CNN "State of the Union with Candy Crowley" - Transcript: Government Shutdown, ACA, and Hillary Clinton
Interview
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CROWLEY: I sat down with Nancy Pelosi just after the House vote and asked her where she's willing to compromise.
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CROWLEY: Where are you willing to limit government?
PELOSI: Well, none of us of comes here to have more government than we need. So, we should subject everything we do to real scrutiny to say is this needed because most of it is an expenditure. So, is this needed? Is it doing what it set out to do? Can we consolidate? We should again only subject and review what we do here to make the country work for the American people.
I was making the distinction between those who say how much government do we need for those who say we don't need any government. The anti-government ideology that is making a mess of what goes on in Congress now.
CROWLEY: Do you think there will be a government shutdown or is there room in there for some sort of agreement that could bring enough Democrats and enough Republicans in the House together to keep the government in business at the end of the month?
PELOSI: Let's be really clear about this. The Republicans put legislation on the floor that was intended to shut down government. For them, that's a victory, because they're anti-government ideologues who dominate the Republican Party.
CROWLEY: They want to defund Obamacare.
PELOSI: No, they want to shut down the government. The effect of putting the Affordable Care Act on the bill is to shut down government. They know that. They know that has no prospect of prevailing.
CROWLEY: Do you believe they really want to shut down the government? Because you know if you said to them, they would say, we think this is a disaster because it is hurting businesses. It is causing businesses to go from full time jobs to part time jobs. So, they can get out from under health care.
PELOSI: It is an excuse. It is not a reason. It is an excuse, it is not a reason. Now, for the 42nd time this week, they voted to defund one approach or another, did fund the Affordable Care Act. They know it's not going anyplace. Instead of spending the time of congress to reach an agreement -- now, this is a wolf in wolf's clothing.
It's two nos do not make a yes. On the other hand, now they have a bill. It's sort of disguises what's happening on the budget side where they have a budget figure which their own appropriation's chairman said this is not enough funding to carry on the work of government.
CROWLEY: Well, that was my next question. Is the spending level OK with you? Set aside --
PELOSI: No.
CROWLEY: No.
PELOSI: No.
CROWLEY: How far away are they from what you could deal with?
PELOSI: What we deal with is what we agreed to in the Budget Control act which is a bipartisan agreement. The Budget Control Act was one trillion and 57 (INAUDIBLE). That makes a very big difference in the delivery of service to the American people. So, I think it's really important to note that there are lots of excuses that they use.
But for many of them, I call them legislative arsonists. They're there to burn down what we should be building up in terms of investments and education and scientific research and all that it is that make our country great and competitive. I don't paint them all with the same brush. And I certainly don't paint the speaker with that brush. But enough of them in their caucus to shut down government. That would be a victory for them.
CROWLEY: Let me ask you then about Obamacare, itself. Coming up for a big date on Obamacare October 1st when people can begin to sign up through the -- marketplaces. Do you have any reservations at all? Are you worried at all?
And I ask you this because you know union leaders, I mean, James Hoffa is one of those who wrote a letter to you and said Obamacare is now stands would, quote, "destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week." That's pretty tough from a loyal Democratic constituency.
PELOSI: Well, we're working on the issue that relates to all of these multiemployer plans which unions are one and some are charities.
CROWLEY: Bargaining rights or otherwise risks. There's more than one employer involved in a contract.
PELOSI: More than one employer involved in a contract. And that has to be certainly clarified. There's so much the president can do within the law. But there is some leeway to facilitate as we are in the Congress under the exchanges. So, I'm optimistic, because we will find a path. But overwhelmingly for the American people, this is a liberation.
This is life, healthy life, liberty, the freedom to pursue your happiness which could be follow your passion for good rather than follow your palate and be constrained by your policy. It's about wellness. It's about prevention, it's about a healthier America.
CROWLEY: It's not reducing the deficit so far?
PELOSI: Well, it is, because by any measure you see that the cost of health care in our country is at the rate of increase is greatly reduced.
CROWLEY: Right. But still increasing?
PELOSI: But we're on the right path. And the bill isn't implemented yet. The bill isn't implemented yet. So, when it is implemented which will be -- they'll sign up in October, but it will be implemented in January. You'll see even more of that. And this will reduce cost, again, public, privately, individually to people.
And so, when they talk about wanting to reduce the deficit -- Obamacare, they're completely wrong. Now, has that message gotten out? Obviously not adequately.
CROWLEY: No chance you would agree to put it off as some are thinking of with the debt ceiling some Republicans are thinking why don't we attach a year long delay for people to sign up?
PELOSI: Because they don't -- because these are people who do not believe in a public role. They think that Social Security has no place in a free society. That's why they want to privatize. They think that Medicare should wither on the vine. That's why they're voucherizing.
