Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20170119

Legacy with professors Rashid Khalidi and eddie glaude. Then as u. S. Scientists officially declare 2016 to be the warmest year ever, the senate holds a confirmation hearing for epa director nominee scott pruitt, a longtime Climate Change denier. Science tells us the climate is changing. Human activity in some manner impacts of change. The ability to measure with precision the degree and extent of that impact and what to do about it are subject to continuing debate and dialogue, and well it should be. Amy and we will look at tom price, a critic of the Affordable Care act, medicare, and medicaid, who has been tapped by trump to be secretary of health and human services. He was repeatedly questioned about investing thousands of dollars in a medical device maker shortly before introducing a bill to benefit the company as well as he was asked about his views on medicaid. Did you propose to cut more than 1 trillion out of medicaid over the next 10 years . You have the numbers before you. Is that a yes . Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Today marks president obamas last full day in office. On friday at noon Supreme Court , chief Justice John Roberts will swear in donald trump as the countrys 45th president. On wednesday, obama gave his last press conference as president , during which he warned trump he will not stay silent if he sees what he called the nations core values at risk. Obama also thanked the press and spoke about the role theyve played during his presidency. Pres. Obama having you in this placeng has made this work better. It keeps us honest. It makes us work harder. Howhave made us think about were doing what we do, and whether or not were able to deliver on what has been requested by our constituents. Amy the Incoming Trump administration had proposed moving the press corps out of the white house and instead relocating them nearby to the Old Executive Office building. Trump had to back away from the proposal wednesday, after outrage among members of the press and those concerned about press freedoms. During president obamas final News Conference wednesday, he also spoke about his recent decision to commute Army Whistleblower Chelsea Mannings sentence. Pres. Obama it has been my view ,hat given she went to trial that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence she received was very disproportional disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received. Amy also on the office of the wednesday, pardon attorney has announced president obama has denied clemency to imprisoned native american activist leonard peltier. Peltier is a former member of the American Indian movement who was convicted of killing two fbi agents during a shootout on south dakotas pine ridge indian reservation in 1975. He has long maintained his innocence. Amnesty international condemned the decision, saying we are deeply saddened by the news that president obama will not let leonard go home. We will have more on president obamas speech and legacy after the headlines with professors eddie glaude and Rashid Khalidi. Scientists with both nasa and noaa, the National Oceanic and atmospheric administration, have confirmed 2016 was the hottest year on record, topping the previous record set in 2015, which topped the previous record only a year earlier. This marks the first time in recorded Human History that the earth has smashed previous temperature records three straight years in a row. Scientists with the u. S. National Snow Ice Data Center have also announced global sea ice levels are at their lowest point in recorded Human History. The unprecedented warming of the planet due to human caused Climate Change comes as Oklahoma Attorney general scott pruitt underwent his confirmation hearing to be the head of the Environment Protection agency. Pruitt has long denied the overwhelming Scientific Consensus on Climate Change. Dozens of people protested outside his hearing. At least three were arrested, including lakota water protector joann spotted bear, who was arrested while in prayer. This is scott pruitt being questioned by vermont senator bernie sanders. Sen. Sanders so you are applying for a job as administrator for the epa to protect our environment, overwhelming majority of scientists a we have got to act only, and you were telling me that there needs to be more debate on this issue . Im asking your personal opinion. My personal opinion is immaterial. To the job sen. Sanders you are going to be the head of the agency to protect the environment and your personal feelings about whether Climate Change is caused by human activity and Carbon Emissions is immaterial . Senator, i have acknowledged the human impacts sen. Sanders impact. That is the kind of epa administrator you will be, youre not going to get my vote. Amy well have more on pruitts confirmation hearing later in the broadcast. Georgia congressman tom price also testified wednesday before the senate during his confirmation hearing to be the head of health and human services. Price is one of the leading opponents of president obamas Affordable Care act. He supports privatizing medicare, opposes abortion, and has voted to cut all federal funding for planned parenthood. His hearing came only days after cnn reported price invested thousands of dollars in the medical device maker Zimmer Biomet shortly before introducing a bill to benefit the company. Prices legislation sought to delay regulations that would have changed the way medicare pays for hip and knee replacements, thereby cutting into Zimmer Biomets profits. We will have more on congressman tom prices confirmation hearing later in the broadcast. Confirmation hearings were also held wednesday for billionaire wilbur ross, trumps pick for commerce secretary. Estimated 2. 