Susan Collins full 'State of the Union' interview

THE SWAMP.
>> JOINING ME NOW ONE OF THE
THREE REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO
VOTED NO ON THAT LEGISLATION,
SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS OF MAINE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
>> MY PLEASURE, JAKE.
>> SO, SENATOR, BEFORE I GET TO
POLICY, I JUST HAVE TO ASK, I
SAW THIS VIRAL VIDEO OF YOU
GETTING OFF AN AIRPLANE IN
BANGOR, MAINE, AND A CROWD OF
PEOPLE SPONTANEOUSLY AND
ORGANICALLY APPLAUDING YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAPPENS TO
YOU EVERY TIME YOU GET OFF AN
AIRPLANE IN BANGOR, MAINE, BUT
IT WAS A PRETTY WRARKABLE THING.
WHAT IS THE RESPONSE YOU'RE
GETTING?
>> IT REALLY WAS SO
EXTRAORDINARY, HEARTWARMING AND
AFFIRMING.
I GOT OFF THE PLANE AND THERE
WAS A LARGE GROUP OF OUTBOUND
PASSENGERS, NONE OF WHOM I
HAPPEN TO KNOW, AND
SPONTANEOUSLY, SOME OF THEM
STARTED APPLAUDING AND THEN
VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM STARTED TO
APPLAUD.
IT WAS JUST AMAZING.
I'VE NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN IN
THE 20 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN
PRIVILEGED TO SERVE IN THE
SENATE.
SO, IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING AND
AFFIRMING, ESPECIALLY ARRIVING
BACK HOME AFTER A VERY DIFFICULT
TIME.
>> VERY DIFFICULT TIME, VERY
CONTENTIOUS TIME.
PRESIDENT TRUMP, AS YOU KNOW, IS
HOPING TO REVIVE THE EFFORT TO
REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE.
HE NEEDS THE VOTE OF ONE MORE
SENATOR IN ORDER TO FLIP
SOMEONE'S VOTE, WHETHER YOURS,
MURKOWSKI'S, McCAIN'S.
THE PRESIDENT APPEARS TO BE
THREATENING TO CUT OFF FUNDING
FOR HEALTH CARE PLANS THAT THE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS RECEIVE.
WOULD THAT KIND OF PRESSURE
CHANGE YOUR VOTE?
>> NO, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE BALL
IS REALLY IN OUR COURT RIGHT
NOW.
THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH
THE ACA.
WE'RE SEEING COLLAPSING MARKETS
IN SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY
WHERE EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE
SUBSIDIES, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
BE ABLE TO BUY AN INSURANCE
POLICY.
SO, OUR JOB IS NOT DONE.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO
REMEMBER MY FRIEND, LAMAR
ALEXANDER'S WORDS.
HE SAYS THAT CONGRESS DOESN'T DO
COMPREHENSIVE WELL.
WE NEED TO GO BACK TO COMMITTEE,
TO THE HEALTH COMMITTEE, THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE, IDENTIFY THE
PROBLEMS, CAREFULLY EVALUATE
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS THROUGH
HEARINGS AND THEN PRODUCE A
SERIES OF BILLS TO CORRECT THESE
PROBLEMS.
THE MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH IS THE
PENDING COLLAPSE OF THE
INSURANCE MARKETS.
AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THE
ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT DO
ANYTHING IN THE MEANTIME TO
HASTEN THAT COLLAPSE.
>> AS YOU NOTE, THE PRESIDENT IS
ALSO THREATENING TO CUT OFF WHAT
HE CALLS BAILOUTS FOR INSURANCE
COMPANIES, PRESUMABLY REFERRING
TO THE PAYMENTS THE GOVERNMENT
MAKES TO INSURANCE COMPANIES TO
REDUCE THE COSTS FOR LOW-INCOME
AMERICANS.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
THREATENED TO WITHHOLD THIS
MONEY BEFORE, WHICH HAS LED TO
UNCERTAINTY AMONG INSURANCE
PROVIDERS.
IF PRESIDENT TRUMP WERE TO
OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWAL THAT
FUNDING, WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR
VOTE ON HEALTH CARE?
>> IT WOULD NOT AFFECT MY VOTE
ON HEALTH CARE.
BUT WOULD SET AN EXAMPLE OF WHY
WE NEED TO ACT, TO MAKE SURE
THAT THOSE PAYMENTS, WHICH ARE
NOT AN INSURANCE COMPANY
BAILOUT, BUT RATHER HELP PEOPLE
WHO ARE VERY LOW INCOME, AFFORD
THEIR OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS
TOWARDS THEIR DEDUCTIBLES AND
THEIR CO-PAYS.
SO IT REALLY WOULD BE
DETRIMENTAL TO THE MOST
VULNERABLE IF THOSE WERE CUT
OFF.
THEY'RE PAID TO THE INSURANCE
COMPANIES BUT THE PEOPLE THAT
THEY BENEFIT ARE PEOPLE WHO MAKE
BETWEEN 100% AND 250% OF THE
POVERTY RATE.
SO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOW
INCOME AMERICANS WHO WOULD BE
DEVASTATED IF THOSE PAYMENTS
WERE CUT OFF.
THE THREAT TO CUT OFF THOSE
PAYMENTS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE
INSTABILITY IN THE INSURANCE
MARKET.
BUT WHAT CONGRESS NEEDS TO DO IS
TO START BY THE FIRST BILL THAT
WE SHOULD CONSIDER IS HOW TO
STABILIZE THE MARKET.
