Senator Bill Cassidy: President Donald Trump Is Familiar With My Health Bills | Morning Joe

>>> WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE BIPARTISAN AND LAMAR ALEXANDER
IS WORKING ON IT VERY HARD FROM OUR SIDE, AND IF SOMETHING CAN
HAPPEN, THAT'S FINE. BUT I WON'T DO ANYTHING TO
ENRICH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. RIGHT NOW THE INSURANCE
COMPANIES ARE BEING ENRICHED. THEY'VE BEEN ENRICHED BY
OBAMACARE LIKE NOTHING ANYBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE.
>> THE PRESIDENT OUGHT TO MAKE UP HIS MIND.
HE KEEPS CHANGING HIS MIND ON ISSUE AFTER ISSUE, AND THAT
SHOWS AN APPALLING LACK OF LEADERSHIP.
NOW HE SAID TODAY IT WOULD BENEFIT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
HE OUGHT TO READ THE BILL BEFORE HE TWEETS.
>>> ALL RIGHT. JOINING US NOW, MEMBER OF THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH EDUCATION LABOR AND PENSIONS,
REPUBLICAN SENATOR BILL CASSIDY OF LOUISIANA.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU. >> I THINK IT'S FAIR TO ASK AT
THIS POINT IF -- I MEAN, HOW DO YOU REALLY KNOW IF THE PRESIDENT
HAS ACTUALLY READ WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING?
IS THAT A QUESTION? >> WELL, THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE'S
FAMILIAR WITH IT. I CAN'T STEP INSIDE THE
PRESIDENT'S MIND. BUT HIS CONCERNS ARE THAT
INSURERS WILL RAISE THEIR RATES FOR 2018, THE COST SHARE
PAYMENTS WILL BE MADE, BUT THE INSURERS WILL KEEP THEIR RATES
HIGH. THEY WILL NOT REDUCE THEM.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING HE WISHES TO HAVE THAT FURTHER ASSURANCE
THAT IF THESE PAYMENTS ARE MADE, INSURANCE COMPANIES TRULY LOWER
THEIR PREMIUMS. >> ARE YOU SEEING IN THE LATER
OF YOUR PARTY, IN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ARE YOU
SEEING A QUESTION IN YOUR MIND WHETHER OR NOT HE ACTUALLY HAS
THE APTITUDE OR READS WHAT IT IS HE'S TALKING ABOUT AS IT E
PERTAINS TO THESE CHANGING BILLS?
HONESTLY, DO YOU KNOW IF HE READS IT?
>> OF COURSE I DON'T KNOW IF HE READS IT BECAUSE I'M NOT WITH
HIM ALL THE TIME. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CONCERN
HE'S EXPRESSING IS ONE I HAVE. YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE A
WINDFALL FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
YOU WANT THE PREMIUMS TO COME DOWN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHEN THERE'S BEEN WINDFALLS FOR VARIOUS
INDUSTRIES FOR SOMETHING INTENDED TO BE FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE. IT'S A VALID CONCERN.
IF IT'S ADDRESSED, I'M HOPING THE PRESIDENT WILL SUPPORT IT
GOING FORWARD. IN FACT, IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED
OR ELSE I WOULDN'T SUPPORT IT. >> WILLIE, THE QUESTION I WAS
TRYING TO ASK, USUALLY WITH PRESIDENTS WE'VE SEEN IN THE
PAST THAT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS THE APTITUDE AND READS WHAT'S IN THE BILL.
>> I'M NOT SURE OBAMA READ ALL 900 PAGES OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT. TO DO SO, YOU'D HAVE TO REFER
BACK TO ALL THE REFERENCES IN THE CODE.
THE PRESIDENT IS A DIGEST AND THAT'S A SUMMARY AND PROSE OF
THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE. >> SENATOR CASSIDY, LET ME ASK
YOU ABOUT YOUR NEWS THAT YOU WANT TO BRING BACK GRAHAM
CASSIDY IN 2018 AND TAKE ANOTHER CRACK AT IT.
JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE AT THE END OF LAST MONTH IT WAS PULLED
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES, EVEN AMONG YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES. AS A LEGISLATIVE MATTER,
SENATOR, WHY DO YOU THINK NEXT TIME WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
>> AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE HAD CONCERNS OVER PROCESS NOT OVER
POLICY. >> WHO ARE THEY?
>> McCAIN AND MURKOWSKI. SO WE GO THROUGH REGULAR ORDER,
IF YOU WILL, HAVE COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND SUCH, THE HOUSE
DOES THE SAME, THEN WE THINK IT ACTUALLY ADDRESSES THEIR
CONCERNS REGARDING POLICY. SECONDLY, THERE ARE STATES
REPRESENTED BY DEMOCRATS THAT DO FAR BETTER UNDER GRAHAM CASSIDY.
FOR EXAMPLE, VIRGINIA WOULD END UP WITH FOUR TO FIVE BILLION
MORE UNDER GRAHAM CASSIDY THAN THE STATUS QUO.
MONEY TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR WORKING FAMILIES, I'M HOPING
THOSE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS FROM THOSE STATES WOULD SUPPORT THE
BILL. >> SENATOR, THEY WEREN'T
CONVINCED OF THAT LAST TIME AROUND.
SUSAN COLLINS KNEW BASICALLY WHAT WAS IN THE BILL AND DECIDED
IT WASN'T SOMETHING SHE COULD VOTE FOR.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHY WOULD THEY CHANGE THEIR VOTE NOW?
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE ABOUT GRAHAM CASSIDY
OR JUST GOING TO PUT IT UP AGAIN THE WAY IT WAS.
>> THERE WILL BE SOME MODIFICATION GOING FORWARD
BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE YEAR.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SENATOR COLLINS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT
ANOTHER PART OF GRAHAM CASSIDY, THE PER CAPITA CAP.
SHE WANTED TO HAVE A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, MAKE SURE
MAINERS DID OKAY ON THAT. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT SEVERAL
MONTHS TO EXPLORE THAT AND PROVE THAT MAINE DOES PRETTY WELL
UNDER THE PER CAPITA CAP. OUR COMPRESSED TIME FRAME LAST
TIME DIDN'T ALLOW US TO PUSH BACK, DIDN'T ALLOW US TO TELL
THOSE LIKE THE PEOPLE IN VIRGINIA AND MISSOURI, HOW MUCH
BETTER THEIR STATES DID. >> CERTAINLY MOVED TO REGULAR
ORDER. THIS IS JOE SCARBOROUGH,
SENATOR -- OBVIOUSLY IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WHAT MIKA WAS POINTING OUT, THE PRESIDENT BEING IGNORANT OF THE
LEGISLATION BEFORE HIM.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU -- >> HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
THERE IS SO MUCH EVIDENCE THAT THIS PRESIDENT DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT'S IN THE BILL. IT'S BEEN A COMPLAINT TIME AND
TIME AGAIN FROM LEGISLATORS ON THE HILL THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT'S ON THE BILL. ALL HE WANTS IS A BILL HE CAN
SIGN. RICH LOWRY THIS MORNING FROM THE
NATIONAL REVIEW WRITES IN POLITICO, THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS FORMIDABLE OBSTACLES BUT NONE LOOMS QUITE
AS LARGE AS THE FACT THAT TRUMP HIP SELF HAS NO IDEA HOW HE
WANTS TO GOVERN. YOU ARE NOT REALLY SUGGESTING
THAT THIS PRESIDENT IS READ IN ON LEGISLATION AND ON HEALTH
CARE LEGISLATION AS MUCH AS PAST PRESIDENTS, ARE YOU, BECAUSE
THAT'S OBJECTIVELY JUST NOT TRUE?
>> I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE DEMOCRATS LOBBIED BY
PRESIDENT OBAMA ON PROVISIONS OF THE ACA THAT SAID, MR.
