President ial tweet storm aimed at two anchors. I am appalled, this is the president of the United States, you dont attack them. Why does the president seems so interested in fighting with the media. New reporting that could suggest the first real link between the russian and the Trump Campaign. Joining me for inside analyst is hugh hewitt and katie hunt. Welcome to sunday, it is Meet The Press. Nbc news, washington, the longest running show in Television History celebrating its 70th year. This is Meet The Press with chuck todd. Good Sunday Morning and happy july 4th weekend. Who knew healthcare can be so
complicated. Mcconnell had a simple plan. Repeal and replace, doing it behind close door and pass it quickly. Go home for the 4th of july with the party having been made good on a key campaign promise. Well, one by one, republican senators began to announce their opposition of the bill. That said 22 million fewer people would wine up being covered that that projected Medicaid Spending would fall over 35 over the next 40 years. Last night at an event honoring veterans here, the president focused on attacking the med ia and not On Healthcare. The fake media is trying to silen silence us. Well not let them. People know the truth. Fake media trying to stop us from going in the white house but i am president and theyre not. Throw in mr. Trumps tweet storms against msnbcs anchors which complicate manners. Mcconnell is left with the task of saving the bill by himself. Reporter republican members of congress may have left washington but they cannot escape efforts to pass the healthcare bill. On wednesday, the president promised healthcare is working along very well. By friday, President Trump appears to acknowledge that mcconnell does not have the
vote. Republican senators should repeal and replace a later day. I want repeal and replace if we can do those two together and one legislative package, i am goo with that. If we are going to fail with that, we should separate the two. We should keep our promise. Mcconnell dismissed the president. We are going to stick with that path and adding, it is not easy making America Great again, is it . Repealing obamacare without replacing it, would complicate republican efforts to move forward. Mr. Trump said that strategy is unacceptable. We are not going to have a two day period or two year period where there is nothing. It will be repealed and replaced. Then there is the fact that there is an out right repeal
have less support than the Current Senate legislation. I dont think we got the vote and senate to pass that. The legislative. I did not come here to help people. This week, republicans cautiously suggested bipartisan ship as a last resort. The best outcome is a bipartisan bill. For some reason, it fails, we then the flood gate would open to reach a bipartisan compromised. With the senate bill, President Trump further complicated the process by spending nearly half the week attacking msnbc, mimika. You are president of the United States of america, the greatest country on earth. You have a special obligation to be above this. And joining me now representing the Trump Administration is health andHuman Services todd price, welcome back to Meet The Press. Happy independence day. Same to you. Repeal now and replace later . Is that an acknowledgment that the senate bill is unworkable as it stands . We dont think so. We think leader mcconnell and his senator are working to try to get this piece of legislation on track. Their conversations are ongoing as we speak. Is it going to scale back the propose reduction in medicaid
spending . What is it that you are comfortable with that the president is comfortable with that you like to see in the senate. There are three senate area that y we are working on. We want to make sure medicaid is a program that could survive. We got a third physician in the land that wont see patients. We need to fix that. If those individuals transition to medicaid, nobody falls through the cracks. Making sure that folks who want coverage, it is right for them and their families and the third area is Opioid Crisis. The numbers are worst than that. We have to make sure we address this issue and turn it into the right direction. You said something thats going to be on my show, hug hugh hewitt and you were a little skeptical. We dont need to be throwing money at this issue. So i am guessing you dont like the way Mitch Mcconnell is throwing right now and is that what you are suggesting . This looks like senators are worried about it . We have seen over dose cldea in the country spiked to a degree. The numbers are no better now. That should tell anybody who are sober and looking at the situation that what we are doing right now is not working. Therefore what we need to do is
address it in a strategic way and methodical way of Evidence Based Program can reduce this incredible over doses and deaths across this land. We dont need to be throwing money to say lets put more money in there. We need to identify things that are working and fund those things that are working. What you are suggesting, the United States state senate is not prepared to decide how much money is necessary. No, no chuck. If you dont know and dont have the evidence yet, what exactly is working or whats not, are you suggesting that the senate needs a whole some hearing on this before they decide to throw money at this problem . There is a lot of what works thats known through the Department Of Health and services and Substance Abuse and Health Agencies through nih and cdc, there is a lot thats known about what does work. What i am just suggesting and i think it is important to appreciate this, when the resources are provided boy the
congress of United States, that those money goes towards those program that are successful in mitigating the challenge of opioid over dose. I want to go over the cost of insurance for Older Americans of preexisting conditions. Older americans can be charged up to five times as much as young people rather than a cat at three times as much under the current law. The arp is calling that an age tax. The older you are, the more you will end up paying of premiums. Do you agree with their announcement . I dont, that brings us to the point where why do we do any of this . The fact the matter is premiums are up and enrollments are down and insurers are leaving the market. The fact the matter is its only gotten worse since then because there is not been any action. What we are trying to do is
bring all of those prices down and everybody, premiums in this nation have doubled over the past four years and up of an average of 3,000 for the average family. Thats a tax on everybody. What we want to do is bring all of those prices down so seniors and young people and folks in middle age. Every analysis suggests while premiums came down for younger americans that for Older Americans for precondition existing, these numbers are going to go up. Thats precisely because the congression fall Budget Office and these analysis dont look at the entire plan. The entire plan includes not just this piece of legislation which is a significant piece. It is not the entire plan. The other piece is legislation that provides for increase and
competition and choices for the Insurance Market and all the things of the Department Of Health and services right now as we speak to make sure we are turning back the tide of all of the rules and regulations that we put in place that decreases choices and in crease costs. They can examine the legislation thats only in front of them. Let me ask you on the president s behavior. Last week. Not only he unloaded on Cable News Host and including folks that i work with. He seems to not being helpful On Healthcare publicly. Last night he hold a rally of sorts. He spends most of his time