AND THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT TO
ENSURE THAT THOSE PAYMENTS
CONTINUE TO BE MADE TO BENEFIT
LOW-INCOME AMERICANS.
>> YOU ARE ONE OF THREE
REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO VOTE
AGAINST THE SO-CALLED SKINNY
REPEAL OF OBAMACARE.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT
SENATOR JOHN McCAIN WAS GOING TO
JOIN YOU AND LISA MURKOWSKI?
AND WHAT WAS SAID TO YOU WHEN HE
TAPPED YOU ON THE BACK?
>> HE GAVE AN EXTREMELY ELOQUENT
SPEECH THE DAY BEFORE WHEN HE
ARRIVED BACK FROM ARIZONA, AFTER
HIS DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS WITH
BRAIN CANCER.
AND HE CALLED FOR A RETURN TO
THE REGULAR ORDER, WHERE WE
WOULD WORK TOGETHER ACROSS THE
AISLE TO PRODUCE LEGISLATION.
IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE AS
WELL THAT THAT IS WHAT WORKS
BEST AND PRODUCES SOUND
LEGISLATION.
SO, GIVEN THIS DRAMATIC AND
HEARTFELT SPEECH.
BUT IT WAS ONLY DATE OF THE
VOTE, JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE
THE VOTE THAT I REALIZED FROM MY
CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM THAT HE
WAS GOING TO VOTE NO.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE INDEPENDENCE
ORIGINALLY CAME OVER TO BREAK
THE TIE THAT MOST PEOPLE
ANTICIPATED WAS GOING TO HAPPEN
WHEN LISA MURKOWSKI OF ALASKA
AND I VOTED NO.
INSTEAD, THE VICE PRESIDENT
ENDED UP COMING OVER TO LOBBY
JOHN McCAIN DIRECTLY, TO TRY TO
GET HIM TO VOTE YES.
I WAS TALKING WITH JOHN AND I
FELT A TAP ON MY SHOULDER AND IT
WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT AND HE
SAID TO ME, BOY, ARE YOU TOUGH.
BUT HE SOFTENED THAT BY PUTTING
HIS ARM AROUND ME.
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY
COURTEOUS IN HIS CONVERSATIONS
WITH ME.
HE THEN STARTED TALKING WITH
JOHN.
WE WERE REMINISCING IN SOME
WAYS, AND THEN IT WAS OBVIOUS HE
WANTED TO HAVE A PRIVATE
CONVERSATION WITH JOHN ABOUT THE
BILL.
SO I STEP ADD SIDE AND DID NOT
PARTICIPATE IN THAT PART OF THE
BILL.
I WAS VERY PROUD OF JOHN.
ONCE AGAIN, HE SHOWED THE
COURAGE THAT HE HAS DEMONSTRATED
THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE TO DO THE
RIGHT THING.
EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT POPULAR, EVEN
WHEN IT'S HARD.
>> THE HEALTH CARE BILL IS JUST
ONE OF MANY MOMENTS OF DRAMA IN
THE LAST WEEK.
THERE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF INFIGHTING AT WHITE HOUSE.
THE PRESIDENT ATTACKING HIS OWN
ATTORNEY GENERAL, COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR ATTACKING THE NOW
FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF AND THE
PRESIDENT SENIOR STRATEGIST.
IS THIS AFFECTING THE
PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO GET HIS
AGENDA PASSED ON CAPITOL HILL?
>> IT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT THE
PRESIDENT'S AGENDA.
AS I SAID, I REALLY THINK THAT
THE HEALTH CARE BILL, AND I
THINK A SERIES OF BILLS WILL BE
IN OUR COURT NOW.
I DON'T THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO
THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA.
I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT HIS NEW
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR STRIKES
A DIFFERENT TONE THAN HE HAS IN
HIS FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB.
>> WHEN THE PRESIDENT TWEETS, DO
YOU CONSIDER THOSE TWEETS TO BE
POLICY OR SHOULD THEY BE IGNORED
IN THE WAY THE PENTAGON SEEMS TO
BE, IN A WAY, TREATING HIS TWEET
ABOUT BANNING TRANSGENDER
PEOPLE?
HE TWEETED THAT BUT WE DON'T
HAVE ANY POLICY SO WE'RE GOING
TO KEEP ON AS WE'RE GOING.
HOW DO YOU TAKE THE PRESIDENT'S
TWEETS?
>> I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT
GOVERNING OR SETTING POLICY BY
TWEET IS A WISE APPROACH.
IT CREATES CONFUSION.
I DO UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S
ATTRACTIVE TO THE PRESIDENT TO
BE ABLE TO GET HIS MESSAGE OUT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO AN ISSUE
THAT HAS WIDESPREAD
IMPLICATIONS, WHETHER IT'S
HEALTH CARE OR TRANSGENDER ISSUE
FOR OUR MILITARY, I DON'T THINK
A TWEET IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE A SERIOUS
POLICY DISCUSSION WITH HIS
CABINET, WITH THOSE WHO ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING
POLICY BECAUSE THEN THERE'S MUCH
MORE CLARITY IN HOW TO PROCEED.
THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE TO THE
PRESIDENT BUT

Susan Collins full 'State of the Union' interview

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