9n billion. If confirmed, he will be one of the richest people to ever hold public office. During the hearing, ross admitted he had recently fired an undocumented immigrant who had been working in his home since after rechecking all of 2009 his household employees documentation status. Former South Carolina governor nikki haley also went before the senate for her confirmation hearing to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations. During her hearing, she criticized the u. N. For what she claimed was its bias against israel, and she said she supports trumps plan to move the u. S. Embassy in israel from tel aviv to jerusalem a proposal which has outraged palestinians and much of the world community. More confirmation hearings are slated to take place today, including for former Texas Governor rick perry, who trump tapped to head the energy department. Governor perry famously attempted to propose to abolish the energy department, but then could not remember the agency during a live televised debate in 2011, when perry was running for president. Former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin will also go have his confirmation hearing for treasury secretary today. Mnuchin has faced criticism for his role at onewest, a bank which has been called a foreclosure machine that profited from the collapse of the housing market. On wednesday, homeowners who face foreclosure by onewest or its subsidiaries testified at a meeting held by massachusetts senator elizabeth warren. This is 84yearold colleen isonhodroff, who took out a reverse loan with the onewest subsidiary Financial Freedom in 2006 on the home she and her husband, monroe, had been living in since 1963. My husband monroe passed us september 12, 2014. A mere 10 days later, despite what we had been told by Financial Freedom contacted me and told me that i needed to pay off the loan immediately. This was news to me. I was in no financial position to do so. Since then, Financial Freedom has been trying to foreclose on me. I think this is an injustice in that an elderly woman was deceived and now Financial Freedom is trying to take my home. I hear that Steve Mnuchin was the leader of the bank that is doing this to me and other seniors. I do not think a man like that should be the treasury secretary and in charge of our economy. Amy speaking about her fight to save her home from foreclosure by a subsidiary of onewest, stephen mnuchins bank. Hearing,todays mnuchin submitted a revised questionnaire which reveals he is the director of Investment Capital international limited, incorporated in the tax haven that came in islands. He admitted he is management post and seven other funds which he claims he inadvertently failed to include on his first questionnaire. Donald trump has announced he is nominated former georgia governor sonny purdue to be secretary of agile culture of agriculture. Perdue ran a grain and fertilizer business before becoming georgias first republican governor since reconstruction. Environmental activists have slammed purdue for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidies that support chemical corporations and factory farming. The Environmental Working Group said its certainly hard to imagine that a former fertilizer salesman will tackle the unregulated farm pollution that poisons our drinking water, turns lake erie green, and fouls the Chesapeake Bay and the gulf of mexico. With perdues nomination, trump has now named all his cabinet choices, which are overwhelmingly white male millionaires or billionaires. If all his picks are confirmed, trumps cabinet will be the first without a latino member since 1988. More controversies are surfacing about some of trumps other choices for top positions. The Washington Post reports South Carolina republican congressman Mick Mulvaney did not pay 15,000 in taxes for a household worker from 2000 to 2004. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports billionaire wall street investor vincent viola, whom trump has tapped to be army secretary, was accused this past summer of punching a concessions worker in the face at a racehorse auction in saratoga springs, new york. Hundreds of people danced the night away wednesday at a Queer Dance Party outside Vice President elect mike pences rental home in chevy chase, maryland. The dance party was a protest against the former indiana governors long history of pushing extreme antilgbt legislation. Pence has opposed Marriage Equality and antidiscrimination laws to protect lgbtq people. Native americans and their allies fighting the 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline have scored a series of legal victories. The north dakota Supreme Court partially granted a petition that will open the door for outofstate lawyers to represent the more than 600 people who have been arrested amid the ongoing resistance. Also a federal judge rejected wednesday, the Dakota Access Pipeline Company Energy Transfer partners to block the army corps of engineers from beginning a lengthy Environmental Impact statement on the section of the pipeline slated to cross the missouri river. The ruling means the Environmental Impact study will now move forward, indefinitely halting construction of the pipeline. The legal victories came only hours before Late Wednesday night water protectors say , Police Deployed tear gas and rubber bullets against native americans trying to erect a tipi a tepee on backwater bridge, a site of frequent police attacks. The Royal Canadian mounted police say more than a halfmillion dollars of damage was caused after people sabotaged an oil pipeline under construction in northern alberta. Authorities say people used heavy machinery to dig up a section of the contested pipeline. In africa, west african troops are amassing at gambias border, poised to intervene if president yahya jammeh does not relinquish power today. Incoming President Adama Barrow won decembers elections, but jammeh has so