Full Interview: Sen. Susan Collins

>>> SENATE HEALTH BILL IS IN
LIMBO ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE OF A
MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ANNOUNCED HE
WILL NOT BE IN WASHINGTON WHEN
THE VOTE WAS PLANNED BECAUSE HE
IS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY TO
REMOVE A BLOOD CLOT FROM BEHIND
HIS EYE.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL HAS DELAYED IT UNTIL
McCAIN CAN RETURN.
HE NEEDS EVERY LAST VOTE GIVEN
THAT REPUBLICANS ARE WAIVERING
OR HESITANT ON VOTING YES ON THE
BILL, INCLUDING MY NEXT GUEST,
REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS
FROM MAINE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HAS PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLED
YOU?
IS HE STILL HOPING THAT MAYBE HE
CAN WIN YOU OVER?
>> HE TALKED TO ME AT THE WHITE
HOUSE AT A MEETING OF THE
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO, BUT I'VE NOT HEARD
DIRECTLY FROM HIM.
BUT I HAVE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF
HIS ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING
HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
LET ME JUST QUICKLY SAY THAT ALL
OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT JOHN
McCAIN AND WISHING HIM A SPEEDY
RECOVERY.
HE'S VERY TOUGH AND WE HOPE HE
WILL BE BACK SOON.
>> HE TRIED TO ALAY ANY CONCERNS
ABOUT WHAT THIS BILL WILL DO
WITH MEDICAID, HEALTH CARE
PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS
AND OTHERS.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> LET ME BE CLEAR.
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I BELIEVE
THE SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL
STRENGTHENS AND SECURES MEDICATE
FOR THE NEEDIEST IN OUR SOCIETY
AND THIS BILL PUT THIS IS VITAL
AMERICAN PROGRAM ON A PATH TO
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
>> DO YOU AGREE WITH THE VICE
PRESIDENT?
IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH, THAT
THIS BILL WOULD STRENGTHEN THE
MEDICARE FOR THE NEEDIEST?
>> I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE
VICE PRESIDENT'S ANALYSIS.
THIS BILL WOULD PROPOSE
FUNDAMENTAL SWEEPING CHANGES IN
THE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND THOSE
INCLUDE VERY DEEP CUTS.
THAT WOULD AFFECT THE MOST
VULNERABLE IN OUR SOCIETY,
DISABLED CHILDREN, POOR SENIORS,
RURAL HOSPITALS AND NURSING
HOMES AND THEY WOULD HAVE A VERY
DIFFICULT TIME EVEN STAYING IN
EXISTENCE.
I SEE IT VERY DIFFERENTLY.
YOU CAN'T TAKE MORE THAN $700
BILLION OUT OF THE MEDICAID
PROGRAM AND NOT THINK THAT IT'S
GOING TO HAVE SOME KIND OF
EFFECT.
>> ONE OF THE MAJOR CHANGES TO
THE HEALTH CARE BILL WAS OFFERED
BY SENATOR TED CRUZ THAT WOULD
ALLOW CHEAPER COSTS TO OFFER
FEWER BENEFITS.
WOULDN'T IT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR
SOME PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO
BUY COVERAGE ABLE TO BUY
COVERAGE?
>> I DO WANT TO SEE MORE
FLEXIBILITY IN THE INSURANCE
MARKET BUT SENATOR CRUZ'S
PROPOSAL IS NOT THE ANSWER.
IT'S RARE FOR CONSUMER GROUPS
AND INSURANCE COMPANIES TO AGREE
BUT THEY AGREE ON THIS.
IT'S UNWORKABLE.
IT WOULD RESULT IN UNDERMINING
THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING
CONDITIONS AND CREATE TWO
SEPARATE GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS
AND SOME OF THEM WOULD HAVE VERY
SKIMPY INSURANCE COVERAGE AT A
LOW PRICE.
BUT IT MIGHT NOT HELP THEM WHEN
THEY GET SICK.
THEN THERE'S THE GROOCH PEOPLE
WHO HAVE SERIOUS MEDICAL
PROBLEMS AND THEIR PREMIUMS AND
DEDUCTIBLES WOULD GO SKY HIGH.
SUCH THAT INSURANCE WOULD BE
UNAFFORDABLE FOR MANY OF THEM.
THERE IS A WAY TO DEAL WITH
THIS.
THAT IS BY CREATING A
REINSURANCE POOL FOR PEOPLE WITH
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
WE DID IT IN MAINE FOR 18 MONTHS
BEFORE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
WENT INTO EFFECT AND IT WAS
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.
>> YOU AND SENATOR RAND PAUL,
FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS, ARE
OPPOSED TO THIS LATEST PIECE OF
LEGISLATION FROM THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE.
