HARD
HARD HERE
HARD HERE IN TEXAS, AND OTHER PLACES IN HOPES OF MAKING
GAINS.
GAINS.
GAINS. >>> AND THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY, THE STORY EVERYONE IS
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. THEY WILL BE RESUMING ON
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL BURGESS OUR
FIRST GUEST, A REPUBLICAN FROM
WASHINGTON AND BUD KENNEDY,
YOU ARE WITH US, AS WELL.
HERE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING IN
THE STUDIO.
THE STUDIO. THANK YOU FOR SEEING YOU,
GENTLEMEN.
GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
LET'S GET TO THE CRUX.
WHY DO YOU THINK MILITARY
ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE WAS EVER
HELD UP IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> I THINK THERE ARE, IN FACT,
LAWS AND TREAT'S IN PLACE WITH
BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND
UKRAINE HAVING THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING
CAREFUL ABOUT CORRUPTION.
AND IF THE PRESIDENT FELT IT
WITH US NECESSARY ARE I TO
INSURE THAT CORRUPTION FOR SEEM
TIME, I THINK THAT IS ENTIRELY
REASONABLE.
REASONABLE. THERE ALREADY HAD BEEN SOME
MILITARY AID THIS PRESIDENT HAD
PROVIDED TO UKRAINE PRIOR TO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. AND
THAT. AND ALSO IT WAS THIS PRESIDENT
WHO ACTUALLY STEPPED UP AND
PROVIDED THE AID THAT PRESIDENT
PORE SHANKO HAD PREVIOUSLY
ASKED OF A JOINT SESSION OF
CONGRESS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE
ADMINISTRATION GAVE PILLOWS AND
BLANKETS AND MEALS.
>> THAT IS WHY I AM CURIOUS
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. CONSIDERING PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
DONE THIS IN THE PAST, WHY
WOULD HE HOLD UP THIS MILITARY
ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE?
>> WELL, AGAIN, THERE IS A
PROBLEM WITH CORRUPTION WITH
THE COUNTRY OF UKRAINE THAT HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT
BOTH PREVIOUS PRESIDENT
POROSHENKO, THE REASON THAT
AMBASSADOR YOVANOVITCH WAS
DEPOSED AND OTHER PROBLEMS.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. SHOULD A U.S. PRESIDENT ASK A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO
INVESTIGATE A U.S. CITIZEN?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, HERE IS
THE THING.
THE THING. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND THE PRESIDENT I THINK HAS,
AGAIN, PRODUCED TRANSCRIPTS OF
NOW TWO TELEPHONE CALLS HE HAS
HAD WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKY AND
THEY ARE THERE FOR YOU AND YOUR
LISTENERS TO DECIDE FOR
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. >> THE TRANSCRIPTS WERE NOT
COMPLETE AND KEY ELEMENTS WERE
LEFT OUT OF THE TRANSCRIPTS SO
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CLEAR AND
NOT CLEAR.
NOT CLEAR. >> I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNOW
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> PEOPLE THAT HAVE HEARD THE
CALL, AS YOU KNOW,
CONGRESSMAN, HAVE TESTIFIED
ABOUT THAT.
ABOUT THAT. >> PEOPLE WHO HEARD PEOPLE WHO
HEARD THE CALLS.
THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH SOMEONE
HEARD SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING TO
SOMEONE.
SOMEONE.
SOMEONE. THAT IS WHAT WENT ON IN THE
CLOSED HEARINGS BEFORE AND THE
PUBLIC HEARINGS GOING ON NOW.
>> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT TWEETING DURING THE
AMBASSADOR'S TESTIMONY LAST
WEEK?
WEEK?
WEEK? RIGHT OR WRONG, IT LOOKED
LIKE THE PRESIDENT WAS PICKING
ON A 33 YEAR DIPLOMAT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HIM
GOATING HER ON TWITTER?
>> WELL, I WAS ON THE HOUSE
FLOOR WHILE THAT WENT ON SO I
CAN'T TELL YOU I HAVE AN
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THAT.
