Ben Sasse full 'State of the Union' interview

PASS BEFORE JULY FOURTH.
SENATOR BEN SASSE OF NEBRASKA,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US,
SENATOR.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, JAKE.
>> SO LET'S DO THE FORENSIC
ACCOUNTING OF WHAT HAPPENED ON
FRIDAY.
AT 6:20 A.M. YOU WENT ON FOX AND
FRIENDS AND RETOUTED THE IDEA OF
FIRST REPEALING OBAMACARE AND
THEN REPLACING AT LATER DATE.
AT 6:30 A.M. PRESIDENT TRUMP
EMBRACED IT ON TWITTER WRITING
QUOTE, REPUBLICAN SENATORS
UNABLE TO PASS WHAT THEY'RE
WORKING ON NOW.
THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY REPEAL
AND THEN REPLACE AT A LATER
DATE.
TELL US WHAT BROUGHT PRESIDENT
TRUMP AROUND TO THIS, WHAT IS
NEW POSITION FOR HIM?
>> I'M NOT SURE THAT THE
TICKTOCK PART IS ALL THAT
INTERESTING, BUT I'VE DEFINITELY
BEEN WORKING WITH THE WHITE
HOUSE AND THE PRESIDENT'S SENIOR
TEAM OVER THAT.
BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING TO SAY IS THE PRESIDENT
RAN ON REPEAL AND REPLACE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR
ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
AND IF LEADER McCONNELL CAN GET
US ACROSS A FINISH LINE ON A
COMBINED REPEAL AND REPLACE, I'D
LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
IF WE CAN DO A COMBINED REPEAL
AND REPLACE OVER THE NEXT WEEK,
THAT'S GREAT.
BUT IF WE CAN'T, THOUGH, WE
SHOULD DO A REPEAL WITH A DELAY.
LET'S BE CLEAR I DON'T WANT
ANYONE THROWN OFF THE COVERAGE
THEY HAVE NOW.
LET'S DELAY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK IN YOUR
STATE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRAVEL.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR
CONSTITUENTS, BUT I THINK WE
SHOULD GET STRAIGHT TO WORK WITH
AROUND THE CLOCK HEARINGS ON A
REPLACE PLAN.
I'M A LITTLE AGNOSTIC WHETHER
THEY'RE PAIRED OR SEPARATED.
>> SO SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
MITCH McCONNELL SEEMED TO REJECT
YOUR IDEA ON SATURDAY.
HE SAID HE'LL STICK WITH THE
PATH OF DOING IT ALL AT ONCE.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH SENATOR
McCONNELL OR GOTTEN A SENSE OF
HOW MUCH SUPPORT THERE MIGHT BE
AMONG REPUBLICAN SENATORS FOR
THIS PLAN OF REPEAL FIRST AND
REPLACE AT A LATER DATE?
>> I'M A ROOKIE.
I'M ONE OF ONLY FIVE PEOPLE IN
THE U.S. SENATE THAT'S NEV BEEN
A POLITICIAN BEFORE.
I'M MISTAKEN FOR A PAGE ALL THE
TIME WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS
OF CONGRESS.
I TRY TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
AND OBVIOUSLY LEADER McCONNELL
IS THE LEADER ON THIS BILL.
AND IF WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK HE
CAN GET US A COMBINED REPEAL AND
REPLACE, AGAIN, A GOOD REPEAL
AND REPLACE, I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT
THAT.
IF HE CAN'T THOUGH, I THINK
EVERY SENATOR EXCEPT ONE, SUSAN
McCONNELL'S NAME IS THE ONLY
SENATOR WHO HASN'T REPEATEDLY
EXCLAIMED REPEAL AND REPLACE AND
VOTED FOR REPEAL.
EVERYBODY VOTED FOR ARE A REPEAL
PLAN.
THE ONLY THING THEN WAS
PRESIDENT OBAMA VOTOWED IT.
NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD SIGN
IT.
AGAIN, I WANT TO ATDS A DELAY
FROMANEIMENT LMTATION DATE SO IF
WE DID FULL REPEAL, THERE WOULD
BE TIME.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO
GET 350 OF 52 PLUS THE VICE
PRESIDENT TO AGREE ON A ROOLY
COMPLICATED COMBINED REPEAL AND
REPLACE PLAN.
I'D FIRST TO LIKE TO SAY LET'S
TO THE REPEAL AND THEN GET THE
SENATORS.
LET'S CANCEL THE AUGUST STATE
WORK PERIOD, AND LET'S DO IT IN
FULL PUBLIC VIEW AND HAVE
HEARINGS AND GET TO WORK ON
SOMETHING THAT'S BETTER THAN
OBAMACARE.
WE PLEDGED THAT, AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE THAT.
