Suitorman, Senior Editor at reason magazine. Kasie, let me start with you. Weve already seen far right groups like Heritage Action criticize the plan, Club For Growth as well, freedom works, rand paul calling it obamacare light. You tweeted this a few hours ago. Here it is, it is still early so caveats apply but events of today suggest Gop Health Care bill is already on life support, if not Dead On Arrival. How can that be so early, kasie . Reporter well look, craig, this bill has run into extraordinary opposition just in the first handful of hours that it has been out in the public, and youre saying you tick through some of the groups that have come out and opposed this, the Heritage Action went so far as to say this doesnt repeal obamacare. That of course kind of the cardinal sin for a party that has spent the last however many years campaigning specifically on repealing obamacare. So the people who are
to younger people and less generous to older people. There would be a cap so that really high income people wouldnt be able to get access to it at all, but really the question here is what are republicans trying to do with this bill, and im not sure they know, except to say we have a bill that has repealed and replaced obamacare, because its really not clear who the constituency is for this legislation, and the fact that so many major conservative groups have already come out in opposition. Heritage action, freedom works, americans for prosperity, this bill was supposed to unite the right which was really fractured about health care, going into this process. And they have united the right in opposition to the bill. One of the chief complaints, peter, as you know to obamacare, it was rammed down our throats so fast. No one had time to read it. It was 1200 pages, we couldnt get our heads around it. No cbo scoring, no public hearings, markup on the bill set for tomorrow. Why the rush . The secrecy surrounding the writing of this bill is really telling. It just does not inspire confidence that this bill was locked in a room, that senators, republican senators who want to repeal obamacare were not allowed to see the bill last week, and that they have decided to forego the cbo process early on here. They say that the cbo will have a score at some point, perhaps by easter, but thats a ways off here and the cbo score is really what sort of rallies people. The cbo is imperfect and it doesnt always get things right but at the same time what it does is it provides a singular number for coveragestimates, for effects on the budget for cost. Singular number that essentially everyone has to either agree to or provide a really good reason why they are not agreeing to and the fact that republicans arent going to with that, arent going through that process is really telling. Kasie, lets pivot here and talk about todays hearing for Deputy Attorney general romneyRod Rosenstein. Lot had to do with the performance of Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions. I want to play this Fiery Exchange between republican chuck grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and al franken of wisconsin. As i remember senator franken asking his question of Senator Sessions, he referred to something that there had just been something come on cnn that obviously, and franken said that Senator Sessions wouldnt know what it was and he was going to take that into consideration that it would have been all right for you to ask your question, and you probably should have given him a chance to get the information you had and reflect on it, and give an answer in writing. Now the way i tend to, and you both of you know that i said this to you when you were in the privacy of my office. If i was going to ask you a Gotcha Question, i was going to tell you about it ahead of time and i consider what senator franken asked sessions at that late moment that that story just
come out is a Gotcha Question. It was not a Gotcha Question, sir. It was, from the standpoint that he didnt know what you were asking about. But i said that as i was asking the question. Senator, no. You havent heard this and i dont expect you have heard it. Senator tillis . Look at the tape mr. Chairman, please. A Testy Exchange the likes of which we do not see often in the upper chambe kasie hunt. The big question onrosenstein today was would hupport an independent counsel to investigate the election in the trump russia ties. What did he say to that . Reporter right. That obviously the sessions, the question to sessions that franken asked is what ultimately has resulted in a chain of events that has led to anybody having any idea who mr. Rosenstein is at this stage in the game, because sessions of course ended up having to recuse himself from anything related to the Trump Campaign and democrats have focused on the Deputy Attorney general slot as the one that will ultimately be making
decisions about prosecutions and other issues around any inquiries into the Trump Campaign and ties to russia. So at this point, mr. Rosenstein did not commit one way or the other to having a Special Prosecutor. He says hes potentially open to it, that no decisions have been made. So were going to have to see if thats good enough for some of the democrats who interest threatened to hold up his nomination over this. In the blumenthal of connecticut saying he doesnt want to allow this to go forward without that commitment. It only takes one senator to do that. Craig . Senator blumenthal standing by for us, well talk to him in a few moments. Matt, as we watch this hearing play out here in real time its ongoing, we just saw texas senator ted cruz asking some questions. You worked at the doj under eric holder, tell us about this man named Rod Rosenstein. Whats he like . Hes a straight arrow. Hes a prosecutors prosecutor. I think hes about as good a choice as we can expect for Deputy Attorney general. Personally i wish he was the Attorney General rather than Jeff Sessions. If Rod Rosenstein was left to investigate this Russia Question or appointed a Special Counsel to iestigate the question he would do a good job. The Deputy Attorney general regularly sits in the Situation Room with the president. long with others is vying for influence with the president , is asking the president to pass judgment on things, Policy Things the department of justice is doing on investigations and so its difficult at the same time youre constantly interacting with the president and members of the white house to be investigating the president s campaign and expect that to be done fairly. This is such a tenuous time in the department of justices history, after the incident with Loretta Lynch and the meeting with bill clinton, with jim comeys actions last year in july, and then right before the election, and then of course
sessions recusal. There are a lot of americans asking whether the department of justice can investigate political matters fairly and independently, and in a situation like this its so damaging for the departments credibility. I think the only solution is to follow kind of the press decede that happened in the Bush Administration when ross rosensteins predecessor appointed a Special Counsel to investigate the white house, the only situation that would allow americans to believe this was being handled fairly. Matt thank you. Senator Richard Blumenthal democrat from connecticut sits on the Judiciary Committee. Let me show you, show everyone what you tweeted on sunday, ill use every possible tool to block doj Deputy Ag Nominee unless he commits to appoint independent Special Prosecutor. Let me play who Rod Rosenstein said today when asked that question. Are you willing to auto point