far refused to step down. Hes been in power since 1994 and once vowed to rule for a billion years. The United Nations say more than 25,000 people have fled gambia to neighboring senegal amid the rising tensions. Back in the United States, former president george h. W. Bush and his wife barbara bush are both hospitalized in houston. The 92yearold former president is in stable condition after experiencing respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. Hes currently the oldest living u. S. President. Barbara bush was hospitalized for fatigue and coughing. In indiana, republican legislators have sparked outrage after introducing a bill that will empower police to remove protesters blocking traffic using any means necessary. Organizers and activists opposed to the legislation have dubbed it the block traffic and you die bill. The bill is being pushed by Indiana Republican senator jim tomes, who has previously pushed other controversial proposals, including one to jail transgender people for using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. In financial news, Jpmorgan Chase will pay 55 million to settle a lawsuit with the Justice Department accusing the bank of discriminating against more than 50,000 homeowners of color between 2006 and 2009. The lawsuit accuses Jpmorgan Chase of violating the Fair Housing Act and equal credit opportunity act. As part of the settlement, Jpmorgan Chase does not have to admit wrongdoing and no bankers are facing criminal charges. And in colombia, human rights defenders Emilsen Manyoma and her husband Joe Javier Rodallega have been assassinated. Manyoma was a leader in bajo calimas Human Rights Organization and has been documenting Human Rights Violations in the region. She first began organizing against the paramilitary control of the region in 2005. She and her husband reportedly received a series of threats in the days leading up to their murders. Last week, three other human rights defenders were killed in colombia. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Today marks president obamas last full day in office. On friday at noon, Supreme Court chief Justice John Roberts will swear in donald trump as the countrys 45th president. On wednesday, in his last press conference as president , obama defended his decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning and condemn the israeli occupation. He also warned trump he will not obama sees what he called the nations core values at risk. Pres. Obama there is a difference between that normal andtioning of politics certain issues or certain moments where i think our core values may be at stake. Category, if i saw systematic discrimination, being ratified in some fashion, i put explicit orgory peoplenal obstacles to being able to vote, to exercise their franchise. I put in that category institutional efforts to silence dissent for the press. And for me, at least, i would to in that category efforts roundup kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American Kids and send them someplace else. Country, love this they are our kids friends and their classmates, and are now entering into Community Colleges , or in some cases, serving in our military, that the notion that we would just return early politics, punish those kids when they didnt do anything wrong themselves. I think that would be something that would merit me speaking out. It doesnt mean that i would get on the ballot anyway. Amy we begin todays show looking back at obamas legacy and what lies ahead with the new administration. We are joined by two guests. Here in new york Rashid Khalidi, edward said professor of arab studies at columbia university. Author of several books. His most recent brokers of , deceit how the u. S. Has undermined peace in the middle east. And at princeton university, were joined by eddie glaude, chair of the department of African American studies at princeton university. He is author of several books, most recently, democracy in black how race still enslaves the american soul. It is just out in paperback. , yoursor eddie glaude assessment of president obamas message in his last News Conference, the last 48 hours that he was president , holding it in the press pool room something that has been threatened, to say the least, the last few days with the Trump Administration saying that were thinking of moving the press somewhere nearby. I think it was important for the president the kind of identify the threat that donald trump poses to the fourth estate. He did it in his own unique, of course, centrist way, but the idea of calling attention to the fact that a free and independent press may very well be under siege as donald trump enters the white house i think is was an important gesture. Want to caution, though, the way in which the president made this a point, he, of course, was not attentive to the corporate dimensions of the press that in some ways the socalled free press has been itsromised a big money, by own pursuit of profits. It is a critique that can only go so far. And i think the kind of point, to point our for direct our attention to the question of israel and palestine, the issues around the dreamers issues, communities igbtq think was important as a way of, in some ways, framing his own presidency over and against what is to come. I have this year, though, sister amy, that he is positioning himself in some ways the voice of the kind of resistance posts presidency. I worry about that because of his containing and limiting voice. Because president obama at the end of the day is just simply a centrist liberal. Amy during his press conference, president obama decides the voting restrictions in place in the United States. Obama were the only country making a harder to vote rather than easier. And that dates back. There is a negley history to that. That we should not be shy about talking about. Im talking about