NUMBERS, EDWARD, THANK YOU.
CONNELL?
CONNELL: LET’S TALK TO DOUG
HOLTZ-EAKIN ABOUT THIS.
DOUG THE AMERICAN ACTION FORUM
PRESIDENT, FORMER CONGRESSIONAL
BUDGET OFFICE DIRECTOR.
TALK ABOUT ALL THE NUMBERS WE
WANT.
THE POLITICAL REALITY SEEMS
WE’RE NOT GETTING STIMULUS
ANYTIME SOON OR RELIEF, WHATEVER
YOU WANT TO CALL IT, BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE TWO
GENTLEMAN, JAY POWELL, STEVE
MNUCHIN, IT IS STILL NEEDED?
>> I THINK THEY MADE THE CASE
YOU NEED TARGETED RELIEF IN
CERTAIN PARTS OF THE ECONOMY.
CERTAINLY SECRETARY MNUCHIN
MENTIONED AID TO SCHOOLS,
GETTING SCHOOLS REOPENED.
THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT
COULD BE USED FOR PPE, FOR
TESTING, FOR MODIFICATIONS TO
SCHOOLROOMS.
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SOME OF THE SENATE PROVISIONS
INCLUDED THE SAME KIND OF
ASSISTANCE TO BUSINESSES.
IF THEY HAD TO MODIFY THEIR WORK
SPACES SO EMPLOYEES COME BACK
SAFELY AND CUSTOMERS CAN SHOP
SAFELY.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT CONGRESS
CAN DO THAT CAN HELP BOOST THE
RECOVERY EVEN MORE.
THIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE
SIMPLY WRITING A BIG CHECK,
3 TRILLION-DOLLAR HEROES ACT IS
REALLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR
STRATEGY AND EXECUTE ON IT.
AS YOU POINT OUT NOT MUCH IS
LOOKING LIKE IT WILL HAPPEN.
CONNELL: ALMOST A FOREGONE
CONCLUSION NOW, ESPECIALLY WHAT
WE’VE SEEN THE LAST FEW DAYS,
THAT WE’RE NOT GETTING THERE.
>> RIGHT.
CONNELL: PLEASE TELL ME THOUGH,
AT THE VERY LEAST THEY WILL BE
ABLE SO AVOID SHUTTING DOWN THE
GOVERNMENT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK THEY WILL.
THAT APPEARS TO BE ON A
COMPLETELY SEPARATE TRACK.
THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION IS
SOMETHING THAT ADMINISTRATION
AND SPEAKER PELOSI IN PARTICULAR
AGREE WHILE THAT SHOULD GO
THROUGH IN QUOTE, CLEAN FASHION, THEA ONL OY A APLEPLE
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SHORT SHO SHOHO THEY SEETHEY SEEM HAVE SETTLTLED
THEY SEETHEY SEEM HAVE SETTLTLED
Oh yeahhhhh.
RLY I I I DEC DECEMECEC
D THE THE T WE WE G GOINGNG TO T ONTO THE COMDIOMDI
Oh yeahhhhh. CORPOON ASSIS A A
Oh yeahhhhh.
RM
THAT I BIG A BIG STICKINNT AT
MOMENT.
L L TAL TALK T HEA HEA
CAINUTE. YOU E WRABOTOUTTODAY.AYAY
AS
AS BEE A OF OF O TAL
ABT SINCE SINCECE THE DHE DHEHE BAGINSBURGGINSBURGAUSERGRGOOKSOO
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KE
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BIGSSUESS,UE BIG BGERGENGENT
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Oh yeahhhhh.
SE SEETO BEFOR THE THE
Oh yeahhhhh. SUPRSUEME CEE SHORTLYHORTLYHO AF
Oh yeahhhhh.
ELECELTI.
THEUTHEUREHE O OBA OMACARECACA
FOAFRDABLE CARE ARACE E E MSMS T
UP FOR DISCUSSION OR DEBATE
AGAIN.
HOW DO YOU THINK IT ALL PLAYS
OUT?
>> I THINK IT IS AMAZING.
