CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript

Interview

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We have been hearing this cacophony of disagreement from the halls in Washington and echoing across the country and what we want to do now, for a couple minutes is focus in on where may Democrats and Republicans agree across the aisle on health care. And to help us, we have two lawmakers joining us, actually from the same state. I'm really glad we are doing it this way.

Representative Marsha Blackburn is joining us as well as Representative Steve Cohen, both from Tennessee.

Thanks to both of you for being here.

REP MARSHA BLACKBURN (D), TENNESSEE: Thank you.

REP STEVE COHEN (D), TENNESSEE: You're very welcome.

LEVS: This is an interesting article in "USA Today," that lists some places where there's a lot of agreement between Democrats and Republicans, Does each of you, and Representative Blackburn, to you first, agree that there should be government subsidies to help low income Americans buy health insurance?

BLACKBURN: I think that there is a way that government subsidies can be done. And certainly many of us who have served in state legislatures have looked for ways to voucher people into a private system.

LEVS: OK, Representative Cohen, what about you, do you see government subsidies to help low income Americans buy health insurance?

COHEN: Unquestionable. We did that now with Medicaid, a great program started in 1965, Lyndon Johnson signed it into law, about 44 years ago, Medicare, Medicaid, that are great programs. Referred to as socialism, that are as American as apple pie, today.

LEVS: One of the things that they point out here is that lawmakers, pretty much across the board, want to see increased competition including, something like a marketplace in which people would be able to compare and contrast the different insurance plans and have more options. Is that a principle you both want to see?

BLACKBURN: There is a concept Newt Gingrich has pushed forward with like a Travelocity type concept, where you could go in and compare rates and compare what is offered in insurance plans. That greater transparency will help lead to greater competition. And that is something that is badly needed in the health insurance market.

LEVS: Representative Cohen, are you pretty close on that one?

COHEN: Well, I think so. The exchange would be an opportunity on a national level for people to compare the different insurance policies that are offered. And the public plan would keep them honest.

LEVS: I think you both agree with this, preventing insurance companies from refusing to cover pre-existing conditions?

BLACKBURN: Yes, I think that what we have to look at here is that for those who have pre-existing conditions, as they go into the insurance market, there needs to be some kind of risk pooling that they can move into for a period of time with those pre-existing conditions.

COHEN: I agree with Congresswoman Blackburn, but she says for a while and go into a pool. Pre-existing conditions are generally with you until your death and people, it's going to cost more to have people in insurance pools with pre-existing conditions. And that is going to cost some monies, wherever it is. and if it's in the private sector there needs to be some countervailing force to keep those private sector forces from getting too high.

LEVS: How far apart, honestly, do you think your parties really are in coming to a resolution?

COHEN: Probably as far apart as the two sides of the Grand Canyon.

BLACKBURN: I think what we have is not so much a partisan divide, as it is a philosophical divide.

LEVS: Well look, I'll tell you we all obviously hope (INAUDIBLE) is not the size of the Grand Canyon, that these places in which you do agree on principle can start to serve as a bridge. Obviously a lot of people counting on that ultimately happening. Thank you so much to both of you, very good to have you with today. We'll talk to you again.

BLACKBURN: Good to be with you. Thank you.

COHEN: Always nice to be with Congresswoman Blackburn.

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