PRESIDENT, YOU'RE WRONG ON THIS. HE WOULD SAY I'LL CALL YOU BACK
ANDEN IN NEVER GOT A CALL BACK. WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLEX
LEGISLATION, CAN THERE BE MISUNDERSTANDING BY THOSE
INVOLVED? YES, THERE ARE.
JOE, NEITHER YOU NOR I NOR RICH LOWRY CAN STEP INSIDE THE
PRESIDENT'S MIND, NOR WITH WE UNDERSTAND THE LEGISLATION --
FDR DELEGATED. THEY WOULD SAY GO OUT AND DO
THIS, HE BROUGHT BACK A PROPOSE AL AND SIGN OFF OR SIGN ON.
WE HAVE TO AT SOME POINT RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT PRESIDENTS
HAVE DIFFERENT GOVERNING SKILLS. >> YOU'RE NOT COMPARING FDR'S
GRASP ON LEGISLATION OR EISENHOWER'S GRASP OF EVENTS
WITH THAT OF DONALD TRUMP, ARE
YOU. >> NO KIND OF INVOLVEMENT AT
ALL, WE'RE GOING AWAY FROM A GOLD STANDARD AND DO THE FULL
FAITH AND CREDIT BEHIND A PAPER BILL.
AS BEST I CAN TELL, IT WAS BROUGHT TO HIM FAIT ACCOMPLI AND
HE SIGNED OFF. THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN OUR ECONOMIC HISTORY WHICH AS BEST AS I UNDERSTAND
WAS NOT ANYTHING HE WAS INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH.
IT WAS SOME FELLOW PLAYING THE GUITAR AT HOME AND THE THOUGHT
OCCURRED TO HIM. I DON'T MEAN TO MINIMIZE IT.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE GUY UNWOUND.
I THINK DIFFERENT PRESIDENTS HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF
GOVERNING. WE JUST HAVE TO RESPECT THAT.
>> I'M SORRY. HOLD ON A SECOND.
SENATOR, IS IT FAIR TO SAY THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT TOLD THE TRUTH
AT TIMES ON ANY LEVEL ON ANYTHING?
I'M NOT TRYING TO GET INTO HIS HEAD.
YOU'VE COME ON THIS SHOW A LOT. I'M TRYING TO GET INTO YOURS AND
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
HAS THIS PRESIDENT EVER LIED? >> THIS PRESIDENT SPEAKS IN
HYPERBOLE. THAT'S INTERPRETED BY SOME AS
LIES AND BY THE PRESIDENT IT'S INTERPRETED AS JUST HIS
EXAGGERATION. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD.
WELL, WHAT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD?
THAT'S IN THE EYE OF THE
BEHOLDER. THE PRESIDENT HAS A MANNER OF
SPEAKING WHICH IS EASILY TAKEN AS A LIE AND.
IF I GET DISTRACTIVE IS THE HYPERBOLE A LIE --
>> WE GOT IT. SENATOR BILL CASSIDY.
I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> MIKA, THE COMPARISON TO DONALD TRUMP'S KNOWLEDGE OF
WHATEVER BILL COMES BEFORE HIM -- HE LITERALLY -- YOU COULD
SMEAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE AND HAVE 3-YEAR-OLDS DO PICTURES IN
CRAYONS -- >> WITH THEIR FEET.
>> -- WITH THEIR FEET. IF YOU TOLD HIM IT WAS THE
HEALTH CARE BILL, HE WOULD SAY THIS IS THE MOST SWEEPING HEALTH
CARE BILL OF ALL TIME, I WILL SIGN IT NOW.
HE'LL HAVE A BEER PARTY, A KEG
PARTY. JUST JOKING THERE.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT YOU HAVE A COMPARISON OF DONALD TRUMP TO
FDR, DONALD TRUMP TO DWIGHT EISENHOWER AND A SUGGESTION THAT
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Senator Bill Cassidy: President Donald Trump Is Familiar With My Health Bills | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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