Tom Coburn: Mass Confusion, Lack Of Leadership In DC | Morning Joe

JOINING US NOW FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR TOM COBURN FROM
OKLAHOMA. OUT WITH A NEW BOOK "SMASHING
USING ARTICLE 5 TO RESTORE FREEDOM AND STOP RUNAWAY
GOVERNMENT." GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SET
WITH US. HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> I'M DOING GREAT. >> FANTASTIC.
TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK. THERE'S A DIFFERENT ARTICLE I
WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT AT SOME POINT BUT GO AHEAD.
>> I LEFT WASHINGTON BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE WE COULD FIX IT
THERE. OUR FOUNDERS GAVE US THIS
OPPORTUNITY FOR STATE LEGISLATURES TO REEXERT THEIR
AUTHORITY TO RESTORE THE CONSTITUTION TO ITS ORIGINAL
INTENT. TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE HAVE AN
APPLICATION UNDER ARTICLE 5 OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT HAS THREE
COMPONENTS. ONE, FORCING BALANCED BUDGET
USING GENERAL ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.
NUMBER TWO, LIMITING POWER AND SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
NUMBER THREE, LIMITING TERMS OF APPOINTED AND ELECTED MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS. IF YOU DO THOSE THINGS, WE CAN
ACTUALLY REBALANCE AND MORE POWER BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
WHAT WE'VE DONE WE'VE LOST IT. AS A U.S. SENATOR AND
CONGRESSMAN, MOST OF YOUR PEOPLE COULDN'T SEE YOU OR TALK TO YOU.
AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE THEY CAN.
BRINGING THE POWER BACK TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE AN
INPUT IN IT WITH SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FACING OUR COUNTRY.
>> HOW DO YOU DO IT. >> HOW DO YOU DO IT?
YOU HAVE TO HAVE 34 STATES AGREE THROUGH STATE LEGISLATORS TO
MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR AN ARTICLE 5 CONVENTION.
THAT APPLICATION HAS TO BE THE SAME FROM ALL OF THOSE 34,
ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. THEN ALL THEY DO IS MEET AND
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATES IN TERMS OF CHANGING.
ASK YOUR SELF WHY WE'RE NOT FIXING SOCIAL SECURITY.
WHY ARE WE NOT FIXING MEDICARE'S UNFUNDED LIABILITIES?
WHY DO WE HAVE $400 BILLION IN WASTE, FRAUD AND DUPLICATION.
$145 BILLION IN IMPROPER PAYMENTS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST TWO.
NOBODY WANTS TO DO IT. NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT.
DONALD TRUMP SAID HE'S NOT DOING TO TOUCH IT.
REPUBLICANS HAVE SHOWN NO MORE BRAVERY TOWARDS IT THAN
DEMOCRATS. >> SHUTLY.
THAT'S BECAUSE CAREER POLL SITUATIONS AREN'T GOING TO SOLVE
IT AND OUR FOUNDERS KNEW THAT. THEY NEVER INTENDED FOR PEOPLE
TO SERVE A LIFETIME IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN WASHINGTON.
THEREFORE, THE NEXT ELECTION TRUMPS ANYTHING ELSE, AND I
DON'T MEAN TO MAKE A PUN. IT'S MORE IMPORTANT.
HOW DO WE ACTUALLY MUZZLE THE ALLIGATORS IN THE SWAMP?
BY REDUCING THEIR AUTHORITY BACK TO WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY
INTENDED. >> DO YOU THINK THAT GETS US?
YOU WERE ON THIS IN THE SENATE AS WELL, PEOPLE FOCUS ON
NONMANDATORY SPENDING, THE EASY STUFF.
THEY NIBBLE AROUND EDGES AND GO AFTER NIH WHEN THEY DON'T TACKLE
REAL DRIVERS OF DEFICIT. DOES THIS GET US CLOSER?
DO PEOPLE HAVE THE COURAGE? >> THEY HAVE TO.
WHAT CAREER POLITICIANS NEED IS AN EXCUSE TO HAVE A SPINE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT WITH GENERAL ACCEPTED
ACCOUNTING, THEN THEY CAN GO HOME AND SAY, I HAD TO.
HERE IS THE BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT.
IT'S AN 85% ISSUE IN AMERICA ACROSS BOTH PARTIES.
THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN MOVEMENT. THIS IS ABOUT RESTORING.
THINK ABOUT THIS. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE
MILLENNIALS? YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE FALLING
THROUGH THE CRACKS. THE AVERAGE MILLENNIAL WILL HAVE
TO PAY BACK $1.7 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
THAT'S OVER $30,000 BUCKS A YEAR.
THEY ALREADY HAVE A DECLINING MEDIAN INCOME.
>> WHEN YOU SAY THEY ARE DOING TO HAVE TO PAY BACK, BECAUSE OF
THE UNFUNDED LIABILITIES. >> UNFUNDED LIABILITIES PLUS
DEBT NOW IS $144 TRILLION. PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT A BILLION
IS. IF YOU MAKE $40,000 A YEAR YOU
HAVE TO WORK 20 YEARS TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS.
TO MAKE A BILLION, HAVE YOU TO WORK 25,000 YEARS.
NOW THINK ABOUT IT. NOW WE KNOW WHAT A BILLION IS.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN HAVING TO WORK 25,000 YEARS.
THAT'S JUST POCKET CHANGE TO CAREER POLITICIANS.
>> AND WE HAVE A TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT.
