Senator Shelley Moore Capito: 'I didn't come here to hurt people' | Morning Joe

>> I CAN TELL YOU MYSELF AS ONE MODERATE CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRAT
WITH MANY OTHER MODERATES WANT TO SIT DOWN AND WORK WITH OUR
MODERATE REPUBLICAN FRIENDS TO FIX AND REPAIR THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT. >> MY HOPE IS WE DON'T COME BACK
AND SAY COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS. >> I'M A PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT.
I WOULD SIT DOWN WITH THEM IN A HEART BEAT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE LICENSE TO DO THAT FROM MITCH McCONNELL.
>> WE'RE WILLING TO DEBATE AND COMPROMISE ON HEALTH CARE, BUT
WE HAVE TO BE INCLUDED. PRESIDENT TRUMP, MY REPUBLICAN
FRIENDS, THE CHOICE IS YOURS. >> JOINING US NOW FROM
WASHINGTON, ONE OF THE REPUBLICANS OPPOSING THE CURRENT
VERSION OF THE SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL, SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE
CAPITO. >> HE HAD SOMEBODY ON AND OTHERS
SUGGESTED THERE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF TWEAKING OF THIS
BILL AND MAYBE PULL PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF AND ROB PORTMAN OVER,
BUT HOW DO YOU -- I SAY THIS AS A CONSERVATIVE, BUT HOW DO YOU
EVER GET THERE REPRESENTING A STATE THAT WOULD BE DEVASTATED
BY THESE CUTS TO MEDICAID? >> THAT'S BEEN MY SOURCE OF
CONCERN. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
MEDICAID PORTION AND WHAT IT WOULD DO TO A STATE LIKE MINE.
WE HAVE THE LARGEST PER CAPITA POPULATION THAT'S IN THE
MEDICAID PROGRAM. IT IS A WONDERFUL SAFETY YET FOR
SO MANY OF OUR WEST VIRGINIA PEOPLE.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK REFORM IS NEEDED IN THE PROGRAM TO MAKE
THE DOLLARS GO FARTHER. I THINK HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND
EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE. I THINK IT'S THREAD THE NEEDLE.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN BEHIND THE SCENES TRYING TO FIGURE IT
OUT. WE WERE ON THE HOUSE SIDE
TOGETHER AND THE SENATE YOUR MARGINS ARE NARROWER.
WE'RE VERY -- I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HOW I FEEL AND
CONSERVATIVES ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE PUSHING THEIR ISSUES AND SO
FAR THERE HASN'T BEEN TOO MUCH GIVE, BECAUSE I'M NOT WIL WILLIO
GO BACK HOME AND SAY THIS PROGRAM IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR
YOU, BUT I'M STILL GOING TO GO FOR IT ANYWAY.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT IS ENGAGED AND
UNDERSTANDS THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO PUSH?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THE PRESIDENT
UNDERSTANDS THAT MANY PARTS OF OBAMA CARE ARE BROKEN AND WE
NEED TO FIX IT. I THINK WE ALSO -- IN THE
MEETING I THOUGHT HE DID A NICE JOB LISTENING TO EVERYBODY, AND
IMPLOING US. HE DID SAY MORE THAN A FEW
TIMES, PUT MORE MONEY INTO THIS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HELPS THE LOWER
INCOME AND SAFETY NET AND HELPS FOLKS LIKE I'M CONCERNED WITH
THE OPIOID CRISIS. THE PRESIDENT IS DEFINITELY
ENGAGED, AND I JUST TALKED TO HIM AGAIN YESTERDAY.
SO I THINK HE'S WORKING THE PHONES PRETTY WELL.
>> SO, SENATOR, 10.5% OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR STATE ARE ON
MEDICAID. KENTUCKY IS NOT FAR BEHIND.
THE OPIOID ABUSE PROBLEM IN YOUR STATE AND MANY OTHERS IS
CATASTROPHIC. DON'T YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE
BEEN A BETTER IDEA TO HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS RATHER THAN TO
HAVE DONE SO MUCH OF THIS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS?