Voting Rights. The reason we are the only country among advanced democracies that makes it harder to vote is it traces directly back to jim crow and the legacy of slavery and it became sort of acceptable to restrict the franchise. Amy president obama dismissed the idea of voting fraud as fake news. Pres. Obama this whole notion of elections were voting fraud this is something that is constantly has constantly been disproved. This, this state news. The notion that there are a whole bunch of people out there who are not eligible to vote and want to vote. We have the opposite problem. We have a holdings of people who are eligible to vote who do not vote. Amy professor eddie glaude . To the extent of which voter fraud, Voter Suppression tracing its origins to jim crow slavery, to its racialon underpinnings is right. It there is a reluctance to speak to Voter Suppression, the ways in which voter id laws are directly targeting black communities, what happened in North Carolina, what happened in wisconsin, what happens what texas try to do, what pennsylvania attempted to do. And to speak specifically to the ways in which race and particularly the way in which black and brown communities are targeted today. There is a reluctance. You get this general claim about the assault on Voting Rights that we are making a more difficult for people to vote, tracing it specifically to jim crow and the institution of slavery, but a reluctance to name specifically the ways in which republicans across the country have targeted black and distincters in very ways. The court was very clear in North Carolina, what North Carolina republicans were doing. Instead of making that move again, i want to say he is right to give the historical backdrop to the question of trying to limit voting in the United States. That instead of pointing our attention to what specifically is happening around race and particularly with regards to people of color, today, he wants to say people have the right to vote but they do not vote. It is a kind of come on the one hand and the other, without him really going to the core of the problem. Amy president obama also warned of the dangers of rising inequality. Pres. Obama i worry about inequality because i think if we in making sureng everybody plays a role in this economy, the economy will not grow as fast and i think it will also lead to further and further separation between us as americans. And not just along racial lines. I mean, there are a whole bunch of folks who voted for the president elect because they feel forgotten and disenfranchised. They feel as if they are being looked down on. They feel as if their kids are not going to have the same opportunities as they did. Amy professor eddie glaude, if you could comment on what he is saying and also where we have been and where we are headed. Well, look. It is one thing for president obama to point to increasing inequality in the country and another thing for us to look at his policies. And we a says the last eight years, what we have seen is you have a series of policies that really have benefited wall street and left main street behind. We have this policy in some ways it fits perfectly with increasing financial is asian of our economy that is really tailored for the top 1 and. 01 . Gains foris modest everyday, ordinary people. Even if they tell job creation, we know, from one of my colleagues here at princeton, that 95 of jobs created over the last 15 plus years have been parttime and contractual work. People are working harder and earning less. Theres wanting to point to inequality, but another thing to look to the policies that he has supported and pushed that has produced inequality. A second move that we have to kind of the very, very careful about is the way in which he always and gauges in this equivalency. We have to Pay Attention to the fact that are some white voters who voted for donald trump. Of course there are white voters who have lost ground and suffered in this economy. At the same time, we have to be mindful that 53 of black wealth over the last eight years is simply has been wiped off the planet. It is gone. It is a lot to do with housing policy. His failure in the last eight years to address the racial dimensions of the housing crisis. I really want us to say he is right to point inequality, but im not sure he is the right messenger appointed inequality, if that makes sense. Now where are we now and where are we going . We have deepening racial inequality, deepening economic inequality, and neil fascist neo fascist about to be inaugurated, the billionaires and millionaires about to take over government. What we are in in some ways is a conjectural moment where crisis opens up space for us to put forward a more aggressive vision of what this country could and ought to be. We need to prepare ourselves for day one as donald trump ascends and attack the policies that in some ways Barack Obamas the administration,i clintonsm has made possible. Amy there was an interesting sort of geography to and diversity to the questions that president obama answered them all clearly laid out in advance. Eight reporters, five women, publication,get urban radio, and also he took a question from janet rodriguez, what house correspondent, and senior diplomatic correspondent. Aboutked president obama the middle east and about particularly the israeli occupation. President obama in his answer warning the expansion of israeli settlements was making a two state solution impossible. Pres. Obama i have said this directly to Prime Minister netanyahu and ive said it inside of israel, ive said it to palestinians as well. I dont see how this issue gets resolved in a way that maintains and a as both jewish democracy. Because if you do not have two states, then in some form or fashion, you are extending an occupation. Functionally you end up having one state in which millions of people