KHAMBREL MARSHALL.
GOOD MORNING.
, CONGRESSMAN GENE GREEN HAS
REPRESENTED THE 29th
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SINCE
1993, REPRESENTS THE DISTRICT
THAT TAKES UP MUCH OF THE EAST
SIDE OF THE HOUSTON METRO AREA.
GOOD MORNING
GOOD TO SEE YOU, AS ALWAYS.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST GO-AROUND,
THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE
NEW PRESIDENT.
WHEN HE WAS RUNNING, HE WAS
TALKING ABOUT DRAINING THE
SWAMP AND TALKING ABOUT GETTING
RID OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN
AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
>> WELL, I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER
TO ANY PRESIDENT, I ANSWER TO
MY CONSTITUENTS.
>> WELL, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
>> SECRETARY CLINTON CARRIED
OUR DISTRICT BY 70% LAST FALL,
SO I HAVE MY MARCHING ORDERS.
I WORKED FOR YEARS ON
HEALTHCARE, ENERGY AND JOBS IN
OUR DISTRICT AND I'M GOING TO
CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
EXPANSION OF HEALTHCARE
OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OR WHATEVER
ENDS UP PASSING, I WANT TO MAKE
SURE OUR FOLKS HAVE ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE IN HOUSTON.
>> I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT
YOUR DISTRICT, BECAUSE IT IS
UNUSUALLY DRAWN.
THE BLUE AREA THERE, IT'S KIND
OF EAST SIDE, IT GOES DOWN TO
HOBBY, INCLUDES A LITTLE HOBBY
AIRPORT, EAST, ALMOST TO THE
PORT.
>> I HAVE ABOUT HALF THE PORT.
>> AND THEN UP AND THERE'S A
LITTLE COMMA TYPE THING THAT
INTERCONTINENTAL, THEN DOWN
ALONG 45.
THAT'S AN UNUSUAL DISTRICT, IS
IT NOT?
>> OUR DISTRICTS WERE DRAWN IN
2013 BY THE FEDERAL COURT, AND
-- BUT DON'T GET TOO USED TO
LOOKING AT CHANGING THEM AGAIN.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL IMPACT
HOUSTON, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT IT
COULD IMPACT AUSTIN, SAN
ANTONIO, AND SOUTH TEXAS,
CORPUS CHRISTI, AND MAYBE EVEN
DALLAS-FORT WORTH, BUT WHEN THE
FEDERAL COURTS DRAW OUR
DISTRICT AND WE'RE ALL SUBJECT
TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY DO,
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN THAT
AREA, IT'S HARD TO FIND A
NEIGHBORHOOD I HAVEN'T
REPRESENTED AT ONE TIME OR
ANOTHER.
I WAS STATE HOUSE MEMBER, STATE
SENATOR, AND NOW IN CONGRESS,
SO I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS, I
GREW UP IN THE COMMUNITIES.
>> YOU'VE SEEN A LOT HAPPENING
HERE.
IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT IN
WASHINGTON, D.C., THE PRESIDENT
HAD A LITTLE NEWS CONFERENCE
OUT THERE IN THE ROSE GARDEN,
SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, AND THEY
WERE CELEBRATING THE PASSAGE OF
THE REPUBLICAN VERSION OF THE
HEALTH ACT, WHATEVER THE NAME
IS THEY'RE CALLING IT, BUT THEY
HAD VOTED TO REPEAL THE
OBAMACARE OR THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS AT THAT
PASSAGE?
CLEARLY IT WAS A PASSAGE THAT
DIDN'T HAVE ANY DEMOCRATIC
VOTES INVOLVED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT NOW
THAT IT'S GONE TO THE SENATE?
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE
HEALTHCARE BILL AND HOW DOES IT
AFFECT YOUR SPEAK?
>> IN THE HOUSE, FIRST OF ALL,
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, I WAS ON
THE COMMITTEE THAT HELPED DRAFT
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING I
WANTED.
BEFORE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
IN OUR DISTRICT, 44% OF MINE
CONSTITUENTS WOULD WORK DID NOT
GET INSURANCE THROUGH THEIR
EMPLOYER, AND SO THEY WOULD
HAVE TO BUY THEIR OWN HEALTH
INSURANCE, AND SO MANY OF THEM
WENT UNINSURED JUST BECAUSE THE
HEALTHCARE WAS SO MUCH.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE 20,000
PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A NATIONAL
EXCHANGE TO BUY THEIR INSURANCE
IF THEIR EMPLOYER DOESN'T COVER
IT, AND ALSO, IT WOULD HELP IF
TEXAS WOULD HAVE EXPANDED
MEDICAID.
HUNDRED PERCENT FEDERAL
FUNDING, BUT TEXAS REFUSED TO
DO IT.
LOUISIANA DID IT, ARKANSAS DID
IT, NEW MEXICO, A LOT OF OUR
NEIGHBORING STATES DID IT, BUT
46,000 OF MY CONSTITUENTS IN
NORTH AND EAST AND SOUTH
HOUSTON HAD WOULD HAVE HAD
SOME TYPE OF HEALTHCARE IF THE
STATE HAD TAKEN THAT MONEY.
>> HOW MUCH OF IT FAILURE IN
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS
BASED UPON POLITICS AS OPPOSED
TO THE ENVIRONMENT, MARKETPLACE
ALLOWED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT
IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO?
>> POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT,
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY HAVE TRIED TO REPEAL
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
LITERALLY FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND,
OF COURSE, THEY COULDN'T GET TO
THROUGH THE U.S. SENATE, AND IF
THEY DID, PRESIDENT OBAMA WOULD
HAVE VETOED IT.
THIS TIME, THEY GOT IT OUT OF
THE HOUSE, AND IT'S OVER IN THE
SENATE NOW, AND THE BILL THAT
THEY PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE,
BARELY.
