Senator Elizabeth Warren: Money Has Overtaken Washington | Morning Joe

>>> JOINING US NOW FROM CAPITOL HILL, MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP, SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN OF MASSACHUSETTS.
IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK ON THE SHOW.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. >> WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.
YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT A LOT. I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK BACK,
THOUGH, GIVEN ESPECIALLY HILLARY CLINTON'S COMMENTS IN THE PAST
24 HOURS. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU AND
DEMOCRATS MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT ALONG THE WAY?
>> LOOK, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S CLEAR WE DIDN'T GET OUT THERE
AND MAKE THE CASE AS STRONGLY AS WE SHOULD, NOT JUST THAT WE WILL
FIGHT FOR WORKING PEOPLE BUT THAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR WORKING
PEOPLE. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO.
>> AND JOE HERE, GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
HOW DO YOU -- AND I KNOW IT HAD TO BE MADDENING FOR YOU TO SEE A
MANHATTAN BILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER GET WORKING CLASS VOTERS FROM
MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
>> YEAH. >> HOW DO DEMOCRATS BEGIN TO
TRANSLATE IN A WAY BETTER THAT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE POLICIES
THAT FIT YOU, WE WE UNDERSTAND CULTURALLY, WE CAN CONNECT WITH
YOU CULTURALLY BECAUSE YOUR BACKGROUND SUGGESTS THAT YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THOSE VOTERS BETTER THAN A
BILLIONAIRE FROM MANHATTAN EVER COULD.
>> I THINK SHE DOES. >> HOW DO YOU DO THAT AND WHAT'S
BEEN LOST IN TRANSLATION OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS?
>> SO, YOU KNOW, PARTLY, JOE, THIS IS WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK
THAT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, "THIS FIGHT IS OUR
FIGHT" AND IT'S ABOUT A VERY LONG NARRATIVE.
1935 TO 1980, COMING OUT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE IN WASHINGTON BASICALLY WAS
FILTERED THROUGH THE LENS OF DOES IT HELP WORKING PEOPLE.
DOES IT HELP BUILD A MIDDLE CLASS?
DOES IT CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE?
AND IT WORKED. WE REALLY DID THOSE THINGS.
WE REGULATED BIG FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, PUT A COP ON THE
BEAT ON WALL STREET, PUT PROGRESSIVE TAXATION IN PLACE
AND THEN USE THAT MONEY TO INVEST IN EDUCATION, IN
INFRASTRUCTURE, IN BASIC RESEARCH.
WE BUILT THE GREATEST MIDDLE CLASS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
WE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS LIKE ME.
HERE I AM, I'M THE DAUGHTER OF A MAN WHO ENDED UP AS A JANITOR
AND I BECAME A PROFESSOR AT HARVARD AND THEN A UNITED STATES
SENATOR. >> RIGHT.
>> AMERICA BUILT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN 1980, RONALD REAGAN
COMES IN, TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS, FIRE THE COPS ON WALL
STREET, CUT TAXES FOR THOSE AT THE TOP AND MAKE FEWER AND FEWER
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION, IN INFRASTRUCTURE, IN BASIC
RESEARCH. A SLOWER, MORE SLUGGISH ECONOMY.
AND WHAT HAPPENS OVER TIME? GDP KEEPS GOING UP, BUT 90% OF
AMERICA, GOOD WORKING PEOPLE, UPPER MIDDLE CLASS, MIDDLE
CLASS, WORKING CLASS, WORKING POOR, POOR POOR, EVERYBODY GOT
SHUT OUT. AND ALL OF THAT INCOME GROWTH
FROM 1980 TO 2016 THE 90%, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF IT THEY
GOT? ZERO.
100% WENT TO THOSE AT THE TOP. >> RIGHT.
