VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT. LET’S GO BACK TO CAPITOL HILL
NOW AND TALK TO SENATOR LEADER
OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE
DEMOCRAT CHUCK SCHUMER OF NEW
YORK.
YORK. SENATOR, ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK TO
YOU.
YOU. >> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD TO BE BACK.
>> WE’LL JUST THROW THE SOFTBALL
TO THE SENATOR OVER THE PLATE
FOR THE FIRST PITCH AND THEN
FOLLOW UP WITH MAYBE SOME OF THE
PITCHES THAT YOU YANKEES HAVE
HAD TROUBLE HITTING THE PLATE.
HERE’S A PITCH STRAIGHT OVER THE
PLATE THAT DAVID PRICE MIGHT
PITCH TO YOU, WHICH IS WHAT DO
YOU THINK ABOUT THE PICK?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT JUDGE
KAVANAUGH?
KAVANAUGH? >> WELL, LOOK, PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS FULFILLING HIS CAMPAIGN
PROMISES WITH A NOMINATION OF
JUDGE KAVANAUGH.
JUDGE KAVANAUGH. HE SAID IN HIS CAMPAIGN HE WOULD
REPEAL ROE.
REPEAL ROE. HE WOULD SEND IT BACK TO THE
STATES.
STATES. AND HE SAID IN HIS CAMPAIGN HE
WOULD REPEAL ACA WITH THINGS
VERY PRECIOUS TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE LIKE MAINTAINING
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND HE
HAS NOW ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
HE’S HAD TWO GROUPS VET THESE
NOMINEES.
NOMINEES. ONE IS THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY
LED BY LEONARD LEO.
IT’S A CERTAINTY THAT ANYONE ON
THAT LIST WILL VOTE TO REPEAL
ROE.
ROE. WE HAVE THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION,
WHICH HAVE DEDICATED --
>> CAN I STOP YOU ON THAT POINT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH.
>> I WANT TO GO POINT BY POINT.
YOU CAN’T SAY IT’S A CERTAINTY,
CAN YOU, THAT BRETT KAVANAUGH
WILL OVERTURN ROE WHEN MOST OF
US SAID IT WOULD BE A CERTAINTY
WHEN JUSTICE ROBERTS WHO
OVERTURN THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT.
ACT. YOU NEVER KNOW EXACTLY HOW
THOSE -- WE REPUBLICANS, AS A
FORMER REPUBLICAN I FIND YOU
NEVER KNOW WHICH DIRECTION THEY
ARE GOING TO GO.
>> LOOK I SURE WOULDN’T BET ON
LEONARD LEO’S HAND PICK LIST TO
KEEP ROE.
KEEP ROE. THE OTHER IS THE HERITAGE
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION. THEY HAVE DEDICATED THEIR
EXISTENCE TO REPEALING ACA,
PULLING THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF
THE HEALTH CARE.
THE PRESIDENT PROMISED THAT IN
HIS CAMPAIGN AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE TWO ISSUES BROADLY
POPULAR WITH THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. ONE IS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS,
KEEPING HEALTH CARE PARTICULARLY
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. I’LL OPPOSE THIS NOMINEE WITH
EVERYTHING I GOT AND I WOULD
MAKE ONE OTHER POINT
PARTICULARLY FOR YOU GUYS.
WHICH IS THIS -- YOU ARE WORRIED
ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
OVERREACH.
OVERREACH. SO AM I.
SO AM I. THIS NOMINEE HAS STOOD MORE
BOTH, CERTAINLY BEFORE HE BECAME
A JUDGE FOR PRESIDENTIAL
OVERREACH.
OVERREACH. HE’S SAID THE PRESIDENT
SHOULDN’T BE INVESTIGATED.
HE’S GONE SO FAR TO SAY A
PRESIDENT, IF HE DECLARES A LAW
UNCONSTITUTIONAL DOESN’T HAVE TO
OBEY IT.
OBEY IT. HOW DOES HE REACT IF MUELLER
NEEDS A SUBPOENA, IF MUELLER
NEEDS SOME OTHER ACTION?
