MSNBC "The Ed Show" Interview - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "THE ED SHOW" INTERVIEW WITH HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STENY HOYER (D-MD)

INTERVIEWER: ED SCHULTZ

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MR. SCHULTZ: I really don't know why the president even talks to the Republicans anymore when it comes to health care. They have no solutions. Let's focus on the solutions. Democrats in the Congress are looking forward to move things forward when it comes to health care reform. That's you. That's your bill. That's your doctor. They don't want to put the government in between you and your doctor.

For more on all of this, let's go to the man who's at the center of this debate and leading the charge, Congressman Steny Hoyer, who's the majority leader in the House.

Steny, you gave a great speech today on the floor, starting to lead the charge on health care reform.

What do you want to do? What can be done in 2009?

REP. HOYER: (Rush ?), what we want to do, as you well know, and the president has set forth as an agenda, is to make health care, quality health care, accessible health care, available to all Americans. It is shameful, in the richest country on the face of the earth, we've got 46 million Americans who, if they get sick, are not sure exactly where they can get treatment or get advice from a doctor. And if they get really sick, they go to an emergency room, which is the most expensive place to go to get health care.

So we're about the business of making sure that every American is in our health care system and has access to quality health care.

MR. SCHULTZ: All right --

REP. HOYER: We think that makes good sense for them, it makes good sense for our country, and it makes good sense for our economy.

MR. SCHULTZ: Steny, how much help are you actually going to get from Republicans? I have in my hand tonight -- this story was broken by the Politico -- "The Language of Health Care, 2009," by Republican strategist, pollster, whatever Fox guy, Frank Luntz, and it says, "The 10 Rules for Stopping the Washington Takeover of Health Care."

Now, if this is what they're circulating, what do Americans have to look forward to, to any kind of bipartisan support? What do you think?

REP. HOYER: Well, I'm hopeful, Ed, that we'll have bipartisan support, and we're going to work on getting bipartisan support. After all, the most conservative people in America and the most liberal people in America and everybody in between gets sick. They need health care. So this ought not to be a partisan issue.

Frank Luntz is a very talented guy, by the way, at spinning things, at how to talk to people and have them give a response. In this case, he wants a negative response because he wants his party not to be perceived as being against health care reform. So they may talk well, but they don't walk the walk.

MR. SCHULTZ: Well, I'll tell you what, Congressman Hoyer, you're the majority leader. I will document later in this show tonight how some Republicans are actually quoting from this already. It didn't take very long.

Now, this is going to be a battle. And I believe that this plan is to do everything it possibly can to help the Republicans derail any kind of health care reform in this country. Do you think they'd be up to that?

REP. HOYER: Let me say something about that, Ed, because, frankly, I think democracy works. And I would hope that the American public, that really believes that we need health care reform -- they believe that everybody ought to be in the system -- they know full well that their premiums on average are $1,100 more per year because of those 46 (million), 47 million people. They're paying their insurance. Those people ought to be in the system.

They understand, from a cost standpoint, it's good for them, but certainly from a standpoint of having a healthy nation, it's good for them. They want their children sitting next to healthy children in school.

MR. SCHULTZ: It just signals to me, and I think to a lot of Americans, that they would rather be obstructionists than to sign on to anything successful that this president and the Democrats want to get done when it comes to health care reform.

REP. HOYER: You know, Ed, let me tell you, the speaker and I are both reaching out to our Republican colleagues, asking for their thoughts. We're hopeful that they'll participate with us. We believe this is a very, very critical effort for us, not only in terms of individuals, but bringing down the cost of health care for Americans and, frankly, for the government as well. We spend $2.4 trillion on health care in this country, and it needs to be reformed, fully inclusive and cost-effective. We hope our Republican colleagues will join us in that effort.

MR. SCHULTZ: You know, Steny, Majority Leader, I've got to tell you, a friend of mine, we've talked a lot about this in the past, and I appreciate you coming on, being so direct.

You know, if the Congress doesn't do anything else this year -- it just does this -- it's a victory.

REP. HOYER: I agree with that.

MR. SCHULTZ: It's a victory.

Steny, thanks so much. Good to have you with us tonight.

REP. HOYER: Thank you, Ed. Congratulations on your show.

MR. SCHULTZ: You bet, my man. Thank you very much.

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