>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.& WE ARE BACK HERE WITH THE AUTHOR
OF "IT'S OK TO BE ANGRY ABOUT CAPITALISM,"
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS. NIKKI HALEY THIS PAST WEEK AND
HER ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH, I THINK THAT HER VIDEO BUT HER
ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH, SHE SAID SHE THINKS THE PRESIDENCY --
SHE WANTS A COMPETENCY TEST FOR ALL FEDERAL CANDIDATES OVER THE
AGE OF 75. WHICH WOULD INCLUDE YOURSELF,
THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE PRESENT PRESIDENT AND MANY OTHER
PEOPLE IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT CALL? >> Senator Sanders: LOOK, WE
HAVE COME, STEPHEN, A VERY LONG WAY IN THE LAST DECADES IN
FIGHTING RACISM HERE WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
FIGHTING SEXISM. FIGHTING HOMOPHOBIA.
I THINK WHAT SHE IS SAYING IS NOTHING MORE THAN OLD-FASHIONED
AAGEISM. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE 90 WHO ARE
AS SHARP AS A TACK AND I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE 40...
YOU GOT TO PROD THEM A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS, VOTERS JUDGE PEOPLE BASED ON
THEIR CONFIDENCE, THEIR CONFIDENCE, THEIR VIEWS, THERE
ARE A THOUSAND FACTORS. BUT TO SIMPLY SAY THAT IF
SOMEBODY IS 75 ARE OLDER THEY NEED SOME KIND OF TEST, I THINK
THAT IS JUST AGEISM. NOT ACCEPTABLE.
>> Stephen: AND IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY CREATE
BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION LAYS OUT WHAT THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE.
YOU WOULD NEED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
>> Senator Sanders: SOME OF THESE GUYS DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE
CONSTITUTION TOO MUCH. >> Stephen: IS IT STILL OKAY
IF I MAKE JOKES ABOUT HOW TRANSLUCENT-WIDE PAIL JOE BIDEN
IS OR HOW MUCH YOU LIKE SOUP
>> Senator Sanders: MAYBE WE SHOULD CANCEL HIM.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> Stephen: IT WOULD NOT BE
THE FIRST TIME. THREE TIMES A CHARM.
YOU HAVE A NEW ROLL AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE HEALTH EDUCATION
LABOR AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HELP COMMI
COMMITTEE. DRUG COMPANIES ARE A LITTLE
WORRIED ABOUT CHAIRMAN BERNIE SANDERS.
SHOULD THEY BE WORRIED AND WHO WILL SHOULD WATCH THEIR BACK?
>> Senator Sanders: THEY SHOULD BE VERY WORRIED.
YOU KNOW. >> Stephen: GIVE ME AN
EXAMPLE. >> Senator Sanders: I CAN GIVE
YOU A MILLION EXAMPLES. THEY ARE RIPPING OFF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE BIG TIME. >> Stephen: HOW ABOUT MODERNA
WANTING TO RAISE THE PRICE. >> Senator Sanders: THAT'S ONE
CASE. THAT VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED IN
COOPERATION WITH THE NIH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH,
WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS. WE WORKED ON IT TOGETHER.
SECOND OF ALL THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY BUT $1.9 BILLION
INTO THE CLINICAL TRIALS TO MAKE THAT VACCINE A SUCCESS.
YOU'VE GOT THE VACCINE ON THE MARKET.
GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SALES.
IN TWO YEARS, THE GUY WHO IS HEAD OF THAT COMPANY, HE HAS
MADE $5 BILLION. >> Stephen: HIM PERSONALLY?
>> Senator Sanders: YEAH. >> Senator Sanders: HIS
ASSISTANT MADE 2 BILLION. 2 BILLION, THEIR LEADERSHIP
THERE MADE ABOUT $11 BILLION. AND THEN AFTER ALL OF THAT, AND
REMEMBER THIS IS IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC OR OVER A MILLION
PEOPLE DIED THEN AND AFTER THAT THEY SAID WELL, WHEN THE
GOVERNMENT RESERVED THE VACCINE EXPIRES, WE ARE GOING TO
QUADRUPLE THE PRICE OF THE VACCINE.
SO THIS IS CORPORATE GREED AT ITS WORST.
>> Stephen: WHAT CAN YOU DO? >> Senator Sanders: WELL, WE
CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS BUT FOR A STARTER TURNS OUT THAT ON THE
DAY THAT WE ANNOUNCED MR. STEPHANE BANCEL'S GOING TO
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, JUST COINCIDENTALLY THEY ANNOUNCED
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE THE VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR FREE TO
PEOPLE. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT,
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND BILLIONS FOR THE
VACCINE. LOOK, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I
THINK MOST AMERICANS KNOW YEAR AFTER YEAR THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY MAKES TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THEY PAY THEIR CEOs OUTRAGEOUS COMPENSATION PACKAGES AND
MEANWHILE, WE PAY BY FAR THE HIGHEST PRICES IN THE WORLD.
STEPHEN, I'VE TAKEN PEOPLE OVER THE CANADIAN BORDER TO BUY
INSULIN PRODUCTS FOR ONE-TENTH OF THE PRICE IN CANADA COMPARED
TO THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY
WHO ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS. AND THESE GUYS KEEP RAISING
THEIR PRICES. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE
ANOTHER BREAK, BUT STICK AROUND. MORE BERNIE SANDERS AHEAD.