>> THERE IS PROBABLY NOTHING
MORE VITAL TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, STAKE IN THE SUPREME
OCCUR, THEN THE ABILITY TO
WE WILL FIGHT THE NOMINATION
TOOTH AND NAIL.
>> THEY WILL HAVE IF TRUMP GETS
THE NOMINEE, A SUPREME COURT
READY TO RULE AGAINST FAMILIES
WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS.
THAT IS REALLY WHAT IS AT STAKE
HERE.
THE CLOCK, TURN IT BACK TO THE
DAYS WHEN THE HEALTH INSURANCE
COMPANIES CAN BEAT THE STUFFING
OUT OF SOMEBODY WHO HAS ASTHMA
OR DIABETES OR A PREEXISTING
CONDITION.
MELISSA: I'M TEARS.
NOMINEE THAT JUDGE KAVANAUGH
COULD PUT AMERICANS HEALTH CARE
IN JEOPARDY.
HERE TO DISCUSS IT, ALABAMA
SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
THERE IS KIND OF NOBODY I FEEL
LIKE IS HAPPY WITH JUDGE
KAVANAUGH ON THE ISSUE OF HEALTH
CARE.
ON ONE SIDE YOU HAVE THE SOUND
YOU JUST HEARD AND FOLKS SAYING,
YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE THE DEATH
OF MILLIONS COMING WITH THIS
JUDGE.
DO YOU THINK FIRST TO THAT SIDE,
DO YOU THINK THAT IS THE CASE?
>> OH, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THAT IS DEMOCRATS HOLLERING
AROUND, PROBABLY MAKING UP A LOT
OF ISSUES THAT DON'T EVEN EXIST.
I THINK NOMINATION OF JUDGE
KAVANAUGH BY THE PRESIDENT WAS
AN EXCELLENT CHOICE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH
HIM, DISCUSSING THINGS AS HE
MAKES THE ROUNDS HERE IN THE
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT WE WILL DO THIS CONGRESS IS
VOTE TO CONFIRM JUDGE KAVANAUGH.
I BELIEVE HE WILL BE CONFIRMED.
NOT, IT WILL NOT BE WITHOUT A
BATTLE, BECAUSE, PEOPLE ARE
DIVIDED IN THIS COUNTRY.
IMPORTANT TO THE WELFARE OF ALL
OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.
MELISSA: THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE
CRITICIZE HIM FROM THE OTHER
SIDE ON HEALTH CARE.
IN FACT WHEN HE WAS WRITING HIS
DECISIONS HE REFUSED TO SAY
OBAMACARE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL I HAD MY PROBLEMS WITH
IT.
I VOTED AGAINST OBAMACARE.
I VOTED TO REPEAL IT MANY TIMES.
I WOULD CONTINUE TO VOTE TO
REPEAL IT.
I THINK THAT IS THE DEMOCRATS
HOLLERING WANTING BIG
GOVERNMENT, TRYING TO COUCH IT
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
TRYING TO SCARE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE
QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS MAN WHICH
ARE GREAT AND HIS RECORD WHICH I
BELIEVE IS AN EXCELLENT RECORD
AND VOTE ON HIM.
MELISSA: ONE OF THE VERY BIG
STORIES OF THE DAY, SENATOR, WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
HEADING OFF TO RUSSIA.
THAT WAS HOPING TO BREAK THE ICE
AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENT'S
UPCOMING MEETING WITH VLADMIR
PUTIN.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THAT TRIP?
>> WELL, BASICALLY I LEARNED
THAT THE RUSSIANS PROBABLY
HAVEN'T CHANGED ANY AT ALL.
WE KNEW THAT BEFORE THEY CAME,
BUT YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO OPENED
UP A DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
THAT IS A LOT BETTER THAN BEING
A TOTAL ADVERSARY ESPECIALLY
WITH NUCLEAR POWERS AS WE ARE.
MY ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT, IF
HE NEEDED ANY, HE PROBABLY
DOESN'T NEED ANY, WOULD BE
PREPARED, BE CAREFUL WITH PUTIN.
HE COMES OUT OF THE KGB.
I MET WITH HIM ONE TIME HERE IN
THE CAPITOL NUMBER OF YEARS
BACK.
BE CAUTIOUS.
MELISSA: WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE
THE PRESIDENT TO ASK FOR?
WHAT DOES NEED TO GET?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM MAKE
A RESOLUTION, GET RUSSIANS OUT
OF SYRIA.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF
RESOLUTION, A POSITIVE
RESOLUTION TO THE INVASION OF
UKRAINE.
WE CAN GO ON AND ON.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GRIEVANCES WITH
THE RUSSIANS.
I SAID WHEN WE CAME OUT OF
MOSCOW, THE RUSSIANS NEED TO
EARN OUR TRUST.
THAT WILL BE A BIG TICKET ITEM.
IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN.
A MEETING IN HELSINKI.
MELISSA: DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD
ASK ABOUT MEDDLING IN THE
ELECTION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT
AMONG OTHER THINGS.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT
UP IN AMERICA.
PUTIN WILL DENY IT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE BELIEVE IT WENT
ON.
THEY TRIED TO MEDDLE.
PROBABLY DID TO SOME EXTENT.
WE DON'T LIKE THAT.
POLICIES.
MELISSA: YOU VOTED TODAY IN
FAVOR OF A MOTION TO CHALLENGE
PRESIDENT TRUMP OVER HIS TRADE
POLICY.
YOUR STATE IS GOING TO BE
SPECIFICALLY HARD-HIT.
IN FACT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SAID $3.6 BILLION OF EXPORTS
FROM ALABAMA ALONE COULD BE
THREATENED BY THE TARIFFS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO HIM ON
THAT?
>> MY MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT
WOULD BE THAT TARIFFS GENERALLY
DON'T WORK.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT, IMPOSE A
TARIFF, CHINESE IMPOSE A TARIFF,
GERMANS IMPOSE A TARIFF,
TIT-FOR-TAT.
I WOULD LOOK AT ALL OF OUR TRADE
PROVISION IN THEM, SEE WHERE
THEY WORK AND WHERE THEY'RE NOT.
WE'RE BEING EATEN ALIVE BY THE
CHINESE IN TRADE.
SOME AREAS BY SOME OF OUR FRIEND
IN EUROPE.
CHATTER IN NATO TODAY?
YOU KNOW, HE WAS CASTIGATING A
LOT OF WHO ARE OUR ALLIES,
BASICALLY SAYING GERMANY IN
PARTICULAR IS GETTING A LOT OF
MONEY TO RUSSIA BY VIRTUE OF
THAT PIPELINE DEAL.
AND THAT THAT DOESN'T REALLY
MATCH UP AGAINST THE REST OF
NATO CALLING FOR TOUGH TALK
AGAINST RUSSIA.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS SPOT
ON.
HE IS SPOT ON ABOUT THE
PIPELINE.
RUSSIA WILL BE SELLING MORE AND
MORE GAS AND OIL TO WESTERN
EUROPE.
THEY WILL BE DEPENDENT ON
RUSSIA.
SECONDLY, THE OTHER THING THAT
HE RAISED AND SHOULD HAVE, IS
THE WESTERN EUROPE, NATO ALLIES