WHY DID THAT HAPPEN? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT IT SO MUCH IN TERMS OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IN TERMS
OF WHAT'S GOING WRONG WITH THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T HAVE AN OPPOSITION TO PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT I THINK IN
ORDER -- YOU COULD SEE HOW DIFFICULT IT'S BEEN WITH THE
ONLY PUBLIC DOCUMENT THAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK TO TRY TO WEAVE
THE BALANCE. AND I THINK LEADER McCONNELL
REALLY HAS WORKED WITH ALL OF US IN A VERY OPEN FORUM TO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT AND ALL OF US, I I MN REPUBLICANS, ALL OF US TO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY OR THE PRESSURE POINTS THAT WE FEEL.
AND SO I THINK NOW WE SEE WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE SORT OF AT A STALEMATE RIGHT NOW THAT'S TRYING TO BE
BROKEN THROUGH WHETHER THAT CAN BE DONE, I THINK WE'LL FIND OUT
TOMORROW. >> HEY, SENATOR, IT'S WILLIE
GEIST. GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE POLITICS.
BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE HUMAN TOLL YOU THINK THIS MIGHT
TAKE. YOU'RE ASKING FOR $45 BILLION
SPENDING ON THE CURRENT OPIOID CRISIS.
THE CURRENT LEGISLATION HAS 2 BILLION.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN YOUR STATE IF IT'S ONLY $2 BILLION OR IF
THE MEDICAID EXPANSION WERE ROLLED BACK.
WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, WHAT ARE THEY MOST WORRIED ABOUT AT
WEST VIRGINIA? >> THE OPIOID AND THE METAL
HEALTH ARE AT THE CORE OF THE PIECE.
$2 MILLION IS INEFFICIENT. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
DROVE ME TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION, I THINK.
BUT I HAVE THE MEDICAID PIECE IS PROBABLY THE LARGER PIECE.
I THINK MIKE SAID THAT 10%, I THOUGHT I HEARD.
IT'S ACTUALLY 30% OF WEST VIRGINIA IS ON SOME KIND OF
MEDICAID, AND SO THIS -- THESE --
>> RIGHT, AND THE 10% IS THE MEDICAID EXPANSION.
>> EXPANSION, RIGHT. THAT'S ABOUT 180,000.
THAT'S CORRECT. WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO EITHER
KEEP MEDICAID EXPANSION, GIVE STATES THE OPTIONS, GIVE STATES
THE FLEXIBILITY TO BUILD IN BETTER PROGRAMS OR TO HAVE FOLKS
IN THAT EXPANSION POPULATION BE ABLE TO AFFORD WITH TAX CREDITS
AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD.
THAT'S WHERE THE OPIOID MONEY COMES IN, AND THAT'S WHERE I
THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR MY POPULATION, WHICH IS REALLY
REELING, AND IF PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY DON'T THINK THEY'RE
GOING TO GET IT, IT'S COMING TO THEIR STATE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS AS A PRACTICAL MATTER TO SOMEONE ON MEDICAID
AND HAS IT TAKEN AWAY. >> THAT'S MY CONCERN.
I'M NOT DROPPING THEM OFF A CLIFF.
I DIDN'T COME HERE TO HURT PEOPLE.
I CAME HERE TO HELP THEM. SO I'M PUSHING FOR A LONGER
GLIDE PATH, AND ALSO WHEN THAT PERSON -- A BETTER CASE SCENARIO
IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON A PRIVATE INSURANCE PLAN THAT THEY CAN
MANAGE THEMSELVES. BUT IF IT'S UNAFFORDABLE,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. AND SO LET'S GET THAT WHERE IT'S
INSTEAD OF THIS, WE'RE RIGHT THERE TOGETHER, AND THE STATES
CAN FORMULATE THAT. I THINK IT CAN BE DONE, BUT IT'S
NOT DONE IN THIS BILL. >> SENATOR, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO
EXPLAIN OVER THE PAST WEEK, FOR ANY REPUBLICANS OUT THERE WHO
THINK MEDICAID JUST IMPACTS THE POOREST AMONG US, I'VE BEEN
TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW MEDICAID CUTS WOULD BE DEVASTATING IN MY
DISTRICT TO THE FOUR OR FIVE HOSPITALS, TO NOT ONLY --
>> NURSING HOMES. >> NURSING HOMES.
PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER'S.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PART OF IT JUST FOR CONSERVATIVES AND
REPUBLICANS THAT MAY THINK IT'S ONLY IMPACTING THE POOR AND
STATES LIKE WEST VIRGINIA. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW MEDICAID
CUTS ON THIS SCALE IMPACT NOT ONLY THE HOSPITALS IN YOUR
STATES BUT HOSPITALS ALL ACROSS AMERICA, ESPECIALLY MIDDLE
AMERICA? >> WELL, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL
AMERICA. I THINK THAT MEDICAID IS A MAJOR
PAYER FOR A LOTOT OF OUR HOSPITALS.
OUR SMALL RURAL HOSPITALS THAT ARE THE ONLY POINT AT WHICH
FOLKS CAN GET CARE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO WHERE THEY LIVE.
ALSO NURSING HOMES. MEDICAID HAS A PORTION OF IT
THAT GOES TO THE AGED, WHICH WHEN 70% OF OUR NURSING HOMES IN
WEST VIRGINIA ARE MEDICAID PATIENTS.
CHILDREN, DISABLED. THOSE FOLKS -- THIS BILL HAS
REFORM IN ALL THROUGH THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SAFETY NET THAT MEDICAID IS, IS
PRESERVED. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN
UNREPUBLICAN IDEA. >> NO.
>> NOT AT ALL. >> CURIOUS.
YOU SAID THE PRESIDENT IS ENGAGED AND HE'S SPOKEN TO YOU
SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT IT. WHAT IS HE HOPING YOU'LL DO?
WHAT HAS HE SAID? >> OBVIOUSLY HE HOPES I'LL VOTE
FOR THE BILL AND HE'S TRYING TO BE PERSUASIVE.
>> DO YOU THINK HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S IN IT?
>> I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS THE BROADER CONCEPT OF FIXING THE
EXCHANGES AND -- AS YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
HE DOESN'T ENGAGE IN THE MA KNEW SHA OF THE DETAILS.
THAT'S FINE. I THINK HE'S -- I'VE ACTUALLY
THOUGHT HE WAS VERY GOOD IN THE MEETING TWO DAYS AGO, TRYING TO
LISTEN SO HE COULD HEAR WHY IT HASN'T MOVED AND WHERE THE
DIFFERENT THOUGHT PATHS ARE WITHIN OUR OWN CONFERENCE.
AND SO I THINK THAT WITH HIS LEADERSHIP, WE'LL BE HELPFUL.
WILL IT PULL IT OVER THE EDGE? IT WILL HELP.
IN THE END WE'LL VOTE WITH OUR HEARTS.
THAT'S WHAT I INTEND TO DO. >> SENATOR, SHELLEY MOORE CAP
TOE, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE
SHOW. >> THANK YOU.
>> AHEAD, WE'LL BRING IN SENATOR JOE MANCHIN.
ALSO AHEAD, A NEW SCREENING PROTOCOL FOR INTERNATIONAL
FLIGHTS. A LAPTOP BAN IS OFF THE TABLE
FOR NOW. BUT OFFICIALS ARE ENHANCING
SECURITY MEASURES. TOM COSTELLO JOINS US NEXT WITH
THE DETAILS. >> THEY DID CHANGE THE PART
WHERE YOU'RE NOT

Senator Shelley Moore Capito: 'I didn't come here to hurt people' | Morning Joe | CNBC

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