>>> WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE
ON CAPITOL HILL WHEN DR. ANTHONY
FAUCI AND CDC DIRECTOR ROCHELLE
WALENSKY WILL BE TECHSTIFYING A
FEW MINUTES FROM NOW.
I WANT TO BRING IN JAVIER
BECERRA AND START WITH THIS BIG,
GREAT NEWS.
THE FDA IS PROVED THE PFIZER
VACCINE FOR KIDS AGES 12 TO 15.
IT WILL BE AVAILABLE THURSDAY.
THAT GIVES US THREE MONTHS TO
VACCINATE EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL
KID IN THIS COUNTRY.
GIVEN THAT, DO YOU THINK THE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD MANDATE
VACCINES IN SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR?
>> WE CERTAINLY HOPE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO
MAKE PLANS TO GET THEIR KIDS
VACCINATED QUICKLY NOW MOVING
FORWARD.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CDC
THAT ITS A GO.
BUT CLEARLY, STEPHANIE, I THINK
THE FALL LOOKS MUCH MORE
PROMISING FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES.
>> IF VACCINES ARENT MANDATED
IN SCHOOLS, SHOULD SCHOOLS BE
OPEN 100%?
>> AGAIN, THOSE ARE DECISIONS
MADE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING GUIDANCE
THAT SAYS EVERYONE SHOULD GET
VACCINATED.
AND WERE DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, AND NOW
WE CAN SEE THE PATH FOR 12 TO
15-YEAR-OLDS TO JOIN 16 AND
OVER, THATS A GREAT MESSAGE TO
THE REST OF AMERICA.
RIGHT NOW THE TIME TO GET
VACCINATED, FACILITIES ARE OUT
THERE, SITES ARE AVAILABLE,
VACCINES ARE THERE, WE SHOULD BE
GETTING EVERYONE TO SIGN UP.
THE LESS WE VACCINE, THE MORE WE
HAVE TO CONTINUE WEARING MASKS.
THE MORE WE VACCINE, THE LESS WE
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MASKS.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME
BREAKING NEWS.
NEW DATA SHOWED A MILLION
AMERICANS SIGNED UP FOR COVERAGE
DURING THE ACA AND THATS DURING
THE EXPANDED ENROLLMENT WINDOW.
THATS HUGE NEWS, THAT WASNT
SUPPOSED TO EXIST.
THATS ON TOP OF THE 12 MILLION
THAT SIGNED UP FOR OBAMACARE FOR
REGULAR ENROLLMENT THAT ENDED IN
DECEMBER.
WE KNOW FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP
WAS TRYING TO GET RID OF OBAMA
CARE COMPLETELY.
WAS ALL OF THAT NOISE, OR WAS
THERE REAL DAMAGE DONE?
>> FIRST, STEPHANIE, YOURE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS IS A DOUBLE DOSE OF GOOD
NEWS.
THE FIRST YOU HEAR 12-YEAR-OLDS
TO 15-YEAR-OLDS NOW ARE ON THE
VERGE OF GETTING VACCINATED AND
AT THE SAME TIME YOURE FINDING
A MILLION AMERICANS HAVE NOW
RECEIVED AFFORDABLE CARE AS A
RESULT OF OBAMACARE.
AND SO GREAT NEWS ALL AROUND.
WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
CONTINUE GETTING OUT THERE,
GETTING VACCINATED, GETTING
THEIR HEALTH PLANS.
BY THE WAY, ON TOP OF THE 1
MILLION WHO JUST GOT INSURED,
THERE ARE 2 MILLION AMERICANS
WHO GOT THEIR CARE THROUGH
OBAMACARE.
WHO WENT BACK TO THE
HEALTHCARE.GOV SITE AND FOUND
OUT THEY WERE ABLE TO REDUCE
THEIR PREMIUMS AND OUT-OF-POCKET
COSTS AS A RESULT OF THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN THE
PRESIDENT PUT OUT THERE.
GOOD NEWS OVERALL.
WE WANT TO KEEP IT GOING.
>> THE AMERICAN FAMILIES PLAN
MAKES SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS
PERMANENT.
ITS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT.
BUT ITS ALSO A MASSIVE
INVESTMENT.
JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS BIG
DOESNT MEAN ITS A GOOD
INVESTMENT.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE SOLUTIONS
YOURE PUTTING FORWARD WILL
WORK?
