CBS "Face The Nation" - Transcript
Interview
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And now, we want to talk to Dick Durbin, Senator from Illinois who, of course, is the number two
Democrat in the Democratic leadership in the Senate.
Senator Durbin, what will be the first thing that you will do, if, let's say, that the House does pass
this?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (Majority Whip/D-Illinois): Well, of course, we've been working
on this for quite a long time. And this last week Harry Reid, our leader, Senator Schumer,
Senator Murray and I have really met with, virtually, well, in fact, every Democratic senator, face
to face so that we understand the importance of this vote. I listened to Senator McConnell talk
about the procedure and the process and the politics. But I think our members are impressed by
the substance of our challenge here. If we do nothing, as the Republicans suggest, we're going
to see health care costs reach a point where small businesses can't afford it and families can't
afford it. We're going to see people turned down from pre-existing conditions. We're going to
find the Medicare doughnut hole a-- a gap in coverage that going to hurt a lot of seniors. So
when you get to the substance beyond the politics of the next election, we think this is a clear
choice.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, let me ask you just a little bit about the politics first. You just heard
Mister Clyburn, the top vote counter saying, in the House, saying that Senator Reid said to him
yesterday, do you want to see the letter. And we've been hearing reports that House Democrats
were demanding a-- a letter with the signatures of fifty-one Democratic senators. They're so
distrustful of the Senate that they were asking to see a letter with the names of fifty-one of you
on it, assuring them that they would pass the corrections to the original Senate bill that the
House wants. Is there such a letter? And will it be given to House members?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN Yes, there is such a letter. It has been discussed and-- with
Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi. She knows and we know that there is a majority to pass this
reconciliation bill in the Senate Democratic caucus.
BOB SCHIEFFER: They're-- it's written down on a piece of paper--fifty-one signatures by
Democrats, and if the House passes these corrections that they will-- they will sign that?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN Let me tell you, I think there may even be more than fifty-one.
The Speaker knows this. She's spoken directly to Senator Reid. And at this point, we're ready to
move forward.
BOB SCHIEFFER: So how does this work then? The Senate-- I mean, the House passes these
two bills today if-- if they do have the votes. Do-- what do you take up? And when do you take it
up, Senator Durbin?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN Understand, health care reform, if the House passes both today
is a law that will be sent to the President. We will have health care reform in America. The
reconciliation bill which this-- the House is, I hope, also going to pass, makes it even better. In
terms of making it more affordable for families and businesses, closing this doughnut hole,
making sure that we have more health care clinics across America to keep people out of
emergency rooms and give them basic care. So we think we're on a path now to pass
reconciliation in the Senate. But the rules are a little different, Bob.
In-- in the Senate, we have Senator Robert C. Byrd who, if he didn't invent reconciliation,
certainly reinvented it. And we need to play by those Senate rules to bring this to completion.
BOB SCHIEFFER: And do you think you can do that this week? Do you think--
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (overlapping): Yes.
BOB SCHIEFFER: --this will be done this week? And--
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (overlapping): We'll start it this week.
BOB SCHIEFFER: --and what do you do--
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (overlapping): And we'll--
BOB SCHIEFFER: --when the Republicans, Senator McConnell, he was playing his cards very
close to the vest this morning, as you heard. But he said we're prepared to introduce
amendments. This could go on as we know in the Senate, there can be amendments and
amendments and amendments. How do you-- how do you bring that to a close, if-- if in fact you
can?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN (overlapping): Well I-- It's never been tested. You know, the
purpose of reconciliation is to avoid the filibuster. The filibuster is an effort to talk something to
death.
And in this case, the Republicans are going to try to use reconciliation, which was supposed to
be a more direct process to offer amendments to a breaking point. Well, I certainly think that
we're ready to tackle that if that's what they want to do. We're going to deal with honest
amendments on substance that meet the test of the Senate Rules. But there's going to come a
point when the American people and the people in the Senate are going to say, this really isn't
about substance, it's all about politics.
Now, let's make a final decision--up-or-down vote. Do you want to change the problems we face
in health care today? And it's certainly a majority of Democrats do. Or do you want to stand by
the health insurance companies and keep the problems we have going? And I'm afraid that's
where the Republicans are.
BOB SCHIEFFER: So, just one more time I want to ask you, you think this legislation will be
ready for the President to sign this week?
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN Well, I can't say what the parliamentary rulings will be on every
provision. But I can tell you that we have a majority of the United States Senate ready to vote for
the reconciliation bill to move this forward for the President's signature. If there is some
procedural problem we run into, we're going to work through it. We are determined to get this
done. The Republicans want us to quit and stop and don't try any more. We're not going to do
that.
BOB SCHIEFFER: All right.
SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN We owe it to the American people to finish this job.
BOB SCHIEFFER: All right. Thank you so much, Senator. And I will be back in a moment with
some final thoughts.
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