>>> SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT
THAT MIGHT ME FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
CBO SAID REPEALING OBAMACARE AND
NOT REPLACING IT AT THE SAME
TIME WOULD RESULT IN 32 MILLION
MORE UNINSURED BY 2026
MERCHANDISE NOW, OBVIOUSLY
MILLIONS WOULD BE CHOOSING NOT
TO HAVE INSURANCE.
BUT ALSO MANY OF THEM WOULD BE
LOSING MEDICAID OR NO LONGER
ABLE TO AFFORD PRIVATE INSURANCE
BECAUSE OF THE STIPENDS IT
OFFERS.
YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A PLAN FOR
THEM, THAT THE REPEAL WOULD BE
DELAYED.
BUT ISN'T THAT KIND OF GAMBLING
ON OTHER PEOPLE'S HEALTH?
WHAT IF IT DOESN'T, AND ALL
THESE PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING?
>> FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE EXACTLY
RIGHT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I'M NOT
TALKING ABOUT REPEAL ONLY.
REPUBLICANS NEED TO STOP
PRETENDING EVERYTHING WORKED
OKAY IN HEALTH CARE IN 2010 WHEN
OBAMACARE WAS PASSED.
AND DEMOCRATS NEED TO STOP
PRETENDING OBAMACARE IS WORKING.
I TALKED TO FARMER AFTER FARMER
WHO ARE NOW PAYING $20,000 TO
OVER $30,000 A YEAR.
IT RAISED THEM ON AVERAGE
NATIONALLY IN THE INDIVIDUAL
INSURANCE MARKET MORE THAN
$3,200.
CBO IS FILLED WITH LOTS OF
WELL-MEANING PEOPLE AND THEY'RE
GOOD WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF
ANALYSIS.
BUT ANALYZING LONG-TERM HIGHLY
COMPLEX SOCIAL DIAGRAMS, THEY'VE
ALMOST NEVER BEEN RIGHT.
REMEMBER WHEN THEY SCORED IN THE
1960s, SCORED WHAT MEDICAID
WOULD COST IN THE NEXT DECADE
THEY WERE OFF BY ALMOST 1100%.
REGALLY SCORE KEEPERS
UNDERESTIMATE COST AND OVER
ESTIMATE COVERAGE.
BUT IF NOT, WE SHOULD UNBUNDLE
THEM, REPUBLICANS GAVE THEIR
WORD THEY WERE GOING TO REPEAL.
WE SHOULD DO IT.
WE SHOULD DELAY ITS
IMPLEMENTATION DATE AND ALL 100
SENATORS SHOULD GET BEFORE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ON CAMERA 18
HOURS A DAY.
>> SO FULLY REPEALING OBAMACARE
WOULD AMOUNT TO A TAX CUT OF
ABOUT $700 MILLION
APPROXIMATELY, ABOUT HALF OF
WHICH WOULD GO TO THE TOP 10%.
THAT'S BECAUSE THEY PAY THOSE
TAXES, ABOUT 50% OF THEM AS OF
NOW.
AND ONE ORPHYOUR COLLEAGUES HE'S
WORRIED ABOUT THE POLICY AND
POLITICS OF THIS.
LET ME READ YOU WHAT HE SAID.
QUOTE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
NOT IN A SITUATION, WHERE WE'RE
CUTTING TAXES FOR THE WLTY AND
THE AT THE SAME TIME BASICALLY
FOR LOWER INCOME CITIZENS,
PASSING A LARGER BURDEN TO THEM.
IS THAT A CONCERN YOU HAVE AS
WELL?
>> YES, WE NEED A DO A BETTER
JOB OF COMPLAINING.
I THINK OBAMACARE SHOULD BE
FULLY REPEALED SO WHEN YOU DO
THAT, YOU WOULD BE GETTING RID
OF THOSE TAXES.
BUT THEN WE SHOULD BE HAVING A
CONVERSATION OF WHAT REPLACE
LOOKS LIKE.
AND IF LEADER McCONNELL PROPOSES
A STRATEGY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE
TRY TO GET HEALTH CARE RIGHT AND
THEN YOU SEPARATE TAX CUTS, I
WOULD BE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WILLING
TO EMBRACE THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FOR US RIGHT NOW
IS TO GET A HEALTH CARE PLAN IN
PLACE FOR MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS
AND THOSE POOREST AND SICKEST
AMONG US.
AGAIN, I'M ONE OF MANY IN
CONGRESS WHO'S NEVER BEEN A
POLITICIAN BEFORE THIS.
AND I SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN
WHEN I LIVED ON A CAMPAIGN BUS I
BELIEVE IN A GROWING ECONOMY.
AND A GROWING ECONOMY MEANS
WASHINGTON NOT TRYING TO CROWD
OUT OTHER THINGS.