>> DO YOU THINK THE WASTE PROBLEM IN WASHINGTON IS
ACTUALLY GETTING EVEN WORSE? YOU WERE FAMOUS FOR THE WASTE
REPORT WHERE YOU CHRONICLED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SPEND MONEY ON.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL AND WE HAVE
REPUBLICANS CONTROLLING BOTH HOUSES AND THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRESIDENT TWEETING ABOUT PUTTING MORE MONEY IN HEALTH CARE
SPENDING. >> I THINK THE DISEASE IS
FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE REAL PROBLEMS OF OUR COUNTRY.
OUR FOUNDERS GAVE UP -- IF YOU WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO
THAT, GO TO THE BOOK. IT WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR
DEPRESSION OF THE YOU'LL KNOW THERE'S A WAY TO ACTUALLY SOLVE
THE PROBLEMS. YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
TO THE GARBAGE GOING ON IN WASHINGTON, ALL OF THAT THAT IS
THERE THAT DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING EXCEPT MAKE INDIVIDUAL
POLITICIANS LOOK GOOD. >> ARE WE SEEING AN ERA OF BIG
REPUBLICANS AGAIN? >> I THINK YOU'RE SEEING MASS
CONFUSION AND LACK OF LEADERSHIP.
WHITE HOUSE, SENATE OR THE HOUSE.
AMERICANS WANT THE PROBLEMS SOLVED.
THEY WANT TO SEE IT DONE. HERE'S A SOLUTION AS BIG AS THE
PROBLEMS WE HAVE. >> WHAT'S CAUSING THE MASS
CONFUSION RIGHT NOW? >> LACK OF LEADERSHIP.
>> WHERE'S -- IF YOU HAD TO NAME A LEADER IN THE WHITE HOUSE OR
SENATOR HOUSE, WHO WOULD IT BE? >> IF I WANTED A LEADER --
>> YOU GOT WHAT YOU GOT. >> I PUT RICHARD BURR IN CHARGE
OF EVERYTHING IN THE SENATE. HIM AND BEN SASS AND A FEW
OTHERS, THEN NOT INTERESTED IN PARTISAN GAMEMANSHIP, THEY ARE
INTERESTED IN FIXING OUR COUNTRY.
>> IT'S SLIM PICKINGS. >> IT IS.
>> YOU HAVE A UNIQUE RESPECTIVE AS BEING A DOCTOR AND FORMER
SENATE. YOU SAW THE ROSE GARDEN CEREMONY
THAT THE PRESIDENT LED, ARE WE IN THIS COUNTRY GOING TO L LIVE
WITH OBAMACARE AS IT EXISTS TODAY OR WILL THE SENATE BE ABLE
TO COBBLE SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT PASSES THROUGH?
>> I THINK THAT'S ALL SUPERFICIAL.
HERE'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO SOLVE
HEALTH CARE UNTIL YOU HAVE REAL COMPETITION OUT THERE.
IF YOU HAVE REAL COMPETITION WHERE YOU HAVE PRICE
TRANSPARENCY WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT THINGS COST, YOU CAN
LOWER THE COST OF HEALTH CARE 030%.
IT WILL DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE CHEAPEST MRI, TO GIVE YOU THE
BEST DEAL. OUTCOMES PUBLISHED THAT SAYS
HERE'S THE SURGERY, WE GUARANTEE WHATEVER YOUR COMPLICATIONS ARE,
WE'LL DO IT FOR A FOURTH OF WHAT YOU CAN DO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
REAL COMPETITION WITH REAL QUALITY PERIMETERS, AMERICANS
KNOW HOW TO BUY -- >> SO WHY IS IT HEALTH CARE IS
ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MARKET FORCES IN
IT? IF I GO GET -- IF I SAY MY HEAD
TB HURTING FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND KEEP PUSHING MY DOCTOR TO
GET AN MRI AND GET THE MRI, FINE, AND I WALK AWAY AFTER THE
MRI, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT COST.
>> THAT'S RIGHT BUT YOU'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT.
>> I'M NOT. >> AMISH FATHERS, GO LOOK AT
THEM. THEY BUY THE HEALTH CARE FOR
ABOUT A THIRD OF WHAT YOU PAY BECAUSE THEY GO AND FIND THE
BEST PRICE. THEY GO AND WORK A DEAL AND THEY
ACTUALLY ARE PAYING FOR IT. THEREFORE THEY BUY GREAT QUALITY
AT A LOWER PRICE. ALL WE NEED TO DO IS COPY WHAT
THEY ARE DOING AND WE CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS AND WE CAN REWARD
EXCELLENCE, WHICH WE SHOULD BE BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A PRICE BUT
YOU'RE BETTER, YOU'LL GET A BETTER PRICE.
IF YOU'RE WORSE, PEOPLE WON'T COME TO YOU, THAT'S THE OTHER
PROBLEM. YOU HAVE SELF-REFERRALS IN THIS
NONCOMPETITIVE HOSPITAL VERTAL HORIZONTAL THAT NEEDS TO BE
BUSTED UP. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER --
PRICE TRANSPARENCY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LOWER ANY COST OF
HEALTH CARE. >> CAN REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR THE
TRANSPARENCY? >> THEY CAN PUT IT IN A
RECONCILIATION BILL. THAT WOULD SOLVE HEALTH CARE
TOMORROW. >> THE BOOK IS SMASHING THE D.C.
MONOPOLY, TOM COBURN, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOD BLESS YOU. >> WE'LL BRING IN SENATOR MIKE
LEE. AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR, THE
PRESIDENT'S TWEETING TAKES A TURN FOR A SURREAL.
THE INCOMPLETE TWEET THAT HAD THE WORLD SCRATCHING ITS HEAD
AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE WORKINGS OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE PRESIDENT TELLS WORLD LE

Tom Coburn: Mass Confusion, Lack Of Leadership In DC | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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