>> AND THE REASON -- IT'S NOT GRAVITY, IT'S NOT INTERNATIONAL
COMPETITION, IT'S NOT TECH. THE REASON IS THAT STARTING IN
THE LATE '70s A HANDFUL OF MILLIONAIRES AND CEOs DECIDED
THEY WOULD SPEND MONEY IN WASHINGTON TO MAKE THIS
GOVERNMENT WORK BETTER FOR THEMSELVES.
>> BUT FOR 16 OF THOSE YEARS YOU HAD DEMOCRATS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
AND SO THE QUESTION IS BILL CLINTON FOR EIGHT YEARS, BARACK
OBAMA FOR EIGHT YEARS, CERTAINLY BARACK OBAMA BELIEVES THE SAME
THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE FOR THE MOST PART, RIGHT?
IS IT JUST POLITICS OR IS THIS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER, THAT
WASHINGTON -- BOTH SIDES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GRASP?
>> IT'S A FAIR QUESTION AND I THINK THE ANSWER -- LET'S PUT IT
AGAIN IN A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT. REMEMBER 1935 TO 1980.
>> RIGHT. >> WHEN WE REALLY ARE BEING THE
MIDDLE CLASS WE ALSO HAD REPUBLICANS, THERE WAS DWIGHT
EISENHOWER, THERE WAS RICHARD NIXON WHO STARTED THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION. YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT, WE'VE
CERTAINLY HAD DEMOCRATS IN THE SECOND TIME PERIOD.
WHAT I TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK IS HOW MUCH MONEY WAS OVERTAKEN
WASHINGTON, BUT I ALWAYS WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
LOOK, DEMOCRATS AT LEAST HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FIGHTING.
WE FOUGHT TO REDUCE THE INTEREST RATES ON STUDENT LOANS, WE
FOUGHT TO TRY TO GET UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE COVERAGE, WE'RE
FIGHTING NOW AGAINST DRUG COMPANIES CHARGING PEOPLE THE
EXORBITANT PRICES THAT THEY DO. WE ARE THE ONES FIGHTING TO
EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY. SO THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAS MOVED
BECAUSE OF DECISIONS MADE HERE IN WASHINGTON, BUT I'VE GOT GOT
SAY AT LEAST DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN AS EFFECTIVE AS WE SHOULD, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE
VOTES WE SHOULD, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN WAY
WE SHOULD BUT BY GOLLY THAT IS THE CORE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
A DEMOCRAT. >> YOU'VE WRITTEN "THIS FIGHT IS
OUR FIGHT" AND IT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN YOURS FOR DECADES.
IT GOES BACK TO YOUR GRADUATE SCHOOL THESIS, TO YOUR INTEREST
IN BANKRUPTCY AND THE RISING NUMBERS OF BANKRUPTCY, WHO IT
HAPPENS TO AND WHY. THIS BECAME SOMETHING YOU WERE
NOT ONLY FASCINATED WITH BUT SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SOLVE.
YOU CREATED THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU.
I'M CURIOUS AS WE LOOK FORWARD WAS THE CAMPAIGN OF HILLARY
CLINTON OPEN TO YOUR IDEAS SINCE YOU ARE SO CONNECTED WITH THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S A -- IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, MIKA.
I WILL DESCRIBE IT THIS WAY, I DON'T WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO BE OPEN
TO ME, I JUST KEEP THROWING THE IDEAS OUT THERE AS OFTEN AND AS
HARD AND AS FAST AS I CAN. >> DID THEY CATCCATCH?
>> EVERY CHANCE I GOT I STOOD UP AND I TALKED ABOUT THESE ISSUES
AND BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT.
AND I THINK THAT -- I TRULY DO BELIEVE NOW THIS TRANSCENDS
PARTY. I BELIEVE IN MY PARTY, I THINK
WE FIGHT ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BUT IT TRANSCENDS PARTY.
WE'VE GOT TO REACH OUT, WORKING PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR
GOVERNMENT BACK. THIS BOOK ENDS ON WHAT'S
ACTUALLY A VERY HOPEFUL NOTE. IT'S ABOUT GETTING IN THE FIGHT
AND HOW DEMOCRACY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, AND THINK OF THE EXAMPLE JUST TODAY THAT HOW MANY
TIMES OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HAVE THE REPUBLICANS IN THE
HOUSE VOTED TO REPEAL OBAMACARE? 60 PLUS TIMES.