FOR ALL THESE REASONS THIS MAN
SHOULD NOT BE ON THE BENCH AND I
BELIEVE IF WE CAN PROVE THESE
TWO POINTS TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT HE WILL REPEAL ROE
AND WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
THAT WE’LL REPEAL ACA, AND THE
RIGHT TO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
OR THE RIGHT TO PROTECT
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, THAT
WE’LL GET A MAJORITY IN THE
SENATE TO VOTE AGAINST HIM.
I KNOW IT’S AN UPHILL FIGHT BUT
THEY SAID WE COULDN’T DO IT WITH
HEALTH CARE AND WE DID.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND ISN’T
IT ALSO FAIR TO SAY, SENATOR,
THIS NOMINEE IS HERE BECAUSE
DEMOCRATS LOST THE ELECTION?
VOTERS IN 2016, THEY WERE
LOOKING FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDGES.
AND THEY WORKED TOWARDS THIS.
REPUBLICANS GOT WHAT THEY WANT.
THEY WON.
THEY WON. HERE WE ARE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT
FIGHT DO YOU REALLY SNIEGT DO WE
LOOK FORWARD THE MID-TERMS AND
TRY TO FIND A MESSAGE AND TRY TO
FIND A UNIFYING SET OF LEADERS,
OR WE GOING TO FIGHT AN
IMPOSSIBLE FIGHT RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE DEMOCRATS LOST?
>> I DON’T BELIEVE IT’S AN
IMPOSSIBLE FIGHT.
IMPOSSIBLE FIGHT. THEY SAID THAT WITH ACA.
I BELIEVE THAT IF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE RISE UP AND WE’VE SEEN
LOTS OF THAT IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS, WE CAN WIN THIS FIGHT, AND
I WOULD MAKE ONE OTHER POINT.
THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE FOR OUR
PARTY FROM THE RED STATES TO THE
PURPLE STATES, TO THE BLUE
STATES IS HEALTH CARE.
PARTICULARLY PRE-EXISTING
PARTICULARLY PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, PROTECTING THEM.
WHICH IS WILDLY POPULAR AND
NECESSARY IN THE REDDEST OF
STATES.
STATES. THIS COURT BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS
THAT.
THAT. SO THIS ACTUALLY MAY HELP US IN
THE MID-TERMS.
THE MID-TERMS. ANY TIME HEALTH CARE IS
HIGHLIGHTED DEMOCRATS WIN.
>> SENATOR, YOUR TASK RIGHT NOW
SEEMS TO BE CENTERED "TODAY"
ROBERTSON TRYING DEFEAT THIS
NOMINATION OF JUDGE KAVANAUGH TO
THE COURT.
THE COURT. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT FIGHT
WITH THE IDEA OF KEEPING TESTER,
MANCHIN, DONNELLY, HEITKAMP IN
THE UNITED STATES SENATE?
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT?
>> AS I SAID IN THOSE STATES
HEALTH CARE IS A VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUE.
ISSUE. AS IS IN MAINE, AS IT IS IN
ALASKA.
ALASKA. OBVIOUSLY WE CAN’T WIN THIS
FIGHT UNLESS WE GET A
REPUBLICAN.
REPUBLICAN. BUT I DO BELIEVE, IF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE COME TO BELIEVE
THIS COURT WOULD OVERTURN
WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM,
AND THE ACA, WE’LL GET A
MAJORITY OF VOTES.
OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
FROM BOTH PARTIES.
>> SENATOR SCHUMER, IT’S WILLIE
GEIST.
GEIST. DO YOU BELIEVE JUDGE KAVANAUGH
IS AN EXTREMIST?
>> I BELIEVE HE IS FAR,
FAR-RIGHT ON SO MANY ISSUES.
THE ONES I’VE MENTIONED AND
PARTICULARLY ALARMING IS, OF
COURSE, THE ONE ABOUT
PRESIDENTIAL POWER AT A TIME
WHEN WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO
JUST ROUTINELY OVERREACHES AND
DOESN’T RESPECT RULE OF LAW.
BUT I ALSO ON GUN RIGHTS, ON
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS, ON LGBTQ
RIGHTS HE’S WAY, WAY TO THE
RIGHT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE’S NOT A MAINSTREAM JUDGE.
AND THAT’S WHY THE FEDERALIST
SOCIETY AND THE HERITAGE FUJS
GROUPS THAT ARE NOT IN THE
MAINSTREAM HAVE CHOSEN HIM, HAVE
PRE-SELECTED HIM.
