CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: ACA and Government Shutdown

Interview

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BURNETT: Democrat, Republican, market expert, man in charge of the American economy. Washington is failing again and this time some Republicans say they have a plan to keep funding the government, but only if they take funding for Obamacare out of it. As we've said before, that is a nonstarter and whether you love or loath Obamacare, that is not the point. It's a guarantee of a shutdown.

And while there is plenty of waste and abuse in Washington, the truth is a shutdown does nothing about that. OUTFRONT tonight, Congressman Tom Cole, a Republican, fourth ranking Republican in the House. Congressman Cole, great to see you.

Let's start with this. In your party, sir, some are taking a stand on principle that they think Obamacare is bad for America and they are going to stop funding it as part of this deal. Obviously that will not pass the Senate. It will shut down the government. Is it worth it?

REPRESENTATIVE TOM COLE (R), OKLAHOMA: Well, first of all, I don't think we will have a government shutdown. That's certainly not our intention. Actually the bill makes sure that funding continues. Now there is a defunding provision for Obamacare in the bill. This is really Congress doing what it's supposed to do. That reflects what the majority thinks in the House. We'll send it to the Senate. They have plenty of time to act.

A number of our colleagues on the Republican side over there have made the point that they think they can get it done. They would like to have the opportunity. They have some unusual tools in the filibuster and they also have Democrats that they may not want to defund it, but it they might want to delay it if only for political purposes.

So we want to give them that opportunity, but I expect the Senate will send something back and the House will respond to that. But I would be very surprised if we get to a government shutdown. That's certainly not our aim.

BURNETT: So you think it is a serious proposition, though, to take the funding away for Obamacare? I mean, the only reason I ask, as we all know, this is the president's signature policy achievement. It has passed test after test. Again, I know a lot of people hate it. I'm not making a political point here. I'm just saying it's passed the Supreme Court. I mean, it is the law of the land and using a shutdown to try to defund it seems a little bit ridiculous to a lot of people.

COLE: Remember, we've changed the law seven times already and saved about $62 million. I think we'll continue to chip away at it where we can, but this was a unique opportunity. Again, all the Senate has to do is act. They don't have to do what we say, but you can't expect the House to simply follow whatever the Senate dictates.

So this reflects the House's majority will. The Senate can now operate and act and frankly those senators that wanted this in their court have it in their court. We'll see whether or not they can handle it and what they can do with it. At the end of the day, if they'll send us back something, we'll react to that.

The speaker made it clear last thing we want to do is shut down the government. This bill does not shut down the government. It would take non-action by the United States Senate and let me say I expect them to act, not sit on their thumbs so to speak.

BURNETT: The speaker also said, though, of course, back in March that he thought, you know, using Obamacare was holding the government hostage and a recipe for a shutdown and he thought it was irresponsible to do this. Now obviously he's going ahead with it, but this isn't -- his heart doesn't seem to be in it.

COLE: This isn't our final move in this particular match. Again, we're waiting now assuming we pass the bill tomorrow on the Senate to act. When it acts, we'll respond. So just because we put something in there doesn't mean the Senate has to respond. Some of our senators over there have asked us to do said and we said OK. We'll put you in the game and see how you do.

And then at some point, the Senate will send us back a product and I expect the House to pick that up and try to move swiftly. But again, we agree, we don't think the government ought to be shutdown. I've always been an opponent of that. I don't think it's a very effective tactic and I think the political consequences of it are fairly bad for the people that actually do it.

BURNETT: Look, I totally, I believe what you say and I know a lot of you have your heart exactly where your mouth is. But the truth of it is to the American people, it's -- OK, now we have a deadline. We have to re-litigate things that have already been litigated. Obviously in this case it's Obamacare. Everybody says they don't want to shut the government down, but yet they might pass something that will defund Obamacare. A Democratic Senate won't pass it. So you're saying you don't want to do it, but you're willing to do it.

COLE: No. Let's wait and see what the Senate does. All the Senate has to do is act on the legislation. They will receive it in plenty of time. They can send it back to us with or without the defunding provision in it and then we have to respond, but the idea that somehow simply because we sent it over there means they acquiesce. We hope they will.

We think some of our senators want an opportunity. They certainly been talking about it so let's give them the opportunity and see what they do. At the end of the day, the Senate will send us back a product. We'll deal with what. I think we're at the beginning of about a 75-day negotiation where we try to deal with the end of the fiscal year, with "The Sequester," with the debt ceiling and continue progress on the deficit. So this is a first move in a much larger negotiation.

BURNETT: You just ruined my day, killed my night and broke my heart, 75 days. All right, Congressman Cole, thank you very much.

COLE: I'm so sorry, Erin.

BURNETT: Everybody watching you making a lot of tears flow. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

COLE: You bet.

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