MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Joining me now is Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, member of the Senate Finance Committee.

And not only have we gotten some conflicting comments from some people in Congress, we have had conflicting reports, you know, from time to time. We've had reports out there, well, they're going to do this. Well, they're going to do that. You know, you can only take people at face value.

Now, this gentleman has undoubtedly been on the same page all along, Ron Wyden. He is for more choice and has claimed all along that's what we have to focus on.

Senator, at this hour, do you think that Harry Reid is going to get 60 votes to take this to the floor to begin the debate? What do you think?

SEN. RON WYDEN (D), OREGON: I believe Harry Reid will get those 60 votes.

I will tell you, we're going to the grassroots of this country and saying this is the time. We've got a progressive Democrat in the White House, we've got allies in the House and the Senate. And what we're going to do is focus on the real issues. That's getting everybody covered, it's holding premiums down, and particularly holding insurance companies accountable.

SCHULTZ: OK. But you've got all these red state guys out there, these conservative Democrats that are threatening-you know, Mary Landrieu, you've got Ben Nelson-you know, what do they want? Do you know what they want? Do you know what could tip them over to get them into the pile of 60 to move this thing forward to make sure we get reform in this country?

WYDEN: Ed, I can tell you, this health reform debate is going to change every 15 minutes. And we've got 100 unique personalities in the United States Senate. And let's face it, there is something of a tradition in the Senate of folks saying no, then negotiating up until about five minutes before they get to yes.

What I want to do is make sure that we don't lose sight of the real issues. For example, one concern I have right now on the public option is the possibility that it could be a health care ghetto made up just of sick people. It's going to comprise less than 10 percent of the population. These are going to be folks who haven't had checkups, haven't had preventative care, haven't had good chronic care.

I want to make sure that we can really hold insurance companies accountable. Let's force them to put their whole customer base on the line. Let's open up these exchanges so that we can really promote choice and competition and get a good deal for the consumer.

SCHULTZ: That's kind of a rough term, Senator. A health care ghetto? I mean, everybody in this country pays taxes, don't they? Everybody that works. And we've got a lot of people suffering out there.

Do you think the public option is going to be strong enough? Because today, over on the House side, they're talking about not having a robust public option, which would open the door for conservative Democrats in the Senate to water this thing down even further. And the fear out there is that we're not going to get the reform that we once started out thinking that we were going to get.

Your thoughts on that?

WYDEN: Folks need to know that the public option can be a strong tool if people can get it. But what folks don't understand, Ed, is the way this is written, the only people who can get it are folks who don't have insurance coverage.

And I asked the Congressional Budget Office director, Doug Elmendorf, specifically about the numbers. It comes to less than 10 percent of the population.

These are going to be folks who have been sick, they're poor. You're not going to have a commercial insurer in the United States except a customer base like this made up primarily of folks who have had serious health problems. We have got to make sure, Ed, that there's a big risk pool and there's a healthy balance of the folks who are in it.

SCHULTZ: We are heading towards a big windfall for the insurance industry in this country. Are we not?

WYDEN: There is no question that they are slicing a fat hog today, and that's why I want to do what they fear most, which is promote real choice and real competition. I think everybody in this country ought to have public and private choices like members of Congress.

SCHULTZ: But Ron, as it stands right now, they're winning. The insurance companies are going to really gain by this reform. And the way it stands right now, we really don't know if there's going to be a lot of competition.

Is that a fair statement?

WYDEN: Ed, I will tell you, by and large, the forces of the status quo caucus, and they are led by the insurance lobby that is going to do everything they can to keep this country a competition-free zone. They are doing very well. And that's why I'm going to stay at it until all Americans have choices, not just something like 10 percent and folks that disproportionately are having health problems.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Good to have you with us tonight. Thanks so much.

WYDEN: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source