Senator Kirsten Gillibrand On Jon Ossoff's Loss In Georgia | Morning Joe

>>> JOINING FROM US CAPITOL HILL, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR KIRSTEN
GILLIBRAND OF NEW YORK. GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK ON THE
SHOW, KIRSTEN. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> FIRST OF ALL, ANY INSIGHT,
TAKEAWAYS WHAT HAVE WE CAN LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED?
GEORGIA? >> WELL, TO ME, IT MEANS WE NEED
A 50-STATE STRATEGY AND RUN TOUGH CAMPAIGNS.
PEOPLE ARE FIRED UP AND WANT THINGS TO CHANGE.
I THINK WE CAN RUN CANDIDATES IN DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
WE SHOULD FIGHT HARD TO FLIP THE HOUSE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THAT. YOU'RE QUOTED ALL OVER THE PLACE
ABOUT RESISTING PUSHING BACK EVEN ONE QUOTE HERE A WEEK AGO I
THINK WHERE YOU USED A PROFANITY, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE
IS WE NEED TO FIGHT HARD. WE'RE ANGRY ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPOKEN OUT
STRONGLY AS WELL ABOUT MY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PRESIDENCY,
DO YOU THINK THAT TONE IS PERHAPS NOT, IS IT PRODUCTIVE?
>> I THINK PEOPLE DO HAVE TO FIGHT, MIKA.
YOU GOT TO LOOK, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A BATTLE ON HEALTH CARE AND
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE OFFERING IS HORRIBLE.
IT COULD TAKE AWAY INSURANCE FOR 23 MILLION PEOPLE.
IF YOU HAVE A PREEXISTING CONDITION I DON'T KNOW YOU'LL BE
ABLE TO AFFORD INSURANCE. IF YOU'RE 50 TO 64, YOU'LL PAY
WHO ARE. IF YOU'RE A WOMAN YOU COULD BE
DISCRIMINATED IT'S TERRIBLE. THIS IS AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE'S
VOICES MATTER. THEY ARE CALLING THEIR
CONGRESSMAN AND GOING TO TOWN HALLS.
I WANT PEOPLE TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS HEALTH CARE BILL.
WE NEED TO BE HEARD AND WE NEED TO BE HEARD IN EVERY WAY WE CAN,
SOCIAL MEDIA OR TRADITIONAL MEDIA OR STANDINGNDING OUTSIDE
SOMEBODY'S OFFICE WITH A SIGN SAYING "DON'T TAKE AWAY MY
HEALTH CARE." >> SENATOR, IT'S WILLIE GEIST.
PEOPLE HAVE SAID WITHIN THE LAST 24 HOURS REPUBLICANS SAYING THEY
HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S ON THE BILL. TED CRUZ, BOB LEE, YOU NEED
THREE REPUBLICANS TO PEEL OFF SO THIS DOESN'T MASS THROUGH THE
SENATE. ARE YOU FINDING SKEPTICISM AMONG
REPUBLICANS ABOUT THIS BILL? >> YES I'VE HEARD A LOT OF
SKEPTICISM AND CERTAINLY SEEN IT IN THE MEDIA.
PEOPLE ARE WORRIED. CONSTITUENTS NO MATTER WHERE
THEY LIVE IF THEY HAVE TO PAY MORE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE 50
YEARS OLD THEY'RE WORRIED. IF THEY HAVE A PRE-EXISTING
CONDITION I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WH. I DON'T KNOW THEY'D BE ABLE TO
AFFORD ANY INSURANCE IN THE REPUBLICAN PLAN.
EIGHT OUTRAGEOUS WE'VE NOT SEEN THE BILL AND NO PROCESS FOR
AMENDMENTS. NOTHING WE CAN DO TO FIX IT SAY
PROCESS. WE DON'T WANT THIS BILL, WE
DON'T WANT OUR HEALTH CARE TAKEN AWAY.
SO, IT'S ABOUT ALL OF US. IT'S ABOUT STANDING UP AND BEING
HEARD. AND THAT'S THE MOST POWERFUL
THING PEOPLE CAN DO. >> SO SENATOR, REPUBLICANS DON'T
EVEN KNOW WHAT'S IN THE BILL, MOST OF THEM, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO PROTEST AGAINST?
HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT'S IN THE BILL TO SAY IT'S TERRIBLE?
>> WELL, WE'VE HEARD IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE THE HOUSE
BILL. IF IT LOOKS ANYTHING LIKE THE
HOUSE BILL, WE'RE IN TROUBLE. THE HOUSE BILL TOOK AWAY
INSURANCE FOR UP TO 23 MILLION PEOPLE AND IT DOESN'T HAVE
PROTECTIONS FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
IT'S A REAL PROBLEM. THESE AREN'T SMALL CHANGES.
THESE ARE HUGE, DRASTIC CHANGES. AND BASICALLY, THE HOUSE BILL
WAS A HEALTH CARE BILL DESPISED AS -- E -- EXCUSE ME, A TAX CUT
DISGUISED AS A HEALTH CARE BILL.
IT WAS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHIEST
AMERICANS. IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
IT'S NOT WHAT PEOPLE NEED. >> MARK?
>> SENATOR, WHY DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS SPENT SO MUCH MONEY
LINKING JON OSSOFF TO NANCY PELOSI?
>> THAT WAS JUST THEIR CAMPAIGN TACTIC.