I DON'T LEAVE MY FAMILY FOUR OR
FIVE DAYS EVERY WEEK TO GO TO
D.C. BECAUSE I CARE ALL THAT
MUCH ABOUT THE MARGINAL TAX RATE
OF THE TOP
>>> WELCOME BACK.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CELEBRATED THE
WEEK LEADING UP TO THE FOURTH OF
JULY BY RELNTLESSLY ATTACKING
JOURNALISTS RANGING FROM
PERSONAL ATTACKS ON A CABLE NEWS
HOST'S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE TO
SMEARS.
WE'RE BACK WITH SENATOR BEN
SASSE.
SENATOR, DOES THIS TROUBLE YOU
AT ALL?
>> SURE.
I MEAN THERE'S AN IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION TO DRAW BETWEEN BAD
STORIES OR CRAPPY COVERAGE AND
THE RIGHT CITIZENS HAVE TO ARGUE
ABOUT THAT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT
THAT AND TRYING TO WEAPONINIZE
DISTRUST.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS THE
BEATING HEART OF THE AMERICAN
KPEERMT.
AND YOU DON'T GET TO SEPARATE
THE FREEDOMS IN THERE.
THEY ARE FIVE FREEDOM.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE RELIGION
WITHOUT ASSEMBLY.
YOU DON'T HAVE SPEECH WITHOUT
PRESS.
WE ALL NEED TO CELEBRATE ALL
FIVE OF THOSE FREEDOMS BECAUSE
THAT'S HOW THE EPLURBUS ANUM
STUFF WORKS.
WE COME TO FIRST AMENDMENT WHICH
IS AN AFFIRMATION FACT PEOPLE
ARE FREED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
IS PRETTY CLEAR ABOUT THIS THAT
THE GOVERNMENT IS JUST A TOOL TO
SECURE THOSE RIGHTS.
WE NEED TO DO THAT CATACLYSMIC
STUFF TO ENSURE THE NEXT
GENERATION.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT
WEAPONINIZING DISTRUST.
THIS IS MORE THAN A DISTRUST BUT
A STRATEGY BY THE PRESIDENT TO
SEW SEEDS.
>> THE REALITY IS JOURNALISM IS
REALLY GOING TO CHANGE A LOT
MORE IN THE DIGITAL ERA.
AND WE ARE AT A RISK OF GETTING
TO A PLACE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE
SHARED PUBLIC FACTS.
A REPUBLIC WILL NOT WORK IF WE
DON'T HAVE SHARED FACTS.
I SIT ON DAN PATRICK'S DESK ON
THE FLOOR ON PURPOSE.
BECAUSE HE'S PART OF THAT FAMOUS
QUOTE YOU'RE INTITLED TO YOUR
OWN OPINIONS, BUT YOU'RE NOT
ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN FACTS.
WE DEFEND EACH OTHER'S RIGHTS TO
PUB ACCOMPLISH JOURNALISM AND
SPECIES AND THINGS WE THEN WANT
TO ARGUE ABOUT.
I AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT
THERE'S A LOT OF CRAPPY PRESS
OUT THERE.
I THINK YOU AGREE --
>> OF COURSE.
>> AND SO BARRIERS ARE GOING TO
GO DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.
AND SO IT IS GOING TO BE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT THREE
TO FIVE YEARS OF PEOPLE TO
SURROUND THEMSELVES ONLY WITH
CHAMBERS AND ECHOES OF PEOPLE
WHO ONLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY
BELIEVE.
AND AMERICA WON'T WORK IF THEY
DO THAT.
SO WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A
PEOPLE AND RETEACH OUR KIDS WHAT
THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ABOUT.
AND IT'S NOT HELPFUL TO CALL THE
PRESS UN-AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THERE SHOULD BE JOURNALISTIC
ETHICS AND INTEGRITY.
AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD
ADMIT MISTAKES AND FIRE PEOPLE.
AND WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF
THAT IN THE LAST WEEK.
THAT'S A GOOD THING.
WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING THAT.
>> YOU RECENTLY WROTE A BOOK
CALLED THE -- PERHAPS MORE
PRABTIC THE OLDER JENIVATIONS
ARE FORGOTTEN WE NEED A PLAN TO
TEACH THEM.
IT'S OUR FAULT MORE THAN THEIRS.
I'M QUOTING.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHEN DID THIS
SHIFT IN CULTURE START AND WHAT
BROUGHT IT ABOUT?
>> SO THE VANISHING AMERICAN
ADULT IS NOT A RAMBLING ABOUT.
HOW DO WE RAISE OUR KIDS IN AN
ERA OF PERPETUAL ADOLESCENCE?
