Collins, Murkowski on their health care 'no' vote

BUT THIS HIGH INTENSITY
EXPERIENCE TOOK THEIR BOND TO A
NEW LEVEL.
>> I WAS WATCHING YOU WITH YOUR
DESKS NEXT TO EACH OTHER, YOU
COULD SORT OF SENSE A BIT OF
RELIEF THAT EACH OF YOU HAD THAT
YOU HAD ONE ANOTHER.
DID I READ THAT RIGHT?
>> I WILL SAY I WAS VERY HAPPY
THAT LISA WAS LITERALLY SITTING
NEXT TO ME AS WE WERE VOTING
FROM OUR SEATS WHICH, AS YOU
KNOW, IS UNUSUAL AND ISSUING
VERY IMPORTANT VOTES.
>> TO HAVE THAT WEIGHT, THAT
RESPONSIBILITY KNOWING THAT YOUR
VOTE REALLY IS THAT PIVOTAL, IT
DOES HELP TO KNOW THERE IS
ANOTHER KINDRED SOUL CLOSE BY.
>> YOU BOTH ARE HERE ROWS TO A
LOT OF PEOPLE AND HERETICS TO A
LOT OF PEOPLE.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?
>> I SEE MYSELF AS SOMEONE WHO
HAS AN OBLIGATION TO REPRESENT
THE PEOPLE OF MAINE.
SOMETIMES THAT MEANS CASTING
UNCOMFORTABLE VOTES, VOTES THAT
WILL MAKE MY PARTY UNCOMFORTABLE
AND EVEN ANGRY AT ME.
>> YOU WANT TO VOTE TO DO THE
RIGHT THING.
AND SO WORRYING ABOUT THE
CONSEQUENCES, ARE YOU FEARFUL OF
REPERCUSSION FROM YOUR PAR, A
TWEET FROM THE PRESIDENT, A
BACKLASH FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD
BE MOTIVATED OR DISCOURAGED FROM
TAKING THE POSITIONS THAT ARE
IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE
REPRESENT IN OUR RESPECTIVE
STATES.
>> CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE OF
THE KIND OF PRESSURE YOU HAD AND
HOW YOU HANDLED IT?
HOW DID THAT BEAR ITSELF OUT?
>> PHONE CALLS, MEETINGS.
I HAD A PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE
VICE PRESIDENT AT ONE POINT.
>> IS IT HARD AT THAT POINT --
YOU RAN ON REPEALING OBAMACARE.
THIS IS THE TIME.
THE BELL IS RINGING.
GO.
>> I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE
WERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE -- THE
SECOND TIME WE WERE OVER THERE,
AND IT WAS A VERY DIRECTED
APPEAL, THAT WE NEED TO COME
TOGETHER AS REPUBLICANS.
I MADE A STATEMENT TO THE
PRESIDENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND
WITH HIS TEAM THERE THAT I'M NOT
VOTING FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I'M VOTING FOR THE PEOPLE OF
ALASKA.
>> AND I REMEMBER BEING SO PROUD
OF YOU FOR SAYING DIRECTLY TO
THE PRESIDENT WHAT YOUR
OBLIGATIONS WERE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL, TOO.
THE PEOPLE OF MAINE DON'T EXPECT
ME TO BE A RUBBER STAMP.
>> IF YOU WERE MALE SENATORS, DO
YOU THINK IT WOULD BE SUCH A
PRIORITY FOR YOU, TO MAKE SURE
PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS NOT CUT?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
THE ISSUE OF FAMILY PLANNING
SERVICES, CANCER SCREENING, WELL
WOMEN CARE PROBABLY DOES
RESONATED WITH US MORE THAN WITH
OUR MALE COLLEAGUES, AND TO ME
IT WAS SO UNFAIR TO SINGLE OUT
ONE MEDICAID PROVIDER AND SAY TO
WOMEN IN PARTICULAR YOU CAN'T
CHOOSE WHICH HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER YOU WANT TO GO TO.
>> I WANT TO BORROW A PHRASE
FROM THE FIRST FEMALE SECRETARY
OF STATE WHO TALKED ABOUT
CO-HONE NAS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT
YOU TWO HAVE MORE CAJONES THAN A
LOT OF GUYS AROUND HERE.
DO YOU BUY THAT?
>> EVERY SENATOR HAS TO MAKE HIS
OR HER OWN DECISION.
I WOULDN'T JUDGE MY COLLEAGUES.
>> I ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
>> YOU GUYS HAVE SOME PRETTY
STIFF SPINES.
>> THAT I'D GO WITH.
>> DID SENATOR McCAIN COME TO
YOU BEFORE HE CAST THE LAST VOTE
AGAINST THE HEALTH CARE BILL?
>> I SO REMEMBER WHEN BOTH LISA
AND I WERE TALKING WITH JOHN
McCAIN ON THE SENATE FLOOR AND
HE POINTED TO BOTH OF US AND HE
SAID YOU TWO ARE RIGHT ON THIS
IS
ISSUE.
>> AND TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION
THAT WE HAD AFTER THE VOTE, WE
HAD ONE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS
THAT YOU'LL THINK OF YEARS DOWN
THE ROAD WHERE HE SAID PEOPLE
MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE THIS AS A
POSITIVE, MAYBE OUR COLLEAGUES
AREN'T VIEWING THIS AS A
POSITIVE RIGHT NOW, BUT THE TIME
WILL PROVE THAT HAVING A PAUSE,
HAVING A TIME-OUT FOR US TO DO
BETTER IS GOING TO BE GOOD FOR
THE COUNTRY.
IT WAS A GOOD, GOOD STRONG JOHN
McCAIN MESSAGE.
>> I'VE SEEN CONGRESS AND
CONGRESS PEOPLE WHEN THEY HAVE
SOME POLITICAL FEAR OF THEIR
PRESIDENT, AND HE TRIED TO
INTIMIDATE YOU ON TWITTER VERY
DIRECTLY SPECIFICALLY, MAYBE
HAVING HIS INTERIOR SECRETARY
CALL YOU.
>> YOU CAN'T LIVE IN FEAR THAT
THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING TO
TAKE, THAT YOU BELIEVE IS TRULY
IN YOUR STATE'S BEST INTEREST.
>> DID YOU FEEL HE WAS TRYING TO
INTIMIDATE YOU?
>> I WILL JUST SAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT AND I HAD A VERY
DIRECT CALL.
>> DO YOU THINK THERE'S BEEN A
SHIFT AMONG YOUR REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES AS IT RELATES TO THE
PRESIDENT?
>> MANY OF US ARE STILL VERY
INTERESTED IN THE PRESIDENT'S
AGENDA.
>> FINDING THOSE AREAS WHERE WE
ARE WORKING TOGETHER,
PARTNERING, THIS IS WHAT WE
SHOULD BE DOING.
IF THERE'S RHETORIC THAT IS OUT
THERE THAT IS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE
TO GOVERNING, I THINKNK

Collins, Murkowski on their health care 'no' vote

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