RED STATES. >> AND MAKE A HUGE ZBLIRCHS AND
THEY’RE
THEY’RE DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. >> AND THEY’RE NOT MOVING.
>>> MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG IS
UNVEILING HIS HEALTHCARE PLAN
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. JOINING US NOW WITH THE DETAILS
IS NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER
FOR NBC NEWS JOSH.
JOSH, WHAT’D YOU GOT.
>> SO, MIKA, WHAT PETE BUTTIGIEG
IS PROPOSING FOR HIS HEALTHCARE
PLAN IS A MIDWAY POINT BETWEEN
THE STATUS QUO, OBAMACARE, AND A
FULL-ON GOVERNMENT-RUN
FULL-ON GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE.
HEALTHCARE. AND HE THINKS THAT A BIG PART OF
THIS IS ABOUT TRYING TO REMIND
VOTERS THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A
THREE-WAY CONTEST OF IDEAS
BETWEEN BERNIE SANDERS,
ELIZABETH WARREN, AND JOE BIDEN.
THAT HE HAS SOME IDEAS TOO.
HIS THEORY IS THAT BY
INTRODUCING A MEDICARE PUBLIC
OPTION FOR FOLKS WITHOUT
IMPOSING IT ACROSS THE BOARD
THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY OVER
TIME BECOME SO POPULAR THAT
THROUGH NATURAL COMPETITION IT
WILL DRIVE SOME OF THESE
INSURANCE COMPANIES OUT OF
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. AND WHEN I SPOKE TO PETE
BUTTIGIEG ABOUT HIS PLAN LAST
NIGHT, HE WAS PRETTY CRITICAL OF
SOME OF THOSE FRONT RUNNERS,
PARTICULARLY ELIZABETH WARREN.
>> IN WHAT WAY?
>> HE SUGGESTED THEIR PLAN TO
GET RID OF THE PRIVATE INSURANCE
AND PUT EVERYONE ON MEDICARE WAS
COMMANDING AMERICANS TO ABANDON
THE COURAGE THEY HAD AND HE
ACTUALLY TOLD US THAT HE THINKS
THAT’S INCONSISTENT WITH
AMERICA’S COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM.
SO YOU SEE HIM TRYING TO SHARPEN
THE KNIVES A LITTLE BIT AS HE
TRIES TO BREAK INTO THAT TOP
TIER.
TIER. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, MY QUESTION TO JOSH IS
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE HERE, I
WAS READING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
IT.
IT. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HIS PLAN AND HARRIS’S -- SENATOR
HARRIS’S PLAN?
HARRIS’S PLAN? IT SEEMS VERY SIMILAR.
WHO MAKES THIS PLAN STAND OUT?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. A LOT OF THE CANDIDATES HERE ARE
REALLY GRASPING FOR WAYS TO
DISTINGUISH THEIR PLANS THAT
ESSENTIALLY LOOK ALL OF THE
DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING WE NEED TO
MAKE OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM MORE
PROGRESSIVE AND WE NEED TO HAVE
A GOVERNMENT OPTION.
THERE ARE SOME FINE DETAILS THAT
DIFFERENTIATE HIS PLAN FROM
KAMALA HARRIS’S AS FAR AS HOW
SUBSIDIES ARE PROVIDED, HOW
PEOPLE ARE ENROLLED, WHETHER
IT’S AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT IN
THIS NEW PLAN OR SOMETHING YOU
HAVE TO ON THE INTO.
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU’RE GETTING
AT ACCURATELY IS ON THE SURFACE
OF THIS A LOT OF THESE PLANS ARE
MORE ALIKE THAN THEY’RE
DISSIMILAR.
DISSIMILAR. >> I THINK WHAT THE KEY POINT
HERE IS, IS THAT YOU’RE SEEING
INCREASING NUMBER OF THE
CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE PUSHING
BACK ON THE IDEA OF MEDICARE FOR
ALL.
ALL. AND IF YOU WATCH THE LAST DEBATE
IT WAS HAPPENING THERE AND IT’S
HAPPENING AGAIN WITH BUTTIGIEG
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT. AND THEN ARE ESSENTIALLY VERY
SIMILAR.
