>>> AND JOINING US FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DEFEATING REPUBLICAN
IBT PETE
IBT PETE INCUMBENT PETE SESSIONS,
DEMOCRAT UK CONGRESSMAN KOLCOLIN
ALLRED, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VERY
SURPRISED DECISION TO REVISIT,
REVAMP AND ELIMINATE HEALTH CARE
HAS CERTAINLY OPENED A DOOR FOR
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. CONGRESSMAN?
CONGRESSMAN? I DON’T THINK HE CAN HEAR US,
ALEX.
ALEX. WE’LL WORK ON HIS AUDIO.
I’LL JUMP IN HERE WITH JONATHAN
LEMIRE.
LEMIRE. JONATHAN, AS WE WAIT FOR THAT
TECHNICAL FIX, IT DOES SEEM LIKE
THE PRESIDENT HAS PUT
REPUBLICANS IN A TERRIBLE
POSITION AND NOW THIS
CONGRESSMAN WE’RE ABOUT TO HARRE
FROM IS MOVING TO CONDEMN THE
PRESIDENT ON THIS VERY DECISION.
>> EVERY REPUBLICAN EFFORT PRIOR
TO OVERHAUL AND REPLACE THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS MET CAN
FAILURE.
FAILURE. THE PRESIDENT HAS PERSONALIZED
THAT.
THAT. HE RAILED AGAINST OBAMACARE,
HELD A GRUDGE EVEN IN DEATH
AGAINST JOHN McCAIN.
>> AMAZING.
>> AMAZING. >> THERE ARE MANY REPUBLICANS
WHO DIDN’T WANT TO SEE THIS
FIGHT NOW.
FIGHT NOW. HE RECEIVED A LOT OF PRESSURE IN
THE FEW DAYS AFTER THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO PICK UP
THIS LAWSUIT AND THE PRESIDENT
WAS SUDDENLY OUT THERE BRANDING
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS THE
PARTY OF HEALTH CARE AGAIN.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING
SENATE MAJORITY McCONNELL SAYING
LET’S TAKE IT EASY HERE AND SLOW
IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS PUNTED IT AT
LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING BUT
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S GOING
TO COME UP AGAIN AS 2020 NEARS.
>> CONGRESSMAN, FOR SOME TIME
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
WITH US.
WITH US. FOR SOME TIME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT -- DEMOCRATS HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF
TEXAS GOING PURPLE AND FOR THAT
LONG REPUBLICANS LIKE MYSELF
HAVE BEEN VERY SKEPTICAL.
BUT YOU WINNING IN MY FRIEND
PETE SESSIONS’ DISTRICT
CERTAINLY SENDS A VERY STRONG
MESSAGE I THINK TO BOTH PARTIES.
I WONDER IS HEALTH CARE THE
ISSUE NOT ONLY IN YOUR DISTRICT
BUT ACROSS THE STATE IN TEXAS
THAT ACTUALLY HELPS DEMOCRATS DO
JUST THAT IN 2020?
>> WELL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON, JOE.
SORRY ABOUT THE AUDIO PROBLEMS
THERE.
THERE. LISTEN, I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE
POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS ARE, BUT
I KNOW THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE
ISSUE IN MY DISTRICT AND I THINK
IN DISTRICTS SIMILAR TO MINE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING US TO WORK
TOGETHER TO LOWER THE COST OF
HEALTH CARE, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO
TO EXPAND COVERAGE AND THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING OUT THERE
TRYING TO GO AROUND NOW THE
LEGISLATE OF SYSTEM, AS YOU
SAID, WITH SENATOR McCAIN GIVING
US A THUMBS DOWN AND TO TRY IT
USE THE COURTS I THINK IT
REOPENS THE WOUND AND SAYS HE’S
NOT ON THE SIDE OF THE FOLKS
TRYING TO TYKE CARE OF THEIR
FAMILY AND GET THE HEALTH CARE
THEY NEED.
THEY NEED. >> SO YOU’RE NEW TO CONGRESS, A
NEW MEMBER REPRESENTING YOUR
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING WHEN YOU’RE
GOING TO TOWN HALL MEETINGS?
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING WHEN YOU’RE
BACK IN THE DISTRICT GROCERY
SHOPPING OR GOING TO WALMART?
WHAT ARE YOUR VOTERS TELLING YOU
ABOUT HEALTH CARE?
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
>> I THINK THEY’RE TIRED OF US
TEARING IT DOWN AND TRYING TO
NOT WORK TO THE AND FIND WAYS TO
GET THINGS DONE.
WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO US DO
IS SIT DOWN AND ACTUALLY FIGURE
OUT HOW CAN WE LOWER COSTS,
EXPAND COVERAGE?