PRE-SELECTED HIM. IF DONALD TRUMP CHOSE SOMEBODY
OFF THE LIST WE MIGHT BE IN A
DIFFERENT SITUATION.
DIFFERENT SITUATION. BUT THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT
CAMPAIGNED ON THESE THINGS AND
CREATED HIS OWN LITMUS TESTS AND
THEN THE FACT THAT HE COULDN’T
LET TWO GROUPS THAT WE HE
HADMENT -- STRONGLY BELIEVED IN
THESE TWO THINGS THIS IS A A AN
EXTREME NOMINEE.
EXTREME NOMINEE. >> DO YOU BELIEVE PUMP PICKED
JUDGE KAVANAUGH BECAUSE OF HIS
VIEWS ON PRESIDENTIAL POWER AND
HIS POSITION IN THAT LAW REVIEW
POWER SAYING PRESIDENTS SHOULD
NOT BE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION
WHILE IN OFFICE?
>> I CERTAINLY BELIEVE HE WAS
THE JUDGE PROBABLY OF THE 25.
THEY ALL WOULD REPEAL ROE.
ALL REPEAL ACA.
ON THIS ISSUE THE MUELLER ISSUE
WHICH CAME UP EVER THE VETTING
BY THESE TWO GROUPS, HE’S
PROBABLY THE MOST EXTREME AND IT
WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF THAT WAS
VERY IMPORTANT TO DONALD TRUMP,
KNOWING DONALD TRUMP AND I HAVE
NO PROOF.
NO PROOF. DO YOU THINK HE DIDN’T INQUIRE
ABOUT THIS EITHER DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY?
INDIRECTLY? KNOWING DONALD TRUMP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I TOLD YOU WHAT I THINK.
SO THIS IDEA OF MY DEAR FRIEND
JOE THAT HE’S A MODERATE, ON THE
ISSUE YOU CARE MOST ABOUT HE’S
NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A MODERATE.
>> FIRST OF ALL, I NEVER SAID
AVENUES MODERATE.
AVENUES MODERATE. >> I KNOW.
>> I’M TRYING TO PUSH YOU OVER,
JOE.
JOE. >> YOU WERE TRYING TO PUSH A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. ALL I’M SAYING, I’M JUST WARNING
EVERYBODY, AGAIN, REPUBLICANS AS
A FORMER REPUBLICAN I CAN TELL
YOU I SPENT A GENERATION BEING
SURPRISED BY WHAT JUSTICES THAT
WERE PAINTED AS RIGHT-WING
LUNATICS ENDED UP DOING WITH
SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR OR SUTTER OR
JUSTICE KENNEDY.
JUSTICE KENNEDY. >> YOU HAVE THE OPPOSITE.
YOU HAVE JUDGES WHO SAID THEY
WOULD CALL BALLS AND STRIKES
LIKE JUDGE ROBERTS WHO LED HIS
COURT TO CREATE CITIZENS UNITED,
PROBABLY THE WORST DECISION IN A
GENERATION, LETTING DARK MONEY
FLOW INTO POLITICS.
>> HE ALSO UPHELD THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
CARE ACT. >> ON A VERY NARROW BASIS.
NOW THAT WE HAVE THE MANDATE LAW
CHANGE I DON’T THINK WE’LL STICK
WITH THAT EITHER.
I DON’T THINK JUDGE ROBERTS HAS
CALLED BALLS AND STRIKES.
I DON’T THINK JUDGE GORSUCH HAS
CALLED BALLS AND STRIKES.
THESE JUSTICES HAVE BEEN FAR
MORE TO THE RIGHT ON THE BENCH
THAN THEY TALKED ABOUT IN THEIR
HEARINGS.
HEARINGS. >> I’M GOING CALL A TIME-OUT.
THE PRESIDENT JUST THREAT WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HE’S HEADING TO THE NATO SUMMIT
AND HE MADE A FEW COMMENTS.
THEY WERE A COUPLE OF MINUTES
LONG.
LONG. SENATOR, DO YOU WANT TO STAY AND
LISTEN WITH US.
>> AND RESPOND?
>> ALL RIGHT, SURE.