CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: ACA and Government Shutdown

Interview

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REP. SEAN DUFFY (R), WISCONSIN: Good morning Carol.

COSTELLO: Ok so I just talked to Senator Isakson, he predicts this government shutdown will last between 10 and 12 days. What is your prediction?

DUFFY: Carol, this is my first rodeo. I've never been to a government shutdown. My hope is that we can resolve this really quickly and as you're well aware, I mean we're asking for some pretty simple things from the Senate and the President. One is that -- that the administration -- that President Barack Obama and Jay Carney and others join Obamacare, just like the rest of America. If Obamacare is good for America, it should be good for the President and his team. We've asked for that. And then we've asked that we treat individuals and America the same way that the President is treating big businesses. The President saw big business with their lobbyists and big money coming to Capitol Hill. He gave them a one-year delay in Obamacare. All we're saying is give that same delay to -- to individuals, treat -- treat my middle class families the same as you're treating big businesses and if you do those few simple things, we'll have an agreement and let's open this back up.

COSTELLO: Let's say Republicans win and Obamacare is delayed for a year or longer. What exactly does that mean for people signing up on health care exchanges today? Signing up for insurance? Will that mean their insurance policies will go away? What does that mean?

COSTELLO: No, so in our latest offer, the exchanges are still up, the subsidies are still there, all we're saying is don't have the mandate that an individual has to sign up. Just like you've given a one-year exclusion to big business, that they don't have to sign their employees up, don't make the individual. But the exchange will still be there.

COSTELLO: So Republicans -- so Republicans like the exchanges? They think it is a good idea, think they're a good idea, yes?

DUFFY: No -- obviously we don't think they're a good idea, but we're trying to find agreement, we're trying to find compromise to keep the government open. And so what I want to be clear to your viewers is we have offered something really simple. We have come off our defund, we have come off our complete delay. All we've asked for is that individuals don't be required to sign up for Obamacare just like businesses.

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COSTELLO: Even though that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court?

DUFFY: Well listen, the President said big business doesn't have to sign up. He gave them a one-year delay. We should treat my middle class families the same as the President is treating big business.

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COSTELLO: Wasn't that a compromise?

DUFFY: Well there are -- no, he did that unilaterally. He didn't agree with us to that. We're just saying everyone should be treated equally --

COSTELLO: But you agree with it, right?

DUFFY: I do. But, Carol, why shouldn't my middle class family be treated the same as the big business that came up to Capitol Hill with their lobbyists and got a one-year exclusion? Give my -- give my middle class family that same exclusion, treat them fairly.

And Carol what I think is the biggest rub here, why they won't go for this, is that the administration, Barack Obama, Jay Carney and others, they don't want to be on Obamacare. They've excluded themselves.

And all we said is if this bill is good for America, Mr. President, it should be good enough for you and your team in the administration. Everyone should join. You shouldn't get your own special health care. You should join us in Obamacare. We in Congress are in it, so too should you be.

Listen, they don't -- Carol, they don't want that --

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COSTELLO: Ok so let me ask you -- let me ask you another question that affects all of Americans.

DUFFY: Sure.

COSTELLO: And I get what you're saying. But let me ask you another question. So another part of Obamacare that's already in effect, people with pre-existing conditions, they can't be denied insurance. Would that go away if Obamacare is done away with? If the Republicans win, would that be done away with?

DUFFY: So in our current plan, no, that would still be there and listen I'm one, I'll put out my own package of health care reform a year ago. And I think having people with pre-existing conditions, being able to get health care, is really good. There are some good things in Obamacare. And that's one of them.

And if we get health care reform in a bipartisan fashion, where both parties sit at the table and work together, allowing people to have affordable health care with preexisting conditions is a key tenor.

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COSTELLO: But see this is what's confusing people, Congressman. So we're hearing all of this, there are some aspects of Obamacare that Republicans like. You just, you've just -- you know, you just said some of them, so why are we having this big argument? Why is the government shut down?

DUFFY: Well, as I just said, we have offered some very simple easy solutions for our friends across the aisle. They have dig -- they dug their heels it and they're not willing to come to the table, which leads me to believe that they want this government shutdown. They think it's a political winner for them. But again the American people lose.

COSTELLO: But -- but when you start -- but when you start with a bill, that includes defunding Obamacare outright, right, I mean, that doesn't exactly engender trust with the other side, does it?

DUFFY: Maybe not but when we actually move to the middle to try to work with them I think that is a sign of goodwill. But Carol I want to make sure that your viewers understand, we didn't vote for Obamacare. This was a one-party bill. Democrats chose to work by themselves and pass this bill by themselves they didn't include us and now they want to come to us and say they Republicans to fund it.

I'm willing to work with them. I want to make sure this government is open. And that's why we have come so far to go a couple of small little tweaks, give the individual the same benefit as the employer and include yourselves in Obamacare. That's all we're asking for right now. We open the government up, we all get back to work, this is pretty simple stuff.

COSTELLO: Well I hope you're right about that part of it. Congressman Sean Duffy, thank you so much for joining me this morning. I appreciate it.

DUFFY: Thanks Carol.

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