As you can see jay carney hasnt begun the briefing yet. We are still waiting for more reporters to come in. While we do a discussion from this mornings journal about pending. Host for more on Congress Budget battle, we are joined by American Democratic congressman john delane yism as you return to work today on capitol hill, how do you see this budget impasse playing out . Do you think theres room for a compromise here . Guest i think there is. I think this has been fairly predictable in terms of how its playing out. Whats going on in the senate starting yesterday and today is delaying things. We have to see how long that will play out. Most people thought that the continuing resolution will come back to the house, stripped of the provisions that defund the Affordable Care act, then that will be taken up by the house. So its really a question when the house gets it back. I think thats what most people on each side believe. Host we had congressman rob woodall of georgia, republican on, just before you. Want to read you a little bit what he said. Government shutdowns are the only time the president comes to capitol hill to talk to members. He said this crisis is, quote, the kind of theater you have to go through in order to make a deal. Would you agree . Guest listen, forcing functions are useful in life. This budget crisis has been a forcing function in the debt ceilings have been used as forcing functions. I dont think this is the only time the president has come to kwlill chill. As we all know because its been covered in fair detail in the media, the president has had lots of meetings and dinners with members of the senate and house members across the last year i think in anticipation of this. I dont think thats a completely true statement. I will say that the government seems to need forcing functions more than it should. There ought to be more collaboration. We ought to Work Together to solve the big problems of the day as opposed to crises. Host you talk about collaboration. Heres a cree cent piece from the Frederick News post from your district. Host what are you doing to play that role in this current gate debate . Guest one of the background of that comment was that i have a very large scale infrastructure financing proposal that now has 25 democrats and 25 republicans on it, which is unusual to have largescale economic legislation thats been bipartisan. And the group that i have put together on that bill, we have been talking about different ideas as to how to bridge the gap here. What i have tried to do whether its among freshmen democratic members or some of my colleagues on the other side who i have worked together on this particular piece of legislation, we have started to develop some views as to how a compromise could be crafted here. I do think theres things we need to do as part of dealing with these crises we are dealing with. Not defunding the government not funding the government, as we look to debt ceiling negotiations, i do think there are things to be considered as part of raising the debt ceiling. Host we are talking with Maryland Democratic congressman john delaney. Hell be with us for the next 40 minutes or sow. Well take your comments and questions. Well also take some calls from students on the cspan bus in this segment, the cspan bus is visiting Delaware State University in dover, delaware. And we will bring in some of those students, they are communications and Political Science students in this segment. But our phone lines are opened. The numbers are democrats, 2025853880. Republicans, 2025853881. Ndependents, 2025853882. Well be taking your calls in this segment. Congressman, you talk about working on a compromise deal. Do you have plans to meet with your republican colleagues, any republican colleagues this week amid whats going on on capitol hill right now . I do. Theres a few in particular i have been working with. We have been outlining some of the ideas that could frame kind of some of the key elements for what a compromise could be. It involves raising the debt ceiling, it involves beginning the process of some smart entitlement reform. It involves putting money back in on certain areas from the see quester cuts, not sequester cuts, not refunding or replenishing the sequester cuts. There are specific components we have developed that we think would be smart, shortterm and longterm policy for the pol country we have worked on. Host as a democratic freshman class president , thats your position with the freshman class, do you have thoughts how leadership has handled these negotiations so far or whats led to this current showdown on capitol hill . Guest i think in general there should have been more conversations between the leadership of both parties on the hill and the president. So in general i come to this debate somewhat critical of the lack of dialogue that has gone on. You hear reported quite frequently in the media that they are not talking. They are not having meeting. I dont understand that when i hear those things. When you consider the significance of the situation, the gravity and implications this has to the average american, the fact they are not doing Everything Possible to meet as frequently as possible, i am somewhat critical of that view. Having said that, again, i think the way this is playing out this week, i think its been fairly predictable. I think most people thought the path the house took they would take. I think we all know what the senate is going to do. Its a question how quickly it comes back to the house and we can act on the c. R. Before the government shuts down. As we all know this starts again. I think whats distressing me the most is we are not having significant