>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK WITH SENATOR BERNIE
SANDERS IN HIS FIRST INTERVIEW FOLLOWING SUSPENDING HIS
CAMPAIGN THIS AFTERNOON.
SENATOR, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, DO YOU THINK THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC MIGHT BE MOVING A LOT MORE PEOPLE TOWARD YOUR PLATFORM
WHEN IT COMES TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE BECAUSE IT CLEARLY
SHOWS WE NEED A NATIONAL RESPONSE TO HEALTH EMERGENCIES.
WE'RE REAPING A FOUL HARVEST OF THE POLITICAL COMPLACENCY OF THE
LAST 40 OR 50 YEARS?
>> LOOK, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN HOW EFFECTIVE AND
HOW WONDERFUL THE EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM IS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT?
I THINK MANY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEGUN
TO DOUBT THAT BECAUSE WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS, NOT ONLY ARE
THEY LOSING THEIR INCOME.
THEY ARE LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE.
SO THE REAL DEBATE IS, "A", SHOULD WE DO WHAT EVERY OTHER
MAJOR COUNTRY ON EARTH DOES-- GUARANTEE HEALTH CARE TO ALL
PEOPLE?
AND "B", WHETHER HEALTH CARE SHOULD SIMPLY BE AN EMPLOYER
BENEFIT?
YOU HAVE A GOOD EMPLOYER.
YOU HAVE GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE.
YOUR EMPLOYER IS NOT PROVIDING GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE, YOU'RE
SCREWED.
SHOULD THAT BE THE PROCESS OR SHOULD WE SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT?
YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING?
AND BECAUSE YOU'RE A HUMAN BEING, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
HEALTH CARE, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
YOU ARE ENTITLED TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WITH A STRONG PUBLIC
HEALTH SYSTEM, SO GORE FORBID, THE NEXT PANDEMIC, DOCTORS WILL
NOT HAVE TO BE SEARCHING AROUND LOOKING FOR MASKS SO THEY DON'T
HAVE TO PUT HIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
YOU HAVE STRONG PRIMARY CARE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
YOU GO TO A DOCTOR WHEN YOU NEED.
I THINK WHAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS DONE, CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF
HEALTH CARE, IS MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT HEALTH CARE IS
NOT A PRIVILEGE.
IT'S NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT.
IT IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
AND, BY THE WAY, WHEN WE MOVE, IN MY VIEW, TO MEDICARE FOR ALL,
WE'RE GOING TO SAVE SUBSTANTIAL SUMS OF MONEY FOR THE AVERAGE
PERSON BECAUSE WE'RE NOT WORKING TO PROVIDE HUGE PROFITS FOR THE
DRUG COMPANIES AND INSURANCE COMPANIES.
>> Stephen: I WOULD GO YOU ONE FURTHER AND SAY THAT HEALTH CARE
IS NOT JUST A HUMAN RIGHT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD FOR THE
GENERAL WELFARE, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF MEANS WHO DO HAVE
HEALTH INSURANCE AND CAN STAY IN RIGHT NOW AND NOT TAKE TOO MUCH
OF A FINANCIAL HIT, ARE THE ONES WHO CAN DO THE RIGHT THING THAT
WE ALL KNOW TO DO, WHICH IS TO STAY HOME.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEALTH CARE, IF YOU CAN'T STAY HOME,
YOU WILL SPREAD THE DISEASE.
THIS IS ABOUT THE ENTIRE SOCIETY BEING BENEFITED BY EVERY SINGLE
PERSON IN IT HAVING WHAT THEY NEED.
>> ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND, AGAIN, IT'S NOT ONLY THAT WE ARE-- I SHOULD SAY THAT NOT
ONLY ARE YOU RIGHT ON THAT POINT.
WE'RE THE ONLY MAJOR COUNTRY ON EARTH, EMBARRASSINGLY, AND WE
HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, THAT DOESN'T PROVIDE PAID FAMILY AND
MEDICAL LEAVE.
SO YOUR POINT IS-- AND LET'S UNDERLINE THIS A DOZEN TIMES--
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ESSENTIAL PEOPLE NOW, WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT HEDGE FUND OPERATORS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, NECESSARILY, THE C.E.O.s OF
LARGE CORPORATIONS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOCTORS, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NURSES, AND
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GROCERY STORE WORKERS AND PEOPLE WHO
WORK IN PHARMACIES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING BUSES --
>> Stephen: AND GARBAGE MEN.
>> AND GARBAGE MEN, ABSOLUTELY.
PEOPLE WHO ARE KEEPING OUR SOCIETY GOING AND PUTTING THEIR
LIVES ON THE LINE AS A RESULT OF THAT.
AND YOUR POINT, OF COURSE, IS WELL TAKEN.
IF PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK, WHO, GOD FORBID, HAVE THE VIRUS, AND
THEY'RE GOING OUT IN THE WORLD, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SPREADING
IT, AND THEY MAY BE SPREADING IT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY RICH AS
WELL.
SO I THINK IN HEALTH CARE, THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IF YOU
GET SICK, I GET SICK.
IF YOU'VE GOT THE VIRUS, I GET THE VIRUS IF YOU'RE IN CONTACT
WITH ME.
AND MAYBE WE SHOULD CREATE A NATION WHERE WE'RE NEVER PUT IN
THAT POSITION.
AND, BY THE WAY, A NATION WHERE WE PUT A LOT MORE EMPHASIS ON
KEEPING PEOPLE HEALTHY, NOT JUST TREATING PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE
SICK.
>> Stephen: WELL, I THINK THAT IF ANY GOOD CAN COME OUT OF THIS
TERRIBLE SITUATION, IT SHOULD BE AN AWARENESS BY AVERAGE
AMERICANS THAT THEY ARE ESSENTIAL, AND THAT THE ELITES
AND RICHEST AMONG US, DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO
THEIR JOBS RIGHT NOW.
>> I THINK THAT'S A VERY PROFOUND AND IMPORTANT POINT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK.
BUT STICK AROUND.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I'LL TALK TO SENATOR SANDERS ABOUT HOW WE CAN
ENSURE A SMOOTH ELECTION COME THIS NOVEMBER.