GOOD EVENING, SENATOR. >> HI, GRETA.
GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. >> NICE TO HAVE YOU.
I'M LISTENING TO SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER'S WORDS,
WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW ALL THE THREATS. IS THIS NOW POLITICAL WAR?
>> WHAT THIS IS IS A WAR ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO HAVE HEALTH CARE. I THINK IF SOMEBODY IN MICHIGAN
HAS CANCER, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THIS BILL AND TO
GIVE THEIR OPINION BEFORE IT'S VOTED ON.
OR SOMEBODY WHOSE MOM HAS ALZHEIMER'S AND S AND IS GOING E
HER NURSING HOME CARE AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE THINK IS
COMING. SO THIS REALLY, TO ME, IT'S
PERSONAL. IT'S NOT POLITICAL.
NOW, WILL WE USE POLITICAL MEANS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TRY AND
STOP THIS AND HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION?
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
ABOUT LOWERING OTHER COSTS. THIS IS THE WRONG CONVERSATION.
>> IS EVERYTHING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, AM I CORRECT, THAT THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE NO SAY IN THIS BILL THAT'S GOING TO BE PUT ON
THE REPUBLICAN FLOOR, WHATEVER IT TURNS OUT TO BE?
YOU HAVE NO SAY? >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> YOU HAVE ZERO, NOTHING? >> CORRECT.
I CAN TELL YOU, I AM THE LEAD DEMOCRAT ON THE HEALTH
SUBCOMMITTEE. AND BACK WHEN WE DID HEALTH
REFORM, WE HAD OVER 50 HEARINGS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS ALONE.
WHEN YOU ADD IT UP, THERE WERE OVER A HUNDRED PUBLIC MEETINGS
BEFORE WE TOOK THIS BILL OUT OF COMMITTEE.
>> I'M APPALLED BY THAT. AFTER THE TERRIBLE SHOOTING, WE
HAD A HINT THERE WOULD BE SOME PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER ON BOTH
SIDES. I'M PARTICULARLY APPALLED.
BUT WHEN THE HEALTH CARE BILL PASSED IN 2010, I'LL NEVER
FORGET SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THEN NANCY PELOSI, PASS IT AND THEN
WE'LL KNOW WHAT'S IN IT. HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY
UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S COMING IN TERMS OF HEALTH CARE.
AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT WAS SAID,
I THINK WAS UNFORTUNATE AND TWISTED.
BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, IN THE SENATE, WE HAVE 100 DIFFERENT
HEARINGS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, OPEN PROCESSES.
WE CAME TO THE FLOOR IN THE END -- LET ME JUST STRESS, GRETA
N THE END WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED 147
REPUBLICAN AMENDMENTS IN THE BILL, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T GET
SUPPORT. WE SPENT 18 MONTHS ON THAT.
>> TELL ME -- >> THIS IS WRONG.
>> I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO DO AT 8:00. YOUR TURN IS COMING UP.
HOW LONG WILL YOU BE SPEAKING AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST CAME FROM THE FLOOR AND I'M
GOING TO GO BACK AND SPEAK AT 8:00.
BUT THE FIRST THING I DID WAS MAKE A MOTION FOR UNANIMOUS
CONSENT THAT NO AMENDMENTS BE OFFERED ON THIS BILL ON THE
FLOOR UNTIL IT'S REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE HEALTH
COMMITTEE. THEY HAVE A HEARING.
AND THEY REPORT IT OUT. WITH THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ON
THAT COMMITTEE. >> YOU DIDN'T WIN THAT ONE?
>> NO, DID NOT WIN THAT. NOW I GO AT 8:00 AND I'M GOING
TO LAY OUT -- I'M GOING TO READ STORIES FROM PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN
WHO ARE DESPERATELY AFRAID OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM.
A SMALL BUSINESS WOMAN NAMED AMY IN MICHIGAN WHO HAS LEUKEMIA.
AND IS GOING TO LOSE HER CAPACITY TO GET TREATMENT.
MAYBE NOT BE ABLE TO GET HEALTH INSURANCE.
THERE'S HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT I'VE HEARD FROM.
THOUSANDS PROBABLY. >> WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE DOING
THIS, AND WE LOOK AROUND THE SENATE, ARE THE DEMOCRATIC
SENATORS, REPUBLICAN SENATORS ALL THERE?
WHO SHOWS UP? >> WELL, DEMOCRATS WILL BE
THERE. >> THE REPUBLICANS -- YOU EXPECT
ZERO REPUBLICANS WHEN YOU DO THIS AT 8:00?
>> I'M NOT SURE. THERE MIGHT BE ONE PERSON THERE
TO OBJECT WHEN WE STAND UP AND SAY THAT WE WANT A HEARING
BEFORE THERE'S A BILL BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR.
I MEAN, WE'RE SAYING NO HEARING, NO BILL.
NO HEARING, NO VOTE. THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO
KNOW. IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT WHO ARE GOING TO LOSE
HEALTH CARE, AND SEE THEIR COSTS GO UP.
WHAT THEY GET TO WATCH IS THAT THE MONEY THAT IT SAVED FROM
TAKING AWAY THEIR HEALTH CARE IS GOING TO BE USED AS A TAX CUT
FOR THE WEALTHIEST AMERICANS. >> THIS WILL GO ON THROUGH THE
NIGHT. WHEN DOES THIS STOP, THIS
DEMOCRATIC TAKING THE FLOOR? WHEN DO YOU EXPECT IT TO END?
>> WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TOMORROW.
WE'RE GOING TO USE -- >> ALL NIGHT LONG?
>> I'M NOT SURE WE'LL GO THROUGH THE WHOLE NIGHT TONIGHT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO LATE AND COME BACK AND BE ON THE FLOOR
TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY.
AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE, AND WE ALSO ARE
ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED.
BECAUSE IN THE END, WE'VE GOT 48 MEMBERS, AND THEY ARE TOGETHER.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THREE REPUBLICANS WITH US TO STOP
THIS. >>