'S WHAT WAS SO
INTERESTING THIS DEPARTMENT OF
JUST LEAK TO THE "WASHINGTON
POST."
THEY HAVE A SOURCE WHO PROVIDES
INFORMATION TO THE CIA AND THE
FBI WHO WAS GETTING INFORMATION
FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO
DEVELOP THIS RUSSIAN STORY.
THAT'S A HUGE STORY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE LEAKED THAT TO THE
"WASHINGTON POST."
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO THE PERSON
IS.
THIS IS A NEW LAYER THAT IS
DEFINITELY GOING TO COME OUT ONE
WAY OR OTHER.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING THIS A
SECRET.
>> YOU HEAR THE ARGUMENT WE
CAN'T PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION
TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE IT
JEOPARDIZED THE INVESTIGATION.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S THE
CASE IN THIS PARTICULAR
INSTANCE.
IT'S INTERESTING.
THERE HAVE BEEN LEAKS ON BOTH
SIDE.
OBVIOUS GOVERNMENT LEAKS AND
PART OF THE REASON WE KNOW MORE
ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE ORIGIN
LEAK IS THERE ARE COUNTER-LEAKS.
YOU HAVE TO BE UPSET ABOUT LEAKS
ON BOTH SIDES.
>> Bret: HOW LONG DO YOU THINK
IT TAKES BEFORE MUELLER WRAPS UP
THIS PROBE?
>> IT'S HARD TO SAY.
I WOULD SAY 6 MONTHS.
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO DEPEND
ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO
NEGOTIATE WHETHER THE PRESIDENT
GETS SUBPOENAED OR GOES AND
TESTIFIED.
>> HE DIDN'T WANT IT TO GO PAST
THE MID-TERMS.
MUELLER DOESN'T.
>> ONCE YOU GET TOO CLOSE TO THE
MID-TERMS, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO
THAT EITHER.
>> THERE IS A LOT ABOUT THE
MUELLER PROBE THAT IS INTERESTED
IN SAVING FACE FOR THE NIB.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO THAT.