HERE WE AGAIN ARE TALKING ABOUT
THIS LAW.
IT HAS BEEN A DECADE.
WE’RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT.
TO ME ALL THE ATTENTION FOCUSING
ON LIKELY REIMAS FOR RUTH BADER
GINSBURG AND THEIR ATTITUDES
TOWARDS THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
REALLY MISSES THE POINT.
THE KEY IS THE U.S. SENATE.
IF THE LAW IS STRUCK DOWN THERE
WILL HAVE TO BE SOME REPLACEMENT
PROVISIONS F REPUBLICANS CONTROL
THE SENATE THEY WILL HAVE SOME
SAY WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
THEY WILL HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH
DEMOCRATS TO GET IT DONE.
THAT WILL BE A HARD WORK BUT
THAT IS A KEY PIECE OF IT.
IF SOMEHOW DEMOCRATS TAKE OVER
THE SENATE, YOU’RE GOING TO GET
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ON
STEROIDS BACK.
SO THERE IS REALLY NO SCENARIO
IN WHICH THE LAW DOESN’T GET
CHANGED IF IT GETS STRUCK DOWN.
IT COULD COME BACK IN SMALL
PIECES OR COME BACK IN VERY BIG
FORM.
REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SENATE.
THAT IS THE KEY RACE.
CONNELL: YOUR LARGER POINT THAT
CONTROL OF THE SENATE IS MORE
IMPORTANT IF THIS IS YOUR
PRIORITY THAN THE NEXT SUPREME
COURT NOMINEE AND THAT’S
INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE HAS
BEEN A LOT OF TALK THE LAST
COUPLE DAYS MAYBE REPUBLICANS
ARE WILLING TO PAY A POLITICAL
PRICE, HYPOTHETICALLY FOR
GETTING THEIR SUPREME COURT
NOMINEE THROUGH BUT YOU’RE
SAYING IT WOULDN’T BE WORTH IT
ABOUT THAT PRICE WAS CONTROL OF
THE SENATE?
>> IF YOU CARE ONLY ABOUT HEALTH
CARE, AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN
PARTICULAR, THAT SEEMS LIKE THE
WRONG FOCUS.
IT IS THE SENATE THAT MATTERS,
NOT THE SUPREME COURT.
IF YOU WANT A SUPREME COURT WITH
MORE CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES FOR
MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME, THEN
THAT’S THE RIGHT FOCUS.
THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT
QUESTIONS.
CONNELL: RIGHT.
IT IS A MUCH BROADER QUESTION
WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
SUPREME COURT RATHER THAN THE
JUST HEALTH CARE BUT IN THE
SHORT TERM THOUGH, IF YOU WANT
TO GET SOMETHING THROUGH YOU
HAVE TO HAVE THE SENATE IN YOUR
CONTROL AND CRITICISM OF THE
REPUBLICANS QUITE FRANKLY OF THE
LAST FEW YEARS AND THE
PRESIDENT, THERE JUST HASN’T
BEEN A PLAN.
PRESIDENT SAID I WILL HAVE A
PLAN IN A FEW WEEKS, EVEN TODAY,
KALEIGH MCENANY SAID IT AND
THERE HASN’T BEEN A PLAN.
>> WE’RE HEARING RUMORS AGAIN
THERE WILL BE MORE EXECUTIVE
ORDERS ON HEALTH CARE THAT WILL
BE ROLLED OUT THIS WEEK PERHAPS
THURSDAY AT AN EVENT IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT EAGERLY
TO SEE WHAT THOSE MIGHT BE BUT I
THINK THE REALITY IS THERE WAS A
HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY EARLY IN
HIS PRESIDENCY WITH FAILURE TO
GET A GENUINE REPEAL AND REPLACE
OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT THROUGH.
SINCE THEN THERE IS NO CHANCE TO
ANYTHING LEGISLATIVELY.
AT THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED IN THIS
SITUATION, LEGISLATIVE ACTION
THAT GETS A BILL TO THE
PRESIDENT TO SIGN.
CONNELL: THAT SEEMS LIKE SO LONG