are disenfranchised and operate as second class residents. You cant even call in citizens, necessarily. And so so the goal of the resolution was to simply say that the settlements, the growth of the settlements, are creating a reality on the ground that increasingly will make a two state solution impossible. We have believed consistent with the position that has been taken with previous u. S. Administrations for decades now, that it was important for us to send a signal a wakeup call that this moment may be passing. And israeli voters and palestinians need to understand that this moment may be passing. And hopefully, that then creates a debate inside both israeli and palestinian communities that wont result immediately in peace, but at least will lead tour more sober to a more sober assessment of what the alternatives are. Amy that was president obama yesterday. The last 48 hours of his presidency. Rashid khalidi also with us, professor of arab studies at club university. Your response to what he said and what he has done over the past eight years . He did what he is been doing for eight years. He sins a signal to the most powerful country on earth, the soul, serious supporter of israel, who without support israel cannot do anything, has yet again sent a signal that what israeli governments have been doing for decades is going ,o lead to a one state solution which palestinians come as he said, are disenfranchised, are not even citizens, and so on and so forth. Were the diagnostician in chief telling us about this problem, which he and previous president s have done absolutely nothing to solve. The United States can, could, should act to stop this ongoing annexation, colonization, and so forth, which has led to disenfranchisement. His analysis is impeccable, but his actions are just not in keeping with his words and have not been over eight years in keeping with his words. Amy what do you think needs to happen . What opportunity did he miss . So much has happened in the last few weeks with john kerrys inech you wrote a piece the New York Times as well as in the guardian saying, too little, too late. And now president obama, if he is approved, a to israel, who is very much, among other things, for moving the embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem, which nikki haley just said, who would be the next u. S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She also endorses in her confirmation hearing yesterday. The press elect Team Includes people like hisnominee for abbao israel, and others, who are not just in favor of incendiary acts like moving the embassy, but are in fact major or political supporters of the israeli settler movement. We are not just talking about people who are rhetorically in favor of this or that extremist position. Amy youre talking about Jared Kushner would be a top advisor, his soninlaw . According to the reports, major financial backers of the settlement movement. An american and is really politics with the arrival of trump is the completion of a convergence between the extreme rightwing settler, colonial regime that we have in israel and the segment of the american ruling class, if you want. Jared kushner is a major real estate entrepreneur and he has used many, many of his familys millions to support not just charitable causes in israel him up at the settler causes among others. What were seeing on a policy level, were seeing on the media level, but were seeing in terms of people who are making political contributions to both the rightwing parties in israel and american Political Parties is sort of a convergence of the two systems. But at a time when were going to have the most we have to had the most extreme rightwing government in israels history, and having a president in favor of things that are sometimes to the right even of that rightwing, terms of what is designees amy you feel president obama paved the way for this . I think every american president who has stood by idly and just uttered words like the president has done in his press conference in the secretary of state did in his speech and did nothing to stop this trend he so accurately described, they are all responsible. He is certainly responsible. Had resolution 2334 been passed in the first year of this president eight years, who knows what might have happened . Amy with that resolution is that caused so much furor. Isnt everything israel has done and occupied territories is illegal. That it is a violation of the geneva convention. Accusation acquisition is illegal. It laid out various parameters. None of this is new. United nations has said again and again this is a reiteration of Security Council resolution reiteration of positions taken by every single American Administration from president johnson to george w. Bush in this one as well. It had that been laid down as a marker, a slap in the face of the netanyahu government in 2009 when the president came at office, instead of monthly mollycoddling them. Giving americans socalled charities. The president could have reversed that on the first day he was in office, saying you cannot send taxfree money you cannot reduce your taxes to support illegal occupation and colonization. He did not do that. The Justice Department or treasury could have done that. , enablingnance that people not paying taxes, by making socalled charitable deductions, support the settlement movement. There are many. Amy what do you think is possible now . With trump as president . This should be a wakeup call for people in the United States who had some kind of idea of the nations t wakeup and realize the United States has helped to create a situation in which israeli jews rules over disenfranchised arabs. That this is not a light into the nation. This is not really a democracy. He called them not citizens. Go to the occupied territories. Go to air amenities inside israel and look at