Transcription of Senator Grassley's Conference Call with Iowa Reporters

Interview

GRASSLEY: This morning, Senator Baucus and I start the process of writing a bill, although the step we're taking this morning is just a broad, bipartisan discussion of Finance Committee members regarding one of the options, three different segments that we're dividing it into. And this one is for reducing cost and improving quality of health care delivery system.

So emphasis upon delivery system. This -- the words we use, "walk through," is one of the steps in a process that we planned earlier this year where we have asked committee members to focus on three areas of health care reform: the delivery system today, increasing coverage to, and financing reform; two and three down the road a ways.

In each area, we're hosting a round table and putting options on paper and then having an open discussion. All together, it's an effort to find common ground and common-sense solutions to improve the health care system by driving down unsustainable costs and making coverage for affordable.

Now, I'm sure every one of you knows, as -- but if you don't, I want you to know that I know this, health care reform is a big challenge, maybe the biggest challenge -- oh, I think, without a doubt, the biggest challenge Senator Baucus and I faced in our nine years of leadership of this committee.

Big challenge not just because of changing health care delivery but, don't forget, it's 16 percent of the gross national product. I don't know whether Congress ever deals with issues that impact 16 percent of the economy all in one bill. But this one would do this if we are successful. Not necessarily reducing or increasing that percentage, but make sure that we get more for our money and take care of 47 million people that don't have health insurance.

Health care, not own is 16 percent of the gross national product, but it touches the quality of life of every household as few other issues do. I'm doing everything I can to make the reform effort in Congress a bipartisan one, not a top-down partisan one so that the outcome is something that is good for the country for decades to come.

Kerry Cathcart?

QUESTION: Thank you. Well, Senator, I don't know if you know, but I've had three detached retina surgeries since the first of the year. And so I can talk to you about health care all you want to talk about it.

Anyway, I did want to ask something. I missed your call last week because I was up at the Wolfe Clinic seeing my surgeon. But what did you think about the Obama reaction to terrorism and releasing the documents? And then, also, do you think there should be Senate hearings on that?

GRASSLEY: Well, there are Senate hearings going on in the Intelligence Committee. Maybe they're a little broader than just what you asked me about because I think they're looking, also, into the actions of the -- of the individuals that wrote these documents as well.

First of all, if I were president of the United States, I wouldn't have released them because my philosophy is you don't tell your enemies how you run your defense system. And this is part of our national security.

Number two, if they're released and they are released, then the results of the -- of the various methods of interrogation, we ought to know the results of them. So those ought to be released as well.

So I guess those are the two things I think about it.

Tom Beaumont?

QUESTION: Senator, I wanted to talk with you a little bit about Senator Specter's news yesterday. How do you see this affecting the Republican's approach in the Senate and your role in particular?

GRASSLEY: Well, in regard to his change of party, all two words would be all I'd say on that and then I'll answer your question, or the other parts of your question.

I'm disappointed.

I think that a lot of it depends upon how the majority of Democrats see a lot of issues. And you've got these 15 people that are following Senator Bayh that they call themselves centrists. Then you've got another smaller group of three or four -- and I don't know exactly where they're coming from but have expressed some independence.

And then you've got Specter. Lord only knows how independent he is. We Republicans have known him for 28 years. Well, I know, from private conversation, that there's some things that he said he was going to help filibuster as a Republican, he's going to do that as a Democrat, he told privately.

So he's known for his independence. Now, how dependent will that be? It depends. So all I can do, as a bottom-line answer to your question, is that right now I can't see that it's going to make a great deal of difference because he was not a dependable Republican when we needed him.

I mean, it was always a case of where's Specter and Collins and Snowe. And we'll still deal with that. And so I don't -- I don't think it's predictable, Tom.

QUESTION: What about on the Judiciary Committee? You know, you're on that committee. Is that a point of concern?

GRASSLEY: I didn't hear yesterday whether the Democrats were going to leave him on the Judiciary Committee or he's got to go -- he's going to stay on the Judiciary Committee, my staff heard that.

I don't know that's it's going to make a big difference unless -- well, unless the Democrats on the Judiciary stay so close together anyway, so one more vote of theirs wouldn't make a lot of difference.

Now, do we get to add a Republican? You know, it's kind of marginal whether we get to place a Republican on there to take his place because these ratios are kind of not made out just committee by committee, but the overall ratio of the total Democrat committee assignments to the total Republican committee assignments of all -- of all committees are in that configuration.

So I can't tell you how that affects the Judiciary Committee.

QUESTION: What about -- last question here on that. What about floor votes for judges? Does this sort of provide a clearer way for Obama's nominees?

GRASSLEY: Yes, I think so.

OK. Mike Myers?

QUESTION: Senator, Senator Jeffords' decision to go over as an independent, to switch party control of the Senate. In all respect to Specter, even though, with Al Franken possibly being seated, is this such a game-changing matter? You used the word "disappointed," but how significant is it overall compared to when the actual majority switched over to the Democrats?