EXPAND COVERAGE? I HAD A GROUP OF FOLKS LAST WEEK
WHO HAD TYPE ONE DIABETES.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF
INSULIN.
INSULIN. IT’S NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE, FIND
WAYS TO SUIT HOW.
>> CONGRESSMAN, ESPECIALLY ON
HEALTH CARE, THE PRESIDENT’S
BEEN THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON
GIVING.
GIVING. HE STEPS ON HIS, LAW ENFORCEMENT
WEEK AFTER MUELLER NEWS, HE
COMES OUT AND SAYS I’M GOING TO
CELEBRATE BY GOING DIRECTLY
AFTER HEALTH CARE.
BUT YOU’VE ALSO RAISED THE POINT
THAT DEMOCRATS NEED TO REMAIN
FOCUSED, SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT HERE THIS MORNING.
YOU’VE WRITTEN DEMOCRATS
SHOULDN’T ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE
DIVIDED, THAT THEY SHOULDN’T
ALLOW THE PRESIDENT TO PUT A
WEDGE BETWEEN THEM.
WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH?
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE WITHIN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR
MAINTAINING THAT KIND OF FOCUS
AND FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON THE
BALL, AS YOU GO INTO 2020 AS A
PARTY?
PARTY? >> WELL, I THINK THE LESS ON OF
2018 AND MANY OF OUR RACES AND I
INCLUDE THE PRIMARIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, IS THAT WHEN THE STATE
FOCUSED ON THESE ISSUES AND
FOCUS ON DELIVERING REAL
RESULTS, NOT JUST PUTTING OUR
GOALS OUT THERE, WHICH IS
IMPORTANT, YOU NEED TO TALK
ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND
WHERE YOU END UP BUT YOU
ACTUALLY HAVE TO DELIVER
RESULTS.
RESULTS. HOW CANNY DO THAT IN THE SHORT
TEM
TEM TERM TO MAKE PEOPLE’S LIVES
BETTER?
BETTER? IT BEGINS WITH PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS.
DRUGS. I THINK WE CAN MAKE SOME
PROGRESS THERE THAT HAN BEEN
GOING ON, INCREASING PREMIUMS
AND RAISING COSTS.
AND WHAT IS NBS STEP FROM THERE?
THAT’S HOW WE WORK OUR WAY
TOWARDS ALL OF OUR GOALS.
>> CONGRESSMAN, I’M GLAD YOU
RAISED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
MY QUESTION IS YOU’RE RIGHT, THE
PRESIDENT WANTS TO DO CERTAINLYS
WE’VE SEEN REPUBLICANS IN THE
SENATE GIVE INDICATIONS THEY’RE
WILLING TO WORK ON IT.
DO YOU THINK HOUSE DEMOCRATIC
LEADERS WOULD BE WILLING TO GO
ALONG WITH A PLAN TO LOWER THOSE
PRICES, EVEN IF IT MEANS GIVING
PRESIDENT TRUMP SOMETHING OF A
WIN?
WIN? >> I DO, I REALLY DO.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE’RE FOCUSED
ON.
ON. IT’S SEASON I SEE THIS AS A WIN
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I CERTAINLY WILL BE USING MY
VOICE TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T LET
THE POLITICS CREEP INTO THIS.
IT’S IMPORTANT WE TAKE STEPS NOW
AND SHOW WE CAN ACTUALLY GOVERN.
>> CONGRESSMAN KOL ALLCOLIN ALLR
THANKS FOR COMING ON THE SHOW
AND PLEASE COME BACK.
>>S BEEN A DECADE REPUBLICANS
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KILL PROM --
PRESIDENT OBAMA AS HEALTH CARE
PLAN, YET THEY NEVER HAD AN
ALTERNATIVE.
ALTERNATIVE. PAUL RYAN NEVER HAD A WORKING
ALTERNATIVE.
ALTERNATIVE. MITCH McCONNELL STILL DOESN’T
HAVE A WORKING ALTERNATIVE.
THEY ARE THE DO-NOTHING PARTY
WHEN IT COMES TO THE MOST AND
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO CATCH UP
WITH THEM IN 2020.
>> REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES
HAVE THEIR ISSUES AND THAT THEY
FIND IMPORTANT BUT THEY HAVE TO
EMBRACE THE FACT THAT AMERICANS
WANT THEIR HEALTH CARE.
>> REPUBLICANS HAVE TO COME
TOGETHER THEN THEY CAN PRESENT
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN 2020,
YOU CAN’T BEAT SOMETHING WITH
NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO
AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE.
>> COMING UP, TINA BROWN IS
HAPPENING WHEN WOMEN STOP
LEADING LIKE MEN.
PLUS, ACTRESS KATHY BATES IS
TESTIFYING ON CAPITOL HILL
TOMORROW ON AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
BEFORE THAT, SHE JOINS US RIGHT