what happened yesterday. Shot in the face by Border Police because protesting the demolition of a village in the south of israel. Are talking about people who not only have rights, or in the occupied territories have no rights. Both of whom live under an unjust discriminatory regime. We have fostered that. We have helped to finance and fun that come all the while our political leaders talk about how wonderful israel is, its values and our values these are jim crow values. The president talked about jim crow. What israel is enforcing are worse than jim crow values. I think we have to Start Talking and thinking in those terms and setting ourselves apart or understanding how to set ourselves apart from those kinds of practices that are discriminatory. Amy what do you think it was that led president obama to have the ambassador to have the United States abstained from this, at the very end of his twoyear term . I cant speculate what was going on, white the very and. I would have loved to of seen this eight years ago. Maybe it was his chance to get slight andate insults he has been receiving from the Prime Minister netanyahu over the past eight years, coming to congress. Amy netanyahu, famously, to say the least, disrespects him, yet president obama has been more dust than all the previous all involved with resolutions are critical of israel, but president obama did not allow that to happen. This is the first such resolution that has passed under obama. As you said them every previous american president has allowed or sponsored resolutions that are just as harsh as this were involved elements of this resolution. So maybe he was what he seems to be doing in his last few days, few weeks, few months, is to do some of the things that maybe he wanted to do but felt he could not do. It is a terrible shame. This is a man who came into office supposedly with fresh ideas about how to deal with the middle east. He appointed senator mitchell, who ultimately was undermined by people he had appointed and was not able to do what you wanted to do. From that point on, i think it was downhill for this president as farce the middle east is concerned. His legacy is not a good one as far as arabisraeli issues. The palestinians and arabs and i would argue israelis should not remember this mans legacy with any fondness. Amy Rashid Khalidi edward said , professor of arab studies at clever university, and eddie glaude chair of the department , of African American studies at princeton university, we thank you for this conversation. Stay with us. [music break] amy he died a few weeks ago but it was just announced, nigerian musician. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. On wednesday, scientists with both nasa and noaa, the National Oceanic and atmospheric administration, confirmed 2016 was the hottest year on record, topping the previous record set in 2015, which topped the previous record only one year earlier. The unprecedented warming of the planet due to human caused Climate Change comes as Oklahoma Attorney general scott pruitt testified in front of the Senate Committee on wednesday during his confirmation hearing to be the head of the Environmental Protection agency. Pruitt has long denied the overwhelming Scientific Consensus on Climate Change. Dozens of people protested outside his hearing. At least three people were arrested. This is scott pruitt being questioned by vermont senator bernie sanders. Sen. Sanders some 97 of scientists who have written articles for Peer Reviewed journals have concluded that Climate Change is real, it is caused by human activity, and it is already causing devastating problems in our country and around the world. Do you believe that Climate Change is caused by the emission by Carbon Emissions by human activity . Senator, as i indicated, in my opening statement, the climate is changing and human activity contributes to that in some manner. Sen. Sanders 97 of the scientists who wrote articles in peerreviewed journals believe that human activity is the fundamental reason we are seeing Climate Change. You disagree with that . I believe the ability to measure with precision the impact is subject to more debate on whether the climate is changing or that human activity contributes to it. Amy senator sanders went on to press pruitt to state his position on the relationship between human activity and Climate Change. Sen. Sanders so you are applying for a job as administrator for the epa to protect our environment, overwhelming of Scientists Say we have got to act boldly, and youre telling me that there needs to be more debate on this issue . Im asking your personal opinion. My personal opinion is immaterial. Sen. Sanders really . You are going to be the head of the agency to protect the environment and your personal feelings about whether Climate Change is caused less you an activity and curb and omissions is immaterial . I have acknowledged to you sanders if that is the kind of epa administrator youre going to be, youre not going to get my vote. Amy to talk more about scott pruitt, we are joined by wenonah hauter, the executive director of food water watch. She recently wrote a book called, foodopoly the battle over the future of food and farming in america. Can you talk about scott pruitt as the head of the epa, the current Oklahoma Attorney general . Well, scott pruitt has built his career on being a shill for the oil and gas industry. Timesd epa more than 14 when he was the attorney general of oklahoma. He has helped organize more than a dozen attorney generals around the country to be part of a large rightwing National Law Firm to harass epa and other obama led federal agencies. When asked during the confirmation hearing about whether he knew how many children had asthma from the dirty air from power plants, he said, no. 10 of children in oklahoma have asthma. Amy i want to turn to oregon senator jeff