WE HAD 20 REPUBLICANS AND ALL
DEMOCRATS VOTING AGAINST THE
REPUBLICAN PLAN THAT'S NOW IN
THE SENATE AND THE SENATE IS
WORKING ON IT.
WHAT IT WOULD DO IN OUR
DISTRICT, IT WOULD DEVASTATE
WITH THE 20,000 FOLKS WE HAVE
THAT'S ON THE CHANGES BECAUSE
SO MANY OF THOSE FOLKS ON THE
EXCHANGE GET SUBSIDIES BECAUSE
THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO
PAY FOR IT, AND SO THESENATE,
THOUGH, IS WORKING, THEY'VE
CREATED ALMOST LIKE A SELECT
COMMITTEE OF SENATORS TO TRY
AND WORK FOR ON IT.
THE PROBLEM IS, I DON'T THINK
THEY HAVE ONE DEMOCRATIC
SENATOR ON IT AND IN THE
SENATE, IT'S 52 REPUBLICANS, 48
DEMOCRATS.
ABOUT SOMETHING BEING DONE
THAT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL
TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS OR NOT?
>> WELL, IF THEY DON'T DO
ANYTHING, THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT WILL STAY IN EFFECT, AND I
WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND FIX
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED
TO WORK ON.
NO LAW THAT'S EVER PASSED BY
CONGRESS OR THE STATE
LEGISLATURE IS EVER PERFECT, SO
TYPICALLY WHAT YOU DO IS, AFTER
A COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU GO BACK
IN AND SEE LET'S SEE WHAT'S
WORKING, WHAT'S NOT AND LET'S
FIX IT.
WE COULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE OF
THE POLITICS IN WASHINGTON.
YOU COULDN'T GET LENLTD IN A
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FUSSED YOU
CARE ACT.
YOUR ANSWER FOR ALL OF THAT WAS
JUST REPEAL IT, AND NOW THEY'RE
TRYING TO REPLACE IT.
IT'S TOUGH TO REPLACE IT, AS
THE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGED.
HEALTHCARE IS LARD TO DEAL WITH.
THAT.
I KNOW YOU WILL AS WELL BEHALF
ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF ATTENTION
THAT YOU NEED TO DO IN
WASHINGTON.
THERE'S ALL KIND OF
INVESTIGATION GOING ON.
YOU'RE WATCHING THE HOUSING
INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE,
THEY'RE LOOKING INTO ALL THE
THINGS RELATED TO RUSSIA.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THERE'S
GOING TO BE A REAL OBJECTIVE
LOOK THAT'S GOING ON AND
WHETHER THERE WAS A TIE BETWEEN
THE TRUMP TEAM AND RUSSIA AND
ALL OF THE THINGS ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT?
>> I WANTED AN INDEPENDENT
COMMISSION APPOINTED, BUT WE
HAVE A HOUSE COMMITTEE THAT'S
GOING TO DO HEARINGS, WE HAVE A
SENATE COMMITTEE ON IT, WE HAVE
A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR APPOINTED
BY THE F.B.I. DIRECTOR, SO WE
HAVE THREE DIFFERENT
INVESTIGATION GOING ON NOW, AND
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY DAY,
SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.
THIS LAST WEEK, WE HEARD THAT
ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS
ACTUALLY MET OTHER TIMES WITH
THE RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVES
THAT HE DIDN'T REPORT WHEN HE
BACKGROUND CHECK, SO THAT'S AN
ISSUE.
THAT CAN BE CORRECTED.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A
BACKGROUND CHECK TO BE AN
APPOINTED OFFICIAL LIKE THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL OR ANYONE
ELSE, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE
YOU'RE THOROUGH IN WHAT KAKTSZ.
CONTACTS.
RUSSIA IS NOT OUR FRIEND.
PRESIDENT PUTIN WANTS TO
RECREATE THE COLD WAR WHERE THE
SOVIET UNION AND THE UNITED
STATES WERE BATTLING EACH OTHER
SOMETIMES THROUGH SURROGATES IN
VIETNAM, KOREA, EVERYWHERE ELSE.
HE WANTS TO RECREATE THAT, AND
WE DON'T NEED TO GO THERE.
WE TRIED TO WORK WITH RUSSIA,
BUT THEY'RE MORE OF A
DICTATORSHIP NOW THAN ANYTHING
ELSE.
>> CONGRESSMAN, AL GREEN CALLED
FOR IMPAOEFPT.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
I DON'T GET THE SENSE THAT YOU
WOULD STAND UP AND SAY THAT.
>> I WANT TO SEE WHERE THE
EVIDENCE GOES.
AL WAS FORMER JUSTICE OF THE
PEACE AND A LAWYER JUST LIKE I
AM.
THESE ARE ALLEGATIONS, AND WE
WANT TO SEE WHERE THEY GO, AND
IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE
PROSECUTOR.
COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE
COMMITTEES.
WE NEED TO SEE WHAT CONTACT
THERE WAS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
PEOPLE IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING EVEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS
INVESTMENTS, AND HIS PEOPLE WHO
HAVE HELPED HIM BUILD THESE
LUXURIOUS HOTELS ALL OVER THE
WORLD, THAT HE MAY HAVE A
TENDENCY TO BE MORE FRIENDLY
WITH THE RUSSIANS THAN I THINK
IS IN OUR INTERNATIONAL
INTEREST.
>> THERE'S A LOT STILL OUT
THERE FOR SURE.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE WITH
CONGRESSMAN GENE GREEN AFTER
THE BREAK AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT
WHERE THERE'S MOST AGREEMENT
AND OPTIMISM AND HIS VIEW ON
PASSED IN TEXAS AND ELSEWHERE.