MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Welcome back to THE ED SHOW. Leaders say the Senate compromise on health care is a breakthrough, but a lot of liberals say it's a deal-breaker. Joining me now is Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. Ron, can you vote for this as it stands right now? What do you think?

SEN RON WYDEN (D), OREGON: Ed, we're waiting to see the details and waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to get us the information about their analysis. But here's the bottom line: here in the home stretch, the insurance lobby is pulling out all the stops to try to protect business as usual. And progressives here in the Senate and progressives around the country, we're all pushing back as hard as we possibly can.

I voted for the robust public option in the Senate Finance Committee. Obviously, we're not going to get something like that. But we're certainly not going to let the insurance lobby prevail, and in effect, take the status quo and plaster a public option sticker on it. That's just going to be unacceptable.

SCHULTZ: So, can you tell us tonight that the public option, some form of it, the way you and I know it, is not dead? There's conflicting reports. It was breaking news last night. Then Harry Reid came out and said it's not dead. What is it?

WYDEN: What I can tell you, Ed, is progressives are not going to accept anything short of real reform. I've been working on this issue for literally 30 years, since I was co-director of the Oregon Gray Panthers. I want to make sure that consumers in every part of this country can deliver an ultimatum to the insurance lobby. That ultimatum is treat me right or I am taking my business elsewhere. And we are going to stay at it until we get real reform.

SCHULTZ: OK. OPM is going to administer this through private insurers. And if they start jacking the rates up, then a trigger would kick in. Would you go along with that? Is that reform?

WYDEN: That alone is not enough for me. I've got to make sure that there's both choice and affordability. In much of this country, Ed, the insurance industry has been able to hotwire a competition-free zone. There really isn't any competition. There isn't choice.

That's not right. Members of Congress have real choices. Members of Congress are in a position to play hardball with the insurance industry. So we've got to have real reform that ensures that all Americans have the kinds of choices members of Congress have and can hold the insurance lobby accountable.

SCHULTZ: So, as it stands right now, it's not reform. It's changes, right?

WYDEN: As it stands now, we also have some progressive provisions on the table that we've fought for for years. For example, older people-older people get creamed by the insurance lobby. They're subjected to some of the most vicious discrimination on the basis of their age. Under what progressives have fought for, we would had many folks who, in many instances, have been laid off from their jobs; they'd be able to get help before they're eligible for Medicare, between 55 and 64. Progressives are fighting for key issues.

SCHULTZ: Good to have you on tonight.

WYDEN: Thank you.

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