merkley questioning scott pruitt about a 2011 letter. The oklahoman attorney general said it to the epa opposing regulations limiting emissions from the energy sector. Merkley said much of the letter was largely written by the Oklahoma Company devon energy. You used her office as a direct extension of an oil company, rather than a direct extension of the interest of the Public Health of the people of oklahoma. Do you acknowledge that you presented a private Oil Companies position rather than a position developed by the people of oklahoma . With respect, i just three grief disagree. You were representing interest of the state of oklahoma. Why do you need an outside will company to draft a letter when you have 250 people working for you . As ive indicated, that was an effort that was protecting the states interest in making sure we made the voices of all oklahomans heard on a very important industry to our state. But you only send it on behalf of a single was, the oil company. Thank you. Amy wenonah hauter, your response . Scott pruitt in writing my new book, what i found was he was allowing Industries Like devon, the giant driller and crocker come to ghostwrite letters harassing the Environmental Protection agency. Amy explain. Well, devon benefits from drilling and fracking oil and gas. Epa was trying to measure the amount of methane emissions methane is a Greenhouse Gas that is almost 90 times more potent than carbon. Under the seal of oklahoma, he sent this letter that was 95 written by devon lobbyists to the Environmental Protection agency. Continental resources, that drills and fracks for oil in north dakota, he engaged in a lawsuit with harold hamms theany continental, suing interior department to prevent more animals from being listed under the endangered species act. More than 14 times. Agencies an agency that he is basically demonized. He is may know sigrid of the fact that he wants to dismantle the Environmental Protection agency with the blessing of donald trump. Amy i want to ask about former georgia governor sonny perdue who trump has just nominated to be secretary of agriculture. He ran a grain and fertilizer business before becoming towards his first republican governor since reconstruction. Environmental activists slamming him for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidies for chemical corporations and factory farming. Your response . Yes, the agribusiness and Chemical Industry is just applauding his nomination. Is former governors cousin the senator, the junior senator from georgia. They are in a business together. Or do partners for that engages in International Trade of agricultural products. When perdue was the governor of georgia, he named his cousin david to be at the port authority, an agency that is very involved in regulating the industry that they started together. Ethics issues. And certainly, senator david perdue should recuse himself from voting and the Agriculture Committee on this nomination and on the floor. Amy finally, rick perry, the former governor of texas, who is been on the board of Energy Transfer partners which owns the Dakota Access pipeline. His hearing is today, his confirmation hearing for the department of well, im just saying having the same memory lapse that the former governor did when he was running for president and said he could not remember the agency you wanted to get rid of. It was the department of energy. Thats right. The public probably knows perry best because he danced with the stars. He is completely unfit for office. The department of energy oversees the nations weapons arsenal. Or two industry thirds of the department of energys budget goes to dealing with those horrible legacy of nuclear weapons. He did not even know this fact when he accepted the nomination. In fact, he thought the department of energy would allow him to do what he did when he was the governor of texas, and that is to promote the oil and gas industry. And he just recently in december gave up his Board Membership to Energy Transfer partners. You really could not have a for the oil and gas industry. And i think what this shows tillerson, pruitt, the industry is no longer satisfied with just getting influence through campaign contributions. Now they actually want to put their shills in these agencies to control public policy. We will be working very hard to defeat their agenda. Amy wenonah hauter, thank you for being with us, executive director of food water watch. Her book foodopoly the battle , over the future of food and farming in america. When we come back, we will talk with sidney wolfe. Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. President elect Donald Trumps pick for health and human services, Georgia Congress man tom price, testified wednesday before the Senate Committee on health, education, labor, and pensions. Price is the chair of the House Budget Committee, a member of the Tea Party Caucus and one of the leading opponents of president obamas Affordable Care act. He opposes abortion has voted to , cut all federal funding for thank her but, and supports privatizing medicare. I want to understand the changes to medicare and medicaid that you have already proposed. The budget that you recently authored as chair of the House Budget Committee would have cut spending on medicare by 449 billion over the next decade. Is that right . I dont have the numbers right in front of me. I have the numbers. Then i assume you are correct. You said you would cut medicare by 449 billion. Your fy 17 Budget Proposal also would have cut medicaid funding that goes to the state governments by more than 1 trillion. Is that correct . I think, senator, the metrics we use for the success of these programs yes or no . Would you cut 1 trillion from medicaid . What we believe is do you want me to read the numbers . I think the individuals receiving the care actually receiving i understand why you think youre right to cut it, i just asking the question . Did you propose to cut more than 1 trillion of medicaid or the next 10 years . You have the numbers before you. I will take it as a yes. Commerce and prices hearing came only days after cnn reported that representative price purchased shares of Zimmer Biomet. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has called for the office of congressional ethics to investigate whether representative price violated the stock act, which restricts Insider Trading by members of congress. Democratic senator al franken on minnesota questioned price about his personal stock investments. 50,000 tohased this 100,000 hours of stock in a biomedical company. We have talked about it little bit. The single largest purchase and the last three years. In a private deal that was not made available to the public and i find it absolutely amazing that you responded that you did not know that you got a discounted price. That is absolutely amazing. Because we discussed this by definition, i think that is the nature of a private placement offering. What i said to you and have said others, ive had exactly the same price as everybody else. I disclosed it a private offering that went to only about 20 people will stop amy for more we go to washington, d. C. Dust on that was senator franken questioning commerce and price. We are joined by dr. Sidney wolfe, director of public Citizens Health research group. Welcome to democracy now your comments on the price nomination . Aside from prices questionable, moral and ethical standards in terms of these yet fully investigated purchases and so forth, as a physician, he is really not compassionate. Yesterday he got into a tug with senator sanders about whether he is compassionate. His voting record is certainly not compassionate. You voted on the wrong side of legislation that would have decreased violence against women. He voted on the wrong side of things that had to do with hate crimes. He voted on the wrong side of parental leave. He is not compassionate. He may have been a perfectly good position, but medicine, in his view, unfortunately too many views, is a business now. What he has done in his legislation that he proposed as opposed to what he is saying, we dont want to pull the rug out on anyone, what he is done is roll the clock back not just before the affordable, but back over 50 years. 50 years ago, for the first time ever, this country decided that health care was a right for two groups of people the old and the very poor. We all hope that shortly after that, something would happen to add more to those two more verbal groups of people. The only thing that has happened in 50 years is that president obamas Affordable Care act, which added about 20 more Million People and put in import provisions such as not discriminating against people because of preexisting illness. An article that just appeared in the new yorker, saying life is up resisting bonus waiting to happen. It could happen to anyone. Of quarter people of the age 65 re have preexisting illnesses. To roll back the clock not only on the Affordable Care act, but to start eroding medicare and medicaid, now 51 years old, is cruel, is not passionate, and is not consistent with doctors ethical duty to first do no harm. As secretary of hhs, which we hope the senate will be wise ,nough to stop from happening commerce midprice, dr. Price as he is technically called, has the capacity to help implement the legislation that he put forth the empowering patients first act. A cruel hoax to call a law that is going to disempower Vulnerable People such as older people, medicaid recipients, and all of the extra 10 million, 20 million who got Health Insurance under the Affordable Care act. What it does instead is return to the old days, not only with people who benefit from the Affordable Care act, who will now face exclusion or unaffordable high premiums once the Affordable Care act is repealed. Person, heian, as a isnt compassionate. Ethics not adhere to the of medical profession, which has first do no harm. He is a secretary of hhs who will orchestrate and quarterback harm to the most Vulnerable People in this country and he should be opposed for that reason. In addition to these yet Unanswered Questions about his treating the health care industry, a 3. 2 billion industry, the biggest industry in the country, as a business making money as he can off of it. Unanswered questions about whether he used information he had to make these investments the whole picture is his voting record, the law that he sponsored, the empowering patients first act, and what he is doing in terms of the stock market raised questions about amy were going to have to leave it there. I want to thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us. Dr. Sidney wolfe, director of public Citizens Health research group. And that does it for todays show. A very happy birthday to edith penty and special thanks to petry from thoughtworks. Today is his last day. We will be broadcasting for eight hours tomorrow from 8 00 eastern to 3 00 from the inauguration and on saturday 10 00 to 3 00 covering the womens march on washington, d. C. De rallo on this episode of eat drink italy i take the worry and mess out of frying calamari. We learn how an ancient grape is now one of italys hottest rookies. We visit one of italys revolutionary wineries. Its art within art. And i help make a classic tuscan soup. My name is vic rallo, and i believe that italy is the best place on earth to eat and drink. Follow me, and ill prove it. Eat drink italy is brought to you by the asaro line of sicilian extravirgin and organic extravirgin olive oils, tomatoes, olives, and more. From the asaro family to yours. Martinscott wines, providing wines from around the world. Banville jones, importers of italian wines. Coffee afficionado, roasters and blenders