MSNBC Interview - Transcript
Interview
MSNBC Interview - Transcript
MSNBC Interview With Senator John Cornyn
Subjects Include: American Health-Care Reform Legislation, The Situation In Iran
Interviewer: Andrea Mitchell
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MS. MITCHELL: And meanwhile, Democrats say they might be forced to pass health-care reform on their own. Senator Chuck Schumer says that a proposed compromise with Republicans does not come close to satisfying those who support a public option. Recent polls show that Americans agree; a public option is necessary in order for reform to work.
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas serves on both the Finance and Budget Committees, so is at the center of the action. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. CORNYN: Thanks, Andrea.
MS. MITCHELL: Just a few moments ago your colleague Chuck Grassley said that you were going to have scale back on the subsidies for low-income -- to extend health care to low-income Americans in order to meet any kind of bipartisan goal, because of the high scoring by the CBO, saying that it would cost a trillion -- $1.6 trillion. Do you agree with that? And is that realistic, knowing that the Democrats have a majority, and you need to keep the Democratic votes together?
SEN. CORNYN: Well, Andrea, if we're interested in solving problems, I think we can solve the problem of roughly 12 million people who don't have coverage that need coverage by providing subsidies, particularly based on ability to pay. And that would not score anywhere near the Kennedy or the Baucus plans that have been discussed so far, which are in the trillions.
But I think the question is real one. That is, how long can we continue to spend and how long can we continue to borrow and can we continue to grow government programs with impunity? Somebody's going to have to pay, and unfortunately I think it's going to be our children and grandchildren, unless we get real.
MS. MITCHELL: Well, you've said that the -- a government plan is not the answer, yet that flies in the face of the latest polling from The New York Times and CBS. Their poll showed that overall there was 72 percent support for a public plan. Among Democrats that was 87 percent. Among independents that was 73 percent. Even 50 percent of Republicans support a public plan.
So how do you expect Republicans and those Democrats who are more concerned about costs than expanding the availability of health care -- how can that minority in the Senate pull together enough support to counteract this public support for the public option?
SEN. CORNYN: Well, with all due respect to The New York Times and CBS, this polling sample was skewed. Power Line Blog did a very good job of demonstrating that online, which I would commend to anyone who cares to look at it.
But I think what people want is, they want to be empowered to make their own health-care choices. They don't want the government in the examining room between them and their doctor when they're getting diagnosed or getting advice on their health-care matters. And they sure don't want to have to delay or deny access to care, which is rationing, which is the way the government tries to control cost, even though the government does so terribly.
But I think for those who are arguing for a government-run plan, what's their model? Well, is it Medicare for all? We know Medicare is financially unsustainable. We know that it doesn't provide coverage, because so many people aren't given access; while they have coverage, they don't -- can't find a doctor that is willing to treat them at Medicare rates. So to me, Medicare is a flawed model, and we shouldn't be recommending Medicare for all when in fact that does not do a very good job now. We ought to be looking at ways to empower individuals and not the government.
MS. MITCHELL: Do you think that you can go to markup this week in Finance, as Senator Grassley said is necessary if you're going to have something ready for final passage in October?
SEN. CORNYN: Well, I know Senator Baucus and Senator Grassley, as the ranking Republican, are working closely together to try to prepare something for the Finance Committee to consider. There will be a number of amendments on the Republican side to try to improve that bill. And I don't know whether it can be ready by the end of this summer before we break for the -- for August. I think rather than trying to do this fast, we'd better do it right, because as we can see, there may be unintended consequences to this, running people off of the insurance they have right now. As one analyst has said, about 120 million would lose the coverage they have right now if we go to a government plan. And then the costs and how we're going to pay for those costs in terms of increased taxes -- these are just -- these are voids that need to be filled in, so we can make intelligent decisions.
MS. MITCHELL: And I wanted to ask you about Iran as well. This is what Senator John McCain had to say on CBS's "Face the Nation" yesterday about the approach that the president has taken.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): (From video.) I'd like to see the president be stronger than he has been, although I appreciate the comments that he made yesterday. I think we ought to have America lead. And I also think he should point out that this is not just a Iranian issue; this is an American issue, what we're all about. I think the president ought to expand this issue beyond just those demonstrators, although they -- certainly our hearts and our sympathy goes out to them and their families.
MS. MITCHELL: Do you think it's fair of Senator McCain to be criticizing the president? Isn't the president trying to walk a very careful balancing act between showing support for the demonstrators and for democracy in Iran, but not making America the target of the Iranian regime?
SEN. CORNYN: I agree it is a tough line to walk, but I think initially to see the president of the United States speak with more timidity than European leaders kind of hits me the wrong way. I agree with Senator McCain --
MS. MITCHELL: But Senator, don't European leaders --
SEN. CORNYN: -- that America ought to stand with the Iranian people.
MS. MITCHELL: Don't European leaders get somewhat of a pass in that they have a relationship, an ongoing relationship, with Iran? America is the "great Satan" and has been since 1979. So we have a special burden to bear where we can be involved and be used as a scapegoat by the Iranian regime.
SEN. CORNYN: Well, the single focus, I think, ought to be on regime change, peaceful regime change, by the Iranian people, because right now we have a regime that we cannot negotiate with, which is building nuclear weapons and which will result in a regional confrontation with Israel unless we, the rest of the civilized world, does something to persuade Iran that pursuing nuclear weapons is not the way to go.
But I do think we should be with the Iranian people. And you're right; there is a fine line to walk. But I think Senator McCain has struck the right balance here, and I'm glad to see the president ratcheting up his remarks to make it clear we stand with the Iranian people and on the side of freedom and -- freedom of speech and the right to protest.
MS. MITCHELL: All right. Senator John Cornyn, thanks so much. And we're going to be hearing more from the president, if not sooner, certainly by this time tomorrow, when he's going to have his news conference right around the 12:30 hour. Thank you very much, Senator John Cornyn.
SEN. CORNYN: Thank you.
END.
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