discussions around the debt ceiling. Because i do think we all know how the funding of government, continuing resolution will play out. The next big obstacle is the debt ceiling. Host republicans have proposed a debt prioritization effort when it comes to the debt ceiling. You have been critical of that . Guest i wrote an editorial about this in the Washington Post a few months ago. The problem with that, good credit, in other words an entity that most people believe has the ability to repay its bills, never prioritizes its debt. So if you look at the strongest corporations in the world, they never prioritize their debt because no one ever questions that any of their debts could be repaid. Whereas Weaker Companies oftentimes prioritize their debt because thats the only way they can borrow money. I think its foolish to put the United States, which is the greatest credit, the strongest credit in the wormed, in a position where its presenting its debt in a prioritized basis. Thats an acknowledgement at some level we think our debts are not valid and payable. I think thats a misguided policy. Think about it in the context of the private sector, no strong private Sector Company would ever voluntarily consider doing Something Like this. The only one that is do it are the ones forced to do it. The fact it was proposed in the congress that we do this kind of on a voluntary basis i think reflects a lot significant lack of understanding of the way Capital Markets work and is bad policy. Host we are talking to congressman john delaney, democrat from maryland, marylands sixth district. John delaney beat former congressman roscoe bartlett, a republican, who held that seat for 20 years. John delaney is joining us in the studio. We are taking your calls on this issue. Well go first to robert from marion, louisiana, on our democrats line. Good morning. Caller good morning. How you guys doing this morning. Host good. You are on with congressman delaney. Caller thank you. How you doing this morning, congressman . Guest im doing well, thank you. Caller i have been sitting here listening to this debate about the obamacare and everybody getting these polls up saying the American Public dont want it. How are they going to put the polls up say we dont want it and we havent had a chance to experience it yet . Only thing that get me all the bickering and namecalling and everybodys arguing, just like kids, why dont they just let the bill go through . Its already law. Why dont they just stop fussing about and just get people a chance a taste of what they want. The people in congress, all of them have insurance. Good insurance. And poor American People, im disabled, we need Health Care Just as well as they do. They make a lot of money, but they wont put it up for a discussion. Host congressman delaney. Guest its a really good question and good insight. There has been a lot of polling data about whether the Affordable Care act or obamacare, as referred to, is popular. I tend to agree. Its a little bit of nonsense because until we implement the act we are not going to know how people feel about it. The other thng i find surprising a lot of people say its ruining the economy, which again i find to be kind of a strange statement because it has not been implemented. The only numbers that we actually have as it relates to the Affordable Care act is that Health Care Costs are declining, or the rate of growth of Health Care Costs is actually declining on a relative basis, which is an incredibly positive fact. The people i talk to in the Health Care Industry believe that part of these trends is related to the implementation of the Affordable Care act. I think well actually early data to suggest this piece of legislation can be very important and very significant in terms of managing the most significant financial number we have as a country, which is Health Care Costs. I tend to agree with you we should be implementing the bill. This is a significant piece of legislation. It affects 1 6 of the u. S. Economy, because health care is 1 6 of the u. S. Economy. Its not perfect. As i have said many, many times, this is an imperfect piece of legislation, which again shouldnt be a surprise. It was created in a political process. What we should be doing as members of congress is we should be letting the bill be implemented, allowing it to be rolled out, making sure people enroll in the plan so we can actually see how it works. Then we should roll up our sleeves and we should be committed to fixing problems that we see as the kind of new framework unfolds, which there will inevitably be problems. To think as a country we didnt have to do something on a comprehensive basis to deal with the critical issue of health care, kind of a quality and bend the Health Care Costs, is a misguided assumption. The Affordable Care act is an important step forward for this contry. There will likely be problems associated with t it seems to me we should roll it out. Well break away from this recorded portion of washington journal. You can see it online at cspan. Org. Live house to white house spokesman jay carney stepping to the podium. To those of you with us in new york i hope you enjoyed the trip. That trip was obviously eventful. The president gave a major speech at the United NationsGeneral Assembly, and he had a, we felt, a very good useful and informative discussion with former president clinton at the glynton global nishtifment i wanted to make clinton global initiative. I wanted to make an announcement before i took your questions and draw your attention to the fact that a new report has been released today by the department of health and Human Services showing that the Affordable