REPUBLICANS, AS YOU KNOW, CAN'T
AFFORD TO LOSE ANY MORE VOTES
FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE
ON THIS.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE BILL WILL
PASS OR DO YOU THINK THERE ARE
ENOUGH OTHER WAIVERING
REPUBLICANS THAT IT WILL NOT?
>> THERE ARE EIGHT TO TEN
REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO HAVE
SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THIS
BILL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T
KNOW WHETHER IT WILL PASS.
I DO KNOW THIS.
WE SHOULD NOT BE MAKING
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN A VITAL
SAFETY NET PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN
ON THE BOOKS FOR 50 YEARS.
THE MEDICAID PROGRAM, WITHOUT
EVALUATING WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES
WILL BE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE AREN'T
PROBLEMS WITH THE MEDICAID
PROGRAM THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE ACA
DOESN'T HAVE SERIOUS FLAWS.
IT DOES.
IT'S WHY WE NEED PEOPLE FROM
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WITH
THEIR INPUT.
>> YOU'RE ALSO A MEMBER OF THE
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
OF COURSE ALSO INVESTIGATING THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CAME TO THE
DEFENSE OF DONALD TRUMP JR.
AFTER THOSE E-MAILS WERE
RELEASED.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> MY SON IS A WONDERFUL YOUNG
MAN.
HE TOOK A MEETING WITH A RUSSIAN
LAWYER.
NOT A GOVERNMENT LAWYER BUT A
RUSSIAN LAWYER.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TAKEN
THAT MEETING.
IT'S CALLED OPPOSITION RESEARCH.
>> YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A FEW
CAMPAIGNS.
IF YOU WERE TOLD A LAWYER WANTED
TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU AS
PART OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT'S
EFFORT TO HELP YOU GET ELECTED,
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?
>> WELL, I WOULD RESPOND IN THE
NEGATIVE.
AND I THINK I THINK MOST WOULD.
WE NEED TO TALK NOT JUST TO
DONALD TRUMP JR., WHO HAS
OFFERED TO COOPERATE, FOR WHICH
I GIVE HIM CREDIT, BUT TO
EVERYONE WHO WAS AT THAT MEETING
AND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN SETTING
UP THAT MEETING.
THAT MAY BE DIFFICULT IN THE
RUSSIAN NATIONALS BUT WE
CERTAINLY OUGHT TO TRY.
WE SHOULD ALSO ASK FOR ALL
DOCUMENTS, NOT JUST THE E-MAILS
THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED BUT ALL
THE DOCUMENTS THAT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN HAD WITH THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT OR ITS EMISSARIES.
>> ONLY ONE OF THEM, JARED
KUSHNER, IS CURRENTLY IN THE
WHITE HOUSE WITH THE SECURITY
CLEARANCE.
GIVEN HOW MANY TIMES HE HAS HAD
TO UPDATE HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE
FORMS AND HOW IMPERICALLY
UNTRANSPARENT HE HAS BEEN
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, DO YOU
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HIS SECURITY
CLEARANCE?
>> THERE'S AN ISSUE WE NEED TO
LOOK AT.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
EVIDENCE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO ADVISED HIM ON
THE FORMS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MEETINGS
HE HAD IN TOTAL.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER MOST OF
THEM WERE LISTED.
THOSE ARE ISSUES WE DO NEED TO
REVIEW.
IT'S ONE REASON WHY THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE'S
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO CONTINUE.
IT'S ON A SEPARATE TRACK FROM
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S
INVESTIGATION WHICH IS LOOKING
AT WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANY
CRIMINAL WRONGDOING.
THAT'S NOT IN OUR BALLYWICK.
WE NEED TO KNOW PREVENT THIS
KIND OF INTERFERENCE FROM
HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
THE RUSSIANS ARE GOING TO TRY
AGAIN, AS WE KNOW, FROM THEIR
ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE THE
CAMPAIGNS IN FRANCE AND IN
GERMANY AND IN MONTENEGRO.
>> SENATOR SUSAN

Full Interview: Sen. Susan Collins

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