AS YOU TRANSITION, THAT
GREENHOUSE TRANSITION PHASE OF
ADOLESCENCE WHERE JUST BECAUSE
YOU HIT PUBERTY, JUST BECAUSE
YOU BECOME BIOLOGICALLY AN ADULT
WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO BE
FINANCIALLY, SCHOOL LEAVING,
CONSTRUCTION-WISE INDEPENDENT.
THAT'S A GIFT.
BUT PERPETUAL ADOLESCENCE IS A
NATURE.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH
BETWEEN -- OUR KIDS HAVE LARGELY
BEEN INSULATED FROM NECESSITY.
I THINK THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL
THING TO SAY ABOUT TEEN YEARS
RIGHT NOW COMPARED TO 40, 50, 60
YEARS AGO -- AND AGAIN, THIS IS
NOT BEATING UP ON MILLENNIALS.
EVEN FOR OUR LOWER MIDDLE CLASS
FOLKS, WE'RE STILL THE RICHEST
PEOPLE IN HISTORY, THEY'RE STILL
INILATED FROM WORK THEN THEY'VE
EVER BEEN BEFORE.
SO MOST KIDS GROWING UP ACROSS
HISTORY AND ACROSS NATIONS,
BEING AROUND THEIR PARENTS WORK.
OUR KIDS AREN'T.
SO RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING A
DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRODUCTION
AND CONSUMPTION IN THEIR GUT AS
THEY GROW, WE TEND TO
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HOURS AND
YEARS IN SCHOOL AND THEN THE
CONSURM ACTIVITIES THEY HAVE
OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
THAT WON'T IN A REPUBLIC THAT'S
GOING TO PASS ON THAT
SELF-DISCIPLINE, SELF-CONTROL IS
A GOVERNANCE.
FAMILIES DO THAT, COMMUNITIES DO
THAT, NEIGHBORHOODS DO THAT,
DEVELOPMENT OF WORK ETHIC DOES
THAT, AND THEN GOVERNMENT IS
SUPPOSED TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE
MAINTAIN THAT FRAMEWORK FOR
LIBERTY.
WE'RE HOLOING LOCAL COMMUNITY
AND NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT AT THE
SAME TIME WE'RE POLITICIZING OUR
NATIONAL-CURVES SO THAT THE ONLY
COMMUNITY A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE
ARE WHAT THEY PROJECT ONTO
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC
PARTIES.
THESE PARTIES ARE PRETTY
BANKRUPT INTELLECTUALLY.
WE NEED A RECOVERY OF THE LOCAL
AND THE NEIGHBORILY.
>> AND I WOULD RECOMMEND ANYONE
OUT THERE WHO FOUND WHAT THE
SENATOR SAID INTERESTING, TO
READ HIS BOOK.
BEFORE YOU GO, SENATOR, I WANT
TO ASK YOU, YOU BUILT A
REPUTATION FOR YOURSELF WITH
YOUR BOOK, WITH COMMENTS LIKE
THE ONE YOU JUST MADE, AND ALSO
BY TWEAKING PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THE LAST ONE HAS NOT GONE OVER
WELL WITH JEFF COFFMAN, THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE IOWA REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE HAD SENATOR BEN SASSE FROM
NEBRASKA.
HE CROSSES THE MISSOURI RIVER
AND IN THAT SANCTIMONIOUS TONE
TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE DOESN'T LIKE
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, WHAT HE
DOESN'T LIKE ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
YOU KNOW WHAT SENATOR, SASSE, I
REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU LIKE.
WE LOVE DONALD TRUMP.
AND IF YOU DON'T LOVE HIM, I
SUGGEST YOU STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF
THE MISSOURI RIVER.
>> SO SENATOR, YOU'RE NOT TAKING
THAT ADVICE.
IN FACT YOU'RE GOING TO BE
CROSSING THE MISSOURI ON FRIDAY.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU'LL BE
CHALLENGING PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR
THE ARE REPPEN NOMINATION IN
20/20?
>> FIRST OF ALL, LET'S BE CLEAR
WHY I'M GOING TO BE IN IOWA THIS
WEEKEND.
I DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT BUT
NEBRASKA LOSS TO IOWA IN A
FOOTBALL GAME, AND I LOST A BET.
SO I HAVE TO DRIVE UBER ON
FRIDAY.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT GUY IS
IN YOUR SEGMENT.
BUT I BELIEVE FOURTH OF JULY
WEEKEND WE OUGHT TO HAVE EVERY
KID IN AMERICA GETTING TOGETHER
AND SAYING WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN
AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL,
THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE,
LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS.
THAT'S WHAT AMERICA IS ABOUT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS WHO HAVE IMPORTANT
DIFFERENCES ON POLICY SCREAMING
AT EACH OTHER.
THIS IS WEEKEND WE SHOULD BE
CELEBRATING ALL THAT.
>> HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO YOU
AND YOUR

Ben Sasse full 'State of the Union' interview

Latest Posts