Care act will deliver on its promise to make Health Insurance more affordable and accessible for americans. In state after state competition and transparency are driving a new set of affordable options for consumers in the new marketplaces, just as the law was designed to do. Premiums nationwide will also be around 16 lower than originally expected. With about 95 of eligible uninsured americans living in states with lower than expected premiums, and thats before taking into account financial assistance. On average consumers will have a choice of 53 health plans, and about one in four of these Insurance Companies are newly offering plans in the individual market. Which is a sign of healthy competition. To give you a sense of what this really means for families who will be shopping for Health Insurance in the marketplaces, i have these examples. A family of four in North Carolina with an income of 50,000 could pay 74 per month for the lowest cost bronze plan after tax credits. A family of four in indiana with the same income, 50,000, could pay 46 per month. Again for the lowest cost, bronze plan, after tax credits. And a family of four in texas with an income of 50,000, could pay just 57 per month. So an income of 50,000 could pay just 57 per month for the lowest cost, bronze plan, after tax credits. Overall nearly six in 10 uninsured americans will pay 100 or less per month for health coverage. You can check out the map of premiums by state at white house. Gov acamap. In less than a week the new marketplaces will be opened for business and from october to march, 2014, americans, more americans will be able to check out their choices, their options for affordable Health Insurance at healthcare. Gov and find health plans that fit their lives and budgets. Its worth noting here in the capital of the nation and National Press some of their coverage of this news, which is why we have this graphic here behind me today, indianapolis business journal, analysis, Obamacare Exchanges will push anthems premiums lower. Pittsburgh postgazette, exchanges to provide dozens of Health Care Options for pittsburghers. Dallas morning news, obamacare premiums projected to be lower than expected. Houston chronicle, houston chronicle, texans to have array of insurance options. Appleton post cressent, Exchange Rates decline with expanded choices. Miami herald, u. S. Colon, obamacare cost below forecast. The detroit news, Michigan Health exchange has plenty of choices. Palm beach post, local obamacare rates beat forecast. As i mentioned at the top, president clinton, president obama, had an excellent discussion yesterday which i hope all of you were able to catch about the Affordable Care act, about health care in general, both in the nation and around the world. And it is worth noting as we learn this news about premiums across the country and how they are coming in lower than expected, that very soon americans who did not have the option of affordable Health Insurance will have it available to them. What is important to remember about the families that i just talked about, the families of four earning 50,000, and who will now have access to health care for their families for low premiums, did not have access at all before. They could not afford it. That is the design and promise of the Affordable Care act. And its taking shape before our eyes. Julie. Thank you. President rouhani was still speaking last night so we didnt get real reaction to his speech. Im wondering if the president saw anything in his address that signaled that there may be actual substance behind some of the friendly overtures in terms of concessions on the nuclear impasse. What we heard from president rouhani reflects what we have been hearing, and that is an nterest in making progress towards resolving this very serious problem that iran has over its Nuclear Weapons program. And that is why as we have been aying for a while now, including in new york at the United Nations, we are very interested in testing the assertions about that interest on behalf of the iranians in resolving this conflict, diplomatically. Ever since he took office the president has said he is willing to engage directly with the iranians in an effort to resolve this issue. And it is that willingness that has helped make clear that the onus is on iran to demonstrate that it is serious about complying with its international obligations. That willingness then candidate obama expressed and new president obama repeated is what helped forge the consensus internationally that led to the most comprehensive sanctions regime that has ever been implemented. That in turn, as i think president rouhani made clear, and others have made clear, has had a dramatic impact on the ranian economy and that is why iran is interested in our view, having discussions about resolving this conflict. And that is encouraging. But actions are what matter. And substantive negotiations over Irans Nuclear program will be the test, will provide the test of whether or not iran is serious about resolving the International Communitys concerns, and we are engaged in that process. As you know secretary kerry will be with his iranian counterpart in the p5 plus one this week. Thats the beginning of what we hope will be progress towards resolving this problem. Obama didnt leave his two days in new york with any greater clarity on what kind of substance may be behind this, is that what youre saying . I would say that we have been and continue to this week explore the level of seriousness , and we are doing that through all the avenues available to us that will be very much part of the discussions that secretary kerry has, and it is part of the communications that