WHAT THIS ELECTION TELLS ME IS WE NEED TO RUN CANDIDATES ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY. I HAVE A COUPLE GOOD CANDIDATES
THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THROUGH OFF THE SIDELINES.
A WOMAN WHO'S RUNNING IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHO'S A VET, A
VETERAN, HOULIHAN, AND AND WE H ANOTHER VETERAN, A NAVY PILOT,
WHO'S GOING TO RUN IN NEW JERSEY.
IT'S EXCITING. LIKE, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD
CANDIDATES -- >> WHY DO YOU THINK THEY THOUGHT
THAT WAS A GOOD CAMPAIGN TACTIC, TO LINK NANCY PELOSI?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S JUST TYPICAL CAMPAIGN TRAGEDY.
WHEN YOU RUN, YOU RUN AS REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE THAT
YOU'RE REPRESENTING. IF YOU CAN SAY THEY'RE NOT,
THAT'S A GOOD TACTIC. BUT I THINK WHAT THIS COUNTRY
NEEDS IS PASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES WHO ARE WILLING TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST
SPECIAL INTEREST, AGAINST PRICE GOUGING IN DRUG COMPANIES,
AGAINST THE OPIOID CRISIS, AGAINST ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE
HARMING PEOPLE AND RUN FROM THEIR HEARTS.
AND IF CANDIDATES DO THAT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THEY'RE
RUNNING. THAT'S WHAT CHANGES ELECTIONS
AND THAT'S WHAT CHANGES OUTCOMES.
>> SENATOR, GOOD MORNING. HAROLD FORD.
WE JUST HAD YOUR COLLEAGUE, CHRIS MURPHY ON AND WERE TALKING
ABOUT AN ECONOMIC MESSAGE FOR DEMOCRATS.
SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE ABSENCE OF ONE OVER THE LAST SIX
TO NINE MONTHS HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN THE OUTCOME OF SOME OF THESE
RACES. FIRST, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
AND TWO, WHAT SHOULD THAT MESSAGE LOOK LIKE?
>> THE MESSAGE IS ABOUT FIGHTING FOR REGULAR AMERICANS AND THE
THINGS THAT ARE HARMING THEM. THIS HEALTH CARE DEBATE IS A
HUGE ECONOMIC DEBATE.
IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD HEALTH CARE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE ACROSS NEW YORK WHO JUST LOST A JOB, THE
FIRST THING THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT IS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE REALLY ANGRY ABOUT IS THEY HAVE TO GO INTO
POVERTY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE WORKED THEIR WHOLE LIVES, TO GET
ACCESS TO MEDICAID. SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING FOR
IS MEDICAID FOR ALL. THAT'S THE KIND OF SOLUTION
PEOPLE NEED. AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THEY CAN
GET THAT JOB THAT'S AVAILABLE. WHETHER IT'S RETOOLING OUR
TRAINING SO YOU CAN GET THOSE JOBS AND REALLY CHANGE HOW WE
OFFER THAT KIND OF, WHETHER IT'S APPRENTICESHIPS OR ON THE JOB
TRAINING OR SPECIALIZED TRAINING SPECIFICALLY FOR JOBS IN THAT
AREA, THAT'S THE KIND OF REFORMS THAT WE NEED TO REALLY MAKE THE
ECONOMY WORK. >> SENATOR, THERE'S ANOTHER
ISSUE OUT THERE THAT VERY FEW
PEOPLE IN PUBLIC LIFE SEEM TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SOME TIME OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE WEEKS, THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TOLD, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INSERTION
OF ANOTHER 3,000 TO 5,000 TROOPS INTO AFGHANISTAN.
16 YEARS INTO THE WAR. YOU'RE IN THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE. WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE IN
AFGHANISTAN? >> I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I DON'T
AGREE WITH THEM OFTEN, BUT I AGREE WITH JOHN McCAIN.
IN THE LAST SESSION, HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR STRATEGY
IS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT STRATEGY THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT STRATEGY GENERAL MATTIS
HAS, AND BEFORE WE SUPPORT YOU PUTTING IN ANOTHER 5,000 TROOPS,
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ONE.
AND I AGREE WITH HIM, I DON'T SEE ONE.
THERE IS NO OBJECTIVE TOR THOUGHT-THROUGH STRATEGY.
AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFGHANISTAN OR SYRIA, WE'RE NOT
SEEING IT. IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.
SO WE NEED LEADERSHIP THAT REALLY CAN BRING THIS COUNTRY IN
A BETTER DIRECTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO NATIONAL
SECURITY. >> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GENERAL
MATTIS HAVING MORE TO DO WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY
THAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
>> WELL, I WAS A LONE VOICE IN THIS, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE
MILITARY, SPECIFICALLY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, IS TO HAVE
CIVILIAN CONTROL. SO WHEN WE CHOSE A GENERAL TO BE
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITH NO CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE TO
WAIVE THAT IN CONGRESS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A VERY ILL-ADVISED
DECISION. SO NOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING IN TERMS OF DECIDING
THE STRATEGY FOR MILITARY ACTION, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO
GENERAL MATTIS, NOW WE REALLY DON'T HAVE CIVILIAN CONTROL.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO'S OFFERING THAT CIVILIAN
LEADERSHIP. SO I HAVE CONCERNS.
I'VE HAD CONCERNS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND WE ARE GOING TO PUSH BACK, CERTAINLY AS MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand On Jon Ossoff's Loss In Georgia | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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