SIMILAR. BUT WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO IS
MAINTAIN PRIVATE INSURANCE.
THERE ARE 160 MILLION AMERICANS
WHO GET THEIR INSURANCE FROM
THEIR EMPLOYER.
THEIR EMPLOYER. AND CONTRARY TO WHAT ELIZABETH
WARREN SAID AT THE LAST DEBATE,
MOST OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY QUITE
HAPPY WITH IT.
THIS IS ANOTHER VARIATION.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE
DEMOCRATS IS YOU NOW HAVE AN
INCREASING NUMBER OF DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES WHO ARE
SIGNING UP FOR MEDICARE IF YOU
WANT IT.
WANT IT. >> AND MAYOR PETE WAS CRITICAL
OF SENATOR WARREN ON THE STAGE
DEBATE THE OTHER NIGHT.
SO, JOSH, LET ME ASK YOU THEN,
SEEMS TO ME THE MILLION DOLLARS
QUESTION AND SOME PEOPLE THINK
COULD BE A LETHAL ONE FOR
ELIZABETH WARREN IF SHE BECOMES
THE NOMINEE AND THAT’S THE IDEA
OF TAKING AWAY PRIVATE
INSURANCE.
INSURANCE. S A READ THROUGH MAYOR PETE’S
PLAN, IT SAYS IT WILL MOVE
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TO
GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE
GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE WITHOUT IMPOSING IT ON AMERICANS
ALL AT ONCE.
DOES THAT MEAN EVENTUALLY ALL
AMERICANS WILL BE MOVED OFF
PRIVATE INSURANCE INTO THE
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM?
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM? >> THAT’S HIS THEORY OF THE
CASE.
CASE. AND I ASKED HIM, LOOK, IF YOU’RE
SITTING IN THE "C" SUITE OF
CIGNA, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
READING THIS PLAN, ARE YOU
BASICALLY RIDING DEATH PLAN FOR
YOUR INDUSTRY?
YOUR INDUSTRY? AND HE SAYS WELL, NO, YOU LOOK
AT OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE PRIVATE
INSURANCE AUGUSTMENTS THE
COVERAGE
COVERAGE AUGMENTS THE COVERAGE THAT YOU
GET.
GET. AND HE SAYS IF THOSE INSURANCE
COMPANIES JUST COMPETE WELL
ENOUGH WITH THIS PUBLIC PLAN,
THERE WON’T BE ANY NEED FOR THEM
TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
BUT IF YOU FOLLOW THE PRA JOEKT
JECT TORI OF WHAT HE’S
PREDICTING, DOES IT DOES
BASICALLY MOVE MOST IF ALL NOT
AMERICANS INTO SOME
GOVERNMENT-RUN INSURANCE.
GOVERNMENT-RUN INSURANCE. >> BUT IT DOESN’T FORCE THEM
OFF, IS THAT THE DISTINCTION
HE’S MAKING?
HE’S MAKING? >> THAT’S RIGHT.
THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS MORE
MODERATE THAN SOME OF THE
LIBERAL CANDIDATES.
LIBERAL CANDIDATES. HE’S TRYING TO FOCUS ON CHOICE,
NOT INFRINGE OKAY PEOPLE’S
FREEDOM TO MAKE THAT DECISION
VOLUNTARILY.
VOLUNTARILY. >> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU BOTH.
>>> COMING UP, JAMES MATTIS SAID
OWED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION A
DUTY OF SILENCE.
>> JOHN BOLTON NOT SO MUCH.
>> A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
ACTUALLY.
ACTUALLY. WE’RE GOING TO GET DAVID
IGNATIUS’ TAKE ON THOSE NEW
COMMENTS HE MADE YESTERDAY ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. >>> PLUS, IN A FEW HOURS THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
WILL MEET WITH A KEY FIGURE IN
THE BATTLE OVER THAT
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS FIGHTING
TO KEEP UNDER WRAPS.
WE’LL TALK TO A MEMBER OF THAT
COMMITTEE DEMOCRAT JIM HIMES.
>>> AND THE AP’S JONATHAN LEMIRE
JOINS US WITH HIS NEW REPORTING
THAT POSTED OVERNIGHT ON TRUMP’S