So, this is not -- this isn't a good faith initiative. This is an excuse to, again, hand it all over to their friends, the insurance companies or, again, not have a public role in this important initiative.
CROWLEY: So you wouldn't agree to anything that involved a year long delay for people signing up for insurance in the marketplace?
PELOSI: Absolutely, positively not.
CROWLEY: No way?
PELOSI: Absolutely, positively not. It's important for people to get the advantages that they will have. And in order to do that, you enlarge the pool to do it.
CROWLEY: I am hearing now from your Republican colleagues that the debt ceiling which battle over which comes next month or, you know, maybe early November --
PELOSI: Next week.
CROWLEY: Next week you're going to start talking about --
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PELOSI: In middle October.
CROWLEY: In middle October. So, that is where they believe that they can begin to do some of the spending cuts they want to do, that they can negotiate there. What is your position on spending ceiling, further cuts, who does that negotiating?
PELOSI: Well, first of all, it is an issue that really shouldn't be a conversation. The confidence that the world and the American economy should have and that the full faith and credit of the United States of America should be without a doubt.
CROWLEY: Well, lots of presidents have negotiated over this.
PELOSI: Well, I know, but nobody has stopped it. Nobody has stopped it.
CROWLEY: But again, I just have to point out that President Clinton, President Bush, President Reagan, and this president have all negotiated the debt ceiling and given up something for that. So, why now --
PELOSI: Because the coverage is there. There's no more cuts to make. It's really important that people understand that. We all want to reduce the deficit. Remember this, President Obama, when he became president, he said I'm going to cut the deficit in half in four years. He did it in four years and three months.
He did that. He's on a path to deficit reduction. We're all committed to that. Put everything on the table. Review it. But you cannot have any more cuts just for the sake of cuts. Right now, you're taking trophies.
CROWLEY: Not entitlements. You don't want to touch entitlements.
PELOSI: We want to prolong entitlements. We're not going to sit at a table for people who say Social Security has no place in a free society. Medicare should wither on the vine, and that's what they do.
PELOSI: They have legislation --
CROWLEY: John Boehner doesn't do that. I mean, John Boehner doesn't say I want to get rid of Social Security.
PELOSI: No, they do. The leadership -- remember, their leadership is the author of the bill to privatize Social Security sessions. This isn't odd person out in their caucus. This is in the ranks of the leadership. And by the way -- by the way, by the way, voucherizing of Medicare is in the Ryan budget.
Medicare should wither on the vine. That is in the Ryan budget. President Washington said as he was leaving, he cautioned against political parties at war with their own government. Let me introduce you to the Republican caucus and the House of Representatives. Not all of them, as you say, don't paint them all with the same brush. But enough of them to wag the dog.
So, this is totally irresponsible, completely juvenile and as I called it legislative arson. It's just destructive.
CROWLEY: Let me ask you to clear up any misconceptions we may have about the speakership and if your caucus so wanted and Democrats were to win next year, win the majority back, would you be willing to be speaker again if your caucus wanted you?
PELOSI: The question was asked me before. Do you sit around dreaming about being speaker again, and I said no. They read that into being she doesn't want to be the speaker again. One day at a time. I love having the support of my caucus. We have a good working relationship. It's up to -- first, we have to win our own elections.
Then, we have to win the majority. And then, we'll see what our caucus wants to do after that. But there are several steps along the way.
CROWLEY: But you intend to win your election again as --
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CROWLEY: And you didn't -- I'm trying to see how I can put this. In no way did you intend to signal that you were not interested in the speakership?
PELOSI: No, but it wasn't -- I answered the question, do you sit around dreaming about being speaker again? No.
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CROWLEY: We'll have more from minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, later this hour.
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CROWLEY: Do you think Hillary Clinton will run for president?
PELOSI: I don't know. But I know that if she does, she will win. And when she becomes president, she'll be the best equipped, best prepared people to enter the White House in a very long time. She is by dent of her experience as a senator, as a secretary of state, as a first lady herself with participating the way she did.
Certainly, with all due respect to our president and I think he's magnificent and wonderful and a blessing to us, but certainly, more prepared than President Obama, certainly more prepared than President Bush. Certainly more prepared than President Clinton.
CROWLEY: More prepared than Joe Biden?
PELOSI: Well, I'm saying the residents that we've had. Joe Biden is very prepared. And I think President Bush senior was prepared. He had been a vice president. But I'm talking that recent memory of presidents that we have had. You know, Joe Biden would be very prepared as well. You asked me about Hillary Clinton.
CROWLEY: Right. I was trying to get you, would you prefer Hillary Clinton over the vice president?
PELOSI: You know what, when they just announce that they're running, I'll --
CROWLEY: You'll tell me?
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PELOSI: I always have a little -- saying when you're serious about running, I'll be serious about it. But I think it would be magnificent for America to have a woman president. And by the way, incidental. More importantly, very qualified.
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