GRASSLEY: It would not be as -- anywhere near as significant because chairmanships of everything changed, ratios didn't change, but chairmanships changed.

QUESTION: Right.

GRASSLEY: And beyond that, I can't tell you much more than I just told Tom Beaumont because, I mean, I just -- you've got to have some test votes and see how he reacts to pressure from Reid versus his own independence.

But I'm sure that he's not going to want to look to the people of Pennsylvania like he's any more pressured by -- would be pressured by Reid than he would let Republicans pressure him. And he showed that independence have considerably over -- not just lately -- over 28 years.

QUESTION: Is it not -- is it a given that the Democrats have 60 votes, therefore, automatically, we shut off fill busters and put health care through as we wish? Or do you think some -- do you think that's soft? That may be the Nelsons and other people are not going to be falling in -- automatically in line?

GRASSLEY: Well, on card check, that might be a case. Let's say he's running as a Democrat in Pennsylvania, you still had Blanche Lincoln prior to Nelson that said that they were not for card checks at this point. So it doesn't seem to me it's going to change that even if Specter would change his mind.

Then you've got all the these other issues you bought up. It's just too early to make a determination, but part of it would be what these -- pardon me -- what these centrist Democrats would do.

QUESTION: My last follow-up on Tom's, please, is did you have occasion to speak to Senator Specter after he announced this decision? And if so, what was that about, please?

GRASSLEY: Well, I -- I didn't have a chance to speak to him, but I was party to what I told Tom Beaumont about that he was going to -- that there was at least some filibusters that he was participating in as a Republican that he was still going to participate in those as a Democrat.

QUESTION: Thank you.

GRASSLEY: Mike Glover?

Joe Martin?

Jim Boyd?

QUESTION: Hi, Senator. You know, everybody and their brother seems to be chiming in on the first 100 days about the Obama administration. What say ye about the first 100 days?

GRASSLEY: Well, he's had some tough issues to deal with, probably no tougher than what Bush was dealing with as he was leaving office but still tough issues. I think -- I think he's demonstrated leadership so he still keeps his popularity, and any Republican has to take that into consideration that he's handled himself in a satisfactory way.

I think, if I were looking at my town meetings, you know, a ten- year average of town meetings in this town, that little town, or some bigger town about twice the size, and there's outrage expressed, not the same type of outrage you see with the Boston Tea Parties on television on April the 15th, but still a great deal of outrage. Concern about the legacy of debt being left to our grandchildren. So from that standpoint, you know, tripling the national debt, I can't give the president big applause for that.

Now, I can give him some moderation on that because he inherited the largest debt of any president. But then you -- that's distracted by the fact that he's doubled that in just the first three months in office.

On foreign policy, I think he's trying to -- to bring people back to talking to America and respecting America, but I think he's done it in a way where he's, kind of, cow-towed and apologized too much. But that's his method of operating.

GRASSLEY: I think it tends to show a weakness that brings question to our national defense and the extent to which he may be challenged as a president as being seen as a softie. You know, he might have this first, great big challenge, and you can say that the pirate situation involving the Americans an example of where he made a wise decision. He was applauded for that.

But that's pretty minuscule compared to what happens with a terrorist attack in New York City. So until he really faces some really big, gigantic national security issue, he's untested at this point. And you can't make a judgment except to say he's doing what is right to try to minimize it by getting greater cooperation among our -- our traditional allies that Bush didn't have. Will he get it? I don't know.

Mary Rae Bragg?

QUESTION: Nothing thing, thank you.

GRASSLEY: Tim Rohwer?

QUESTION: Yes, Senator. Can you hear me?

GRASSLEY: Yes.

QUESTION: Oh, OK. Is there anything Congress can do or are they talking about, you know, the swine flu situation?

GRASSLEY: Yes, we can appropriate more money for swine flu -- or what -- they don't really have a vaccine yet just for swine flu, but there are some things like Tamiflu that you could -- we don't have enough dosage if this would get to be a pandemic and do that.

Obviously, there is -- I'm led to believe that there's chances of developing a vaccine fairly quickly, but I've heard scientists talk about that. That's not something I know for a fact. And the other thing is we can do something to stop the negative impact of the word "swine" being used with flu because the swine flu doesn't come from pigs.

You can eat pork. I've had my pork chops this week. And I would want everybody else to eat pork because it's not transferred from the animal through the meat to man. In fact, it has to go through a mutation -- some sort of mutation with the bird flu to even get here to a human being.

So the best thing to do is continue eating like you would. Be cautious when you're around people that are sick. If you're sick yourself, stay home. If you've got a fever, stay home. And wash your hands regularly.

John Skipper?

OK. I've gone through the list. Anybody have a follow-up?

QUESTION: Senator, I wanted to touch the marriage issue that's boiling up in Iowa politics. We talked a couple of weeks ago, but looking ahead to the 2010 campaign, how prominent a role should this issue play in the Republican campaigns in Iowa next year?