I CERTAINLY CARE ABOUT ELDER AND
DISABILITY CARE.
WHEN I SEE THE NUMBER 400
BILLION, I WANT TO KNOW WHATS
IN THERE AND HOW DO YOU KNOW
THESE PROGRAMS ARE GOOD ONES?
>> STEPHANIE, WHEN YOU COMPARE
WHAT THE AMERICAN FAMILIES PLAN
WILL COST THE COUNTRY, ITS A
PITTANCE COMPARED TO WHAT IT
COST US TO TRY TO FIGHT COVID.
WE SPENT SEVERAL TRILLION
DOLLARS TRYING TO FIGHT COVID.
IF MORE AND MORE AMERICANS WERE
COVERED AND PREPARED, WE COULD
PROBABLY BE IN FAR BETTER SHAPE
AND WOULDNT HAVE TO SPEND
TRILLIONS.
RIGHT NOW THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED
A PLAN, AMERICAN FAMILY PLAN,
WHICH WOULD MAKE PERMANENT AS
YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF THE
SAVINGS IN OBAMACARE AND THAT
WOULD HELP TONS OF FAMILIES.
HE ESTIMATED SOME 4 MILLION MORE
FAMILIES THAT DONT HAVE
COVERAGE NOW WOULD BE ABLE TO
AFFORD HEALTH INSURANCE IF WE
MADE THE AMERICAN FAMILY PLAN
LAW.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT OVERSIGHT,
BECAUSE IF YOU ADD UP ALL OF THE
MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SPENT IN THE
LAST YEAR AND THIS
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, WERE
TALKING ABOUT $10 TRILLION.
I KNOW YOU WANT AMERICAN
FAMILIES PLAN, AMERICAN JOBS
PLAN TO GO THROUGH.
WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR OVERSIGHT?
LET ME TELL YOU, THE FIRST $2
TRILLION WE SPENT UNDER THE
C.A.R.E.S. ACT, THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO
BE OVERSEEING IT STILL DOESNT
EVEN HAVE A CHAIRPERSON, AND
ITS BEEN A YEAR.
>> YES, SO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
PAST, WERE NOT INTERESTED IN
SEE HAPPEN NOW MOVING FORWARD
UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.
I WILL TELL YOU AT THE HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES, AT MY
DEPARTMENT, WERE GOING TO MAKE
SURE ACCOUNTABILITY HAS A
CAPITAL A ON IT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PROVE TO
FOLKS NOT ONLY DID THEY BENEFIT
BY GETTING BETTER COVERAGE AT A
LOWER COST BUT TAXPAYER
INVESTMENTS MADE SO THOSE
FAMILIES WERE COVERED WERE WELL
SPENT AND WERE GOING TO BE SURE
TO SHOW ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE
END OF THE DAY.
WE WILL PUT PLANS OUT THERE --
>> HOW?
>> THAT WORK.
WE WILL GO OUT AND MAKE SURE
THAT WE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE
DOLLARS AND WORK WITH OUR LOCAL
AND STATE PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE
WERE MONITORING WHERE THE MONEY
IS SPENT.
THE PRODUCTION IS THE ULTIMATE
DECIDER ON THESE THINGS AND WHEN
YOU CAN SAY THAT ALREADY A
MILLION FAMILIES HAVE SIGNED UP,
THATS REAL STUFF, REAL CARE FOR
A LOT OF AMERICANS.
ITS NOT JUST WASTING MONEY,
ITS ACTUALLY INVESTING IN
MAKING AMERICA HEALTHIER.
>> I KNOW YOU JUST SAID YOU
DONT WANT TO GO BACKWARDS BUT
IS IT NOT THIS ADMINISTRATIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE OVERSIGHT
OVER MONEY THATS BEEN SPENT,
WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THIS
ADMINISTRATION OR THE LAST?
IT WAS CONGRESS THAT SIGNED OFF
ON THE C.A.R.E.S. ACT, TRILLIONS
OF DOLLARS.
>> RIGHT.
AND WERE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING
WE CAN NOW UNDER OUR WATCH TO
MAKE SURE WERE WATCHING THE
MONEY.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU, WE WILL DO
IT DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WAY ITS
BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
BUT PLEASE DONT
HAPPENED IN THE PAST ON THE