HOW MANY TIMES DID DONALD TRUMP SAY ON DAY ONE WE WILL REPEAL
OBAMACARE, IT WILL BE GONE. YOU COULD RUN THE VIDEO CLIPS.
THE SENATE IS READY TO GO. SO WHY DIDN'T IT HAPPEN ON DAY
ONE? AND THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE IN MY
VIEW IT'S BECAUSE WE GOT ENGAGED.
PEOPLE GOT ENGAGED. AFTER DONALD TRUMP WAS ELECTED
INSTEAD OF JUST LAYING BACK AND SAYING, WELL, DANG, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. WE SAID, NO, THEY CAN'T REPEAL
AND RUN, THEY'VE GOT TO REPEAL AND REPLACE, AND KEPT UP THAT
PUSH, THAT PUSH. PEOPLE SHOWED UP AT TOWN HALLS
AND MADE PHONE CALLS AND SIGNED E-MAILS AND TWEETED ABOUT IT.
PEOPLE SHOWED UP AND THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT IS THE
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE READY TO THROW THE THING RIGHT OUT THE
WINDOW AND LEAVE THE REST OF US HOLDING A BEGGING BOWL SAYING,
GEEZ, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HEALTHCARE.
INSTEAD OF THAT THEY HAD TO PUT THEIR PLAN OUT THERE AND WHEN
PEOPLE SAW IT AND PEOPLE ENGAGED AROUND THIS COUNTRY THE
REPUBLICANS BACKED UP. THEY CAN'T GET THE VOTES AMONG
THEMSELVES. WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
DEMOCRATIC VOTES TO STOP IT IN THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE, BUT
WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY
WHO ARE IN THE FIGHT AND GETTING IN THE FIGHT IS WHAT'S CRUCIAL
RIGHT THIS MINUTE. >> RIGHT.
>> THAT'S WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK. >> MIKE.
>> SENATOR, THERE SEEMS TO BE ONE FIGHT THAT IS MORE SHADOW
BOXING THAN REAL FIGHTING AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FINANCIAL
INSTITUTION THAT AFFECTS MORE LIVES THAN ANY WALL STREET
INSTITUTION DOES, IT AFFECTS YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME, YOUR CAR
AND NOW YOUR HEALTH. >> YES.
>> THESE LARGE INSURANCE CONGLOMERATES WHO SEEMINGLY
DICTATE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION IN THIS
COUNTRY AND YET YOU HEAR VERY LITTLE VERBIAGE, FIGHTING
VERBIAGE, FROM PEOPLE, YOUR COLLEAGUES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
ABOUT THE ROLE, THE POWERFUL ROLE, THAT INSURANCE COMPANIES
PLAY IN OUR LIVES. >> YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY
RIGHT ABOUT THIS, JOE, AND NO BETTER PLACE DOES THAT SHOW UP
THAN SIMPLY WITH THE PRICE THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR HEALTH
INSURANCE. YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IT EVERY DAY.
AND THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE HANGING RIGHT THERE, MAKING
SURE THAT THEY STILL MAKE THEIR PROFITS.
>> DID BARACK OBAMA GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH TO THE INSURANCE
COMPANIES? >> LOOK, I DON'T WANT TO GO
BACKWARDS ON THE PLAN. THE REQUEST HE IS WHAT SHOULD WE
DO GOING FORWARD, AND THE ANSWER IS I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE ASKING
A LOT MORE FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
IF THEY WANT TO STAY IN SUCH A CENTRAL POSITION IN PROVIDING
HEALTHCARE ACROSS AMERICA, THEN THEY HAVE TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE
TO THE AMERICAN

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Money Has Overtaken Washington | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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