GRASSLEY: Well, it shouldn't play a role -- it shouldn't be decided as Republican or Democrat. It ought to be decided on the issue. So don't get me to speak just for Republicans on this issue. People that are -- instead of talking to me, although I've, you know, I've offered my help in various ways in consultation with leaders, but I've always sought to do it through organizations that tend to be bipartisan and not partisan.

And because the planning would be for the next election, and who knows, issues play themselves, I believe. So I don't really have an answer for you how big of a role it's going to play. But my feeling is it's going to -- it's going to be an issue.

QUESTION: Senator, let me ask a question. I was lucky enough -- Dustin and his wife came and took me out to dinner the night before I had my last eye retina surgery. Let me ask -- what do the Republicans have to do to get back in control? I mean, the Republicans are having a really tough time.

What do you have to do to get back in control?

GRASSLEY: Well, Republicans have having a tough time from the standpoint of people fleeing the Republican and Democrat Party to be independents. You see the division between Democrats at 35, Republicans at 20-some. Democrats have not increased their numbers. Republicans have lost some.

But in both instances, the number of independents has increased. So it's not people fleeing from Republicans to Democrats. It's people taking a more independent stance. And...

QUESTION: I guess my question is I was a lifelong Republican, and I have now become kind of a Democrat. And I don't -- with the social issues that I think that's a real problem. Do the Republicans need to get off the social issue?

GRASSLEY: Well, would you -- you're concerned about the Republican and social issues with the...

QUESTION: I am.

GRASSLEY: Are you more worried about that than the debt increasing three times over the next ten years?

QUESTION: No. But I think -- I'm kind of a Jim Leach person. So let me explain. OK?

GRASSLEY: Well...

QUESTION: And I do. I mean, I'm not -- I am concerned about that.

GRASSLEY: All right. You know, I don't know why people have problems with, as a Republican, associating with people of different points of view. It seems to me that we ought to welcome anybody into the party we can, and we shouldn't boot anybody out. And if you're a Republican and you don't like Republican stands on social issues but you like Republican stands on fiscal issues, why can't you sit down next to somebody that disagrees with you on abortion?

QUESTION: Well, I -- I totally can. But it's just kind of an interesting issue, though, of what you're going to do to get people back into the Republican Party because I want to be a Republican...

GRASSLEY: Why did we lose them? We didn't lose them because of our stand on abortion. We lost them because of our stand on fiscal policy.

QUESTION: Well, I don't say, I disagree with that, but OK.

GRASSLEY: Well, that's what the polls of 2006 showed.

QUESTION: Uh-huh.

GRASSLEY: You know, we got -- we've got to be fiscal conservatives. In other words, we promised to do certain things to get the debt down. We did for four years -- '97, '98, '99 and 2000, $568 billion. But we did -- we -- you know, the war comes along and you spend a lot on the war and people think you're a drunken sailor spending money and they kick you out of office.

QUESTION: Well, and Bush made a big mistake. I mean, I don't think we ever needed to go into Iraq, but that's -- that's beside that.

GRASSLEY: Well, it's funny you'd say that he made a mistake going into Iraq. Did you criticize Clinton for shooting cruise missiles into Iraq? There must have been some reason for Clinton shooting cruise missiles into Iraq.

QUESTION: I agree with you totally. You're right.

It's just kind of interesting. So...

GRASSLEY: Yes.

QUESTION: Senator, why do you think if the American people are so turning away from the Republicans is because they weren't fiscally conservative enough, why is it that Obama's poll numbers, you know, remain pretty high despite all this spending and, you know, deficits projected out into the future under his budget? Why is he still, you know, retaining so much of his popularity?

GRASSLEY: Well, one thing, African-Americans are thrilled to have one of their own as president of the United States, and I'm thrilled to have an African-American as president, too. I'm just sorry it's not, you know, a Republican that's in there instead of him.

But that's one thing. And don't forget that that's a pretty important base of the Democrat Party.

And then he's new and everybody thinks you ought to have a chance to do it. And I don't know -- I've talked about several things on this program where I disagree with him, but just because I disagree with him doesn't mean that he can't be popular or that I think he's a bad guy.

And a lot of people -- I'm looking at policy. And it may sound like I think he's a bad guy, he's not a bad guy. But a lot of people just look at him as a good guy or not a bad guy and don't look at the policy that I'm trying to -- you folks are going to ask me about policy, not whether I like the way he combs his hair, you know.

QUESTION: Do you not like him a lot? I mean, he's kind of cool. I mean, you have to admit he just -- everybody is really an Obama person.

GRASSLEY: Yes. He's got the same approach as Ronald Reagan.

QUESTION: Yes. He is -- he's almost...

GRASSLEY: He's a Reagan Democrat from the standpoint of personality.

QUESTION: Uh-huh.

GRASSLEY: And Teflon approach. He's just got the wrong policies.

QUESTION: But you said he had called you and talked to you, also. I mean, you can work with him, right?

GRASSLEY: Yes.

OK. Goodbye.

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