MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript
Interview
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REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Hi, Ed. Happy New Year.
SCHULTZ: You bet. And to you, sir.
Here we go, the vote next week. And if you can respond to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, do you think that"s what the American people want, for you to go into that chamber or January 12th and vote whether we should keep the health care bill or not?
KUCINICH: Well, you know, health care"s going to be a continuing debate, but let"s be clear about what"s being proposed here.
If, in fact, a bill is repealed that has provided for health care reform within the context of a for-profit system, if we cannot have reform within the context of a for-profit system, then the only model that"s left, Ed, is a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit system, Medicare for all, which I think, if the Republicans go ahead and repeal Mr. Obama"s bill, it opens the door for going right back to debate about Medicare for all.
SCHULTZ: So what"s the counter-punch for the Democrats on this? I mean, here, the Republicans, they want to take away the pre-existing condition, they want to give the power back to the corporations, the insurance companies.
You know, what"s the pushback on this? I understand the conversation about universal health care, but what should be the pushback here?
KUCINICH: Well, the pushback is, look, this health care reform bill is causing insurance companies to have to put more money into health care instead of just putting it into their pockets, it caused them to end the practice of rescissions where they could cancel somebody"s policies while somebody"s sick. It caused them to have to cover children with pre-existing conditions, let young people under policies until they"re age 26, on their parents" policies.
So, all of a sudden, if Congress intervenes and takes away all of those imposed mandates on insurance companies, we"ve just given the insurance companies the equivalent of hundreds of billions of dollars over a period of 10 years. And I tell you that we really are back at the same debate.
Who is running this government? Is it the insurance companies or is it the United States Congress? Or is it the insurance companies through the United States Congress?
SCHULTZ: Do you think the American people want you to vote on this?
KUCINICH: Well, I think the American people want to make sure that no one"s going to go broke if there"s an illness in the family.
SCHULTZ: Yes.
KUCINICH: That"s one of those fundamental questions, Ed. Any person in this country is still exposed if there is a single--if there is an illness in a family. You"re still exposed to losing everything you"ve worked a lifetime for because of a single illness in a family, because of the high cost of health care, and because these insurance companies, even with the reforms, will still find a way to sock it to the American people.
So, you know, this is still--we"re really at the beginning of a new debate, and the Republicans are going to begin round two next week.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, this is the seconds biggest story of 2011, because this shows that there"s still Republicans--that they want to give the power back to the corporations, that insurance companies can drop sick people, arbitrarily, just say, hey, you know, it"s over with. The limits on the coverage, all of these things that has been a positive step forward, they want to get taken off of the books.
And the other thing that really bothers me is Michele Bachmann says that--and they call it "Obamacare"--is going to break the country. That is a flat-out lie. Correct me if I"m wrong. The CBO scored this to save money over the next 20 years, correct?
KUCINICH: Well, a trillion dollars is what this is going to cost, and it"s paid for by the savings --
SCHULTZ: Yes.
KUCINICH: -- and the reduction in certain Medicare spending.
Now, I will tell you this--the biggest problem we have in this country is corporate control --
SCHULTZ: Yes.
KUCINICH: -- of government. And frankly, they have too much influence in the Democratic Party, as well as in the Republican Party.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, great to have you with us.
KUCINICH: And we"re going to see that debate continue. Thank you very much.
SCHULTZ: Thanks for doing the story. I appreciate it. Thanks so much.
KUCINICH: Thanks, Ed. Thank you.
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