tweeting other than healthcare. Is the president too distracted to campaign of healthcare. The president had multiple meetings within the white house itself, with Business Groups and patien patients, individual stake hold ers, telling us that the Current System is collapsing. Thats what the president is talking about. The area where obamacare is in place, premiums are up and enrollment down ensures leaving states and tallies across the nation before the president was sworn into office. Let me ask you about the tone of the president s tweets, many republicans in the senate condemned the personal attack on the anchors and you have Lyndsey Graham saying this is beneath
the dignity of the president. This has to stop. Does this bother you . Well, what i am concentrated on is the job that hes given me and thats to make sure that we fulfill the mission of the Department Of Health and service, which is the health and wellbeing of the american people. There is a whole array of activities that we are taking. My job is consumed by making certain that we fulfill the mission. I am asking you as a father. Your son tweeted about a woman like that, what would you say to him . This is remarkable. You got incredible challenges across the nation. Incredible challenges around the world. The challenges that i have been given is address the healthcare issue. Your program with the incredible history of Meet The Press and thats what you want to talk about. Mr. Secretary, i am asking you why the president of the United States, mr. Secretary, with all due respect, you are
blaming me of what the president of the United States spent his entire week is focused on . Insurance companies vacating markets all across the land thar thats what they want us to fix and thats what i am and the president are working on. Why is the president not as devoted to this as you are. Absolutely. He can do more than one thing at a time. And the challenge that hes put before us at the Department Of Health and Human Services to make certain that we not only address the issue of the Healthcare Legislation but address the United States world of the world as it relates to researches and developments and make certain that we are on the cutting edge of this incredible innovation thats available to decrease humans suffering, not just the United States but around the world. Thats the challenges that hes
given us. Secretary price. I dont think a lot of people envy or the position that the president put you in. Thank you for coming on. I appreciate it. The repeal and replace bill have been written entirely by republicans. An increasing number of the senate have said, the bipartisan bill may only be the option left. I sat down with bill cassidy in louisiana and asked them what does it take for the two parties to come together. If you introduce the bill, we have time to read it and hold hearings and discussions and talk to cbo directors and if we can go through that and have chance in the committee, we would end up with a much better plan. When does the recess hit . I think we hit it. Senator cassidy, your side of
the isle . I agree with some of what tom just said, we need governors involved, i want to call governors on both sides of the isle include mig oing my own. Which was a concerted efforts to reach across the isle. Gayle lewinski, she says if democrats do not sign on the bill and they get to keep what they have now which is the 5 haircut, theyre not serious about working with others. Now, there is a political article yesterday, chuck schumer, the author were speaking of how senator schumer got all 48 senators in line and you cannot cooperate and etcetera, until democrats say they were to sign on the act. I am not sure if we are ready for bipartisan ship. This is a great opportunity to pause. This is a great opportunity for bill and me and others, i have to say what is it in the Affordable Care act that you need to fix. My frustration, sometimes i look at this and think, you are arguing over the details of the same str you cucture. There are times you guys sound like you disagree or agree. It seems simplicity but it combs across that way. It evolves power down to the state. I would argument that there are some fundamental differences between Cassidy Collins plan and the Affordable Care act. Thats what the governor and the people of delaware to decide. If louisiana says we cannot afford 20 or 30,000 on premiums
on the market, let us do Something Different. It should be for the people of the state to decide. If you see one program to make sure everybody has insurance, you see one program to make sure one program that everybody has insurance. I want to close out the conversation, is medicaid going to be the default for Insurance Options for folks that cannot get any insurance at this point . Is this the default . When i was 29yearold, right out of the navy, when i was state treasure, i thought medicaid was healthcare. That was the stereotype. It was not today. A lot of them are poor. Two millions of them are veterans and for us to walk away
from that obligations, i dont think we want to do that. Are there ways to provide medicaid of an effective way. Many states, we have private insurance, in order to hold down cost. I feel thats the fundamental debate inside your conference. I think you have said, hey, we got to get over this idea. You are there, Congress Already established that. Thats what you said but not everybody believes that. Not every republicans are comfortable with the idea. I dont mind and i prefer that people of the upper end of medicaid go in to private insurance. Medicaid is a bier aarrier to s improvements because you hate to take a high paying jobs pause you lose medicaid. The population of the Individual Market when someone makes more money, they make more
money, theyre not afraid of where they fall off. There is different incentives. It needs to be restructured and ideally people going into private insurance. How much harder does the president make this and pops on twitter here, does that complicate on your goal here . Our focus has to be on the kitchens table family paying 20,000 or 30,000 premiums or their child maybe addicted to opioi opioids. We as a country, we cannot be focused on tweets. We need to focus on answering that familys problems. I get so frustrated when we are focused on tweets. You are saying that you are frustrated with tweets. I read about the issues and i dont read about the president o s tweets. We need to have focus on families and not on the president s tweets. Does he make it harder for democrats . He makes it a lot harder for himself. State, government and Business School or whatever, all is leadership. And i have been trained as a leader since a 1yearo0yearo scout. This man is trained as a leader, too. One of the things they taught is treat other people how you want to treat it. And give them the credit, i mean everything i was trained as a ed le leader. This man is none of those things
and i look at it and i shake my head. Theyre having Terrible Times covering po isitions. We are just not getting names. It is just because people in part dont want to work for this office. Thank you both. Happy 4th of july. Bipartisan ship . Later in the broadcast, did we just see the first link between russian hack ing and th trumps campaign. The president s latest tweets storm. Ma is it possible that it is the other way. Playing ] its here, but its going by fast. The opportunity of the year is back the mercedesbenz summer event. Get to your dealer today for incredible onceaseason offers,
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