BUT, LOOK, I GET IT.
THE PRESIDENT IS UPSET BY THE
PROCEEDINGS AND I THINK HE IS
CORRECT IN BEING UPSET IN THESE
PROCEEDINGS.
PROCEEDINGS. THE FIRST DAYS OF THE PUBLIC
TESTIMONY WHEN OUR NEIGHBOR
JOHN RATLIFFE ASKED THE
QUESTION OF THE TWO WITNESSES,
CAN YOU SPELL OUT FOR ME THE
IMPEACHABLE OF THAT HAS
OCCURRED AND IT WAS CONTRADICTS
STIRRING.
STIRRING.
STIRRING. SO, THIS IS THE PROBLEM THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE.
DEMOCRATS HAVE. THE PRESIDENT IS CONCERNED
BECAUSE BASICALLY HE IS BEING
ACCUSED AND ON TRIAL NOT BEING
TOLD WHAT IT IS AND PEOPLE ARE
CHALLENGED WHAT IS THE ACTUAL
EVENT.
EVENT.
EVENT. NO
EVENT. NO ONE CAN ACTUALLY TELL YOU.
>> IF THERE WAS A HEARING
GOING ON ABOUT SOMETHING YOU
DID, A WITNESS WAS ON THE
STAND AND YOU TWEETED ABOUT THE
WITNESS WHILE THEY WERE ON THE
STAND, WOULDN'T THAT BE
INTIMIDATING TO THE WITNESS?
>> IN A PRACTICAL MATTER THAT
WOULD NOT HAPPEN.
THAT IS NOT MY PRACTICE AND YOU
KNOW THAT.
KNOW THAT. >> INDEED, IT IS NOT,
CONGRESSMAN.
CONGRESSMAN. NOW TO OTHER BIG NEWS.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAID
ON FRIDAY IT WILL BEGIN FORCING
HOSPITALS AND INSURANCE
COMPANIES TO DISCLOSE THE
PRICES THAT THEY ARE CHARGING
CUSTOMERS.
CUSTOMERS. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING ON
THIS FOREVER.
THIS FOREVER. IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL FINALLY
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. AS A DOCTOR R CONGRESSMAN,
WOULDN'T YOU SAY THE HOSPITALS
AND HEALTH SYSTEMS INSURANCE
COMPANIES SAY THEY HAVE TO KEEP
THIS QUIET FOR PROPRIETARY
REASON
REASON
REASON >>
REASON >> CLEARLY THERE IS A BALANCE
THAT NEEDS TO BE STRUCK HERE.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT
WHICH I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED.
I INTRODUCED MY FIRST
TRANSPARENCY BILL IN 2005.
IT IS DIFFICULT.
I HAVE WORKED WITH HOSPITALS.
I HAVE WORKED WITH MEDICAL
ASSOCIATIONS.
ASSOCIATIONS. IN FACT, TEXAS AT ONE TIME HAD
A WEBSITE.
A WEBSITE. IT WITH US TXPRICEPOINT.ORG
WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND COMPARE
PRICES AT HOSPITALS.
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE
PRECISE CHARGE YOU WILL INSURE
AT A HOSPITAL, BUT YOU CAN GET
RANGES AND HISTORICAL DATA AND
MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE.
THEN FURTHER, I THINK WHAT
ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO GET
TO IS A USABLE WEB-BASED TOOL
WHERE SOMEONE CAN KNOW WHAT
WILL BE THEIR OBLIGATION AT
THIS HOSPITAL GIVEN THEIR
COVERAGE WITH THEIR DEDUCTIBLE
AND THERE THEY ARE HAVING MET
THE DEDUCTIBLE.
THE DEDUCTIBLE. WHAT IS THE PROJECTED OUT-OF-
POCKET COST.
POCKET COST. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
BOTHERS PEOPLE MORE THAN
ANYTHING, THE COST, NOT
KNOWING ONCE YOU ENTER INTO THE
TRANSACTION WHAT IT WILL LOOK
LIKE AT THE OTHER END.
>> CONGRESSMAN BURGESS, WITH