a Special Counsel to examine russiainterferences in elections and other Criminal Activity . Im willing to appoint a Special Counsel whenever i determine appropriate based on the policies and procedures of the Justice Department. After what you heard today, will you block him . I will use every tool available to block him, because he has failed to commit to appoint a Special Prosecutor, and make no mistake. We know enough right now to see that this nation is careening toward a constitutional crisis. The russians meddled in our electoral process, our democracy, the Intelligence Agencies are all in a consensus on that point and donald trump seems to have accepted it. There are clear evidence of ties between the Trump Campaign, the trump transition team, the Trump Administration and the russians. There are false statements made by now Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions during his nomination
proceedings, false statements that could lead to a coverup, all of these threats demand an independent objective impartial investigation that is seen by the American Public as credible and trustworthy, not just in fact trustworthy and credible, and so i think that he must commit to a Special Prosecutor, and when i asked him again today about that commitment, he really failed to commit himself. Senator, for those of us who are watching and listening, who might not be as familiar with parliamentary procedure there in the upper chamber, precisely how will you go about blocking this nomination . There are ways that we can ask for delays in votes. There are procedures we can use on the floorthe United States senate, all of the Technical Details may be obtuse but they are not unlimited, so
the ultimate ability to block the nomination may not be unlimited either, and so i will do everything in my power because i believe so strongly the nation needs an independent Special Prosecutor. I support the Intelligence Committee doing its investigation. I support the creation of a select committee, and also a special commission that can produce findings and recommendations in a report thats fully transparent. Only a prosecutor can pursue criminal wrongdoing, whether its false statements or other violations of the law. Lets talk in a moment here about the house plan to fix health care. I imagine that youve had an opportunity to thumb through it, to a a certain extent. On its face, is this something that is a legislative Starting Point or is this Dead On Arrival . It seems like less coverage at higher cost, fewer people covered, and higher payments, which seems like a recipe for
disaster in health care. The ones who suffer most are older folks, children, women. It would be devastating to Womens Health care by Defunding Planned Parenthood and that is an abhorrent sacrifice that i will oppose with every ounce of energy that i have, and the ones who seem to be better off are the Insurance Companies and the healthy. That also seems to me to make it highly suspect, and so i think with seven of my colleagues here, republicans opposing it right now, its pretty much a nonstarter. Lets talk about the travel ban that was announced yesterday. Not so much whether you agree with it as a matter of policy. Considering the changes that have been made by the administration, do you think that it will at least pass constitutional muster . It raises the same constitutional questions as the senator, hang on one second. I want to get back into the Judiciary Hearing to listen to your colleagues for a second. Cnn just published a story and im telling you this about a news story thats just been published, im not expecting you to know whether or not its true, but cnn just published a story alleging that the Intelligence Community provided documents to the President Elect last week that included information that russian operatives claimed to have compromising personal and Financial Information about mr. Trump. These documents also allegedly say there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between trumps surrogates and intermediaries for the russian government. Now again, im telling you this as its coming out, just so you know, but if its true, its obviously extremely serious, and if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump Campaign communicated with the
russian government in the course of this campaign, what will you do . I think that was a fair question and certainly not a Gotcha Question, and he didnt answer my question. What he said to that question was, senators franken, allegations get made about candidates all the time and theyve been made about President Elect trump lots of times. Most of them virtually wait a minute, i am sorry. Im not aware of any of these activities. Ive been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and i did not have communications with the russians and im unable to comment on it. So in other words, it cant be a Gotcha Question if he didnt understand the question. So the thing that got him was
him saying that he had not met with russians, but that wasnt even my question. My question was just if this is and i asked it of mr. Rosenstein, which is if it turns out to be the case that members of the mpaign, of the tru campaign have met with russians and you know, Includclud Kohl cd with them, it was not a Gotcha Question. Thats all i want to say. If you go back and look at the tape i have to say i couldnt have been nicer. I couldnt have been sweeter. Really. So thats that. Mr. Rosenstein, i want to ask you a question. The. s former National Security adviser, michael flynn, resigned his position because he misled Senior Administration officials
regarding his communications with the russian ambassador, and its been reported sally yates, who once held the position you are looking to fill and was acting Attorney General earlier in the Trump Administration warned the white house that mr. Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail because of his coverup. Mr. Rosenstein, knowing what we know now, do you think ms. Yates was right to be concerned . Senator, i hope ive been clear on this point throughout my testimony. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify it. At this point, i believe as a lawyer, and as a Justice Department official currently and potentially in the future, its important for me to limit my testimony to matters of which i know both the facts and the law, and where ive consulted with the department of justice professionals who are engaged in handling the matter, so on issues like that one i appreciate Senate Whitehouse sharing his perspective earlier that you need to know the facts and the relevant information. You cant prejudge matters. Theres currently an acting Attorney General dana boente in that position with regard to any investigation that may be occurring. With regard to yr specific question, my answer is, senator, that i do not know the details of what the basis was for that, and i wouldnt reach any opinion about it just based on what i read in the newspaper. Senator from hawaii . Thank you, mr. Chairman. There are more than 18,000 Law Enforcement agencies all right, senator blumenthal you heard that exchange. What say you, got cha question . Not a Gotcha Question . Not a Gotcha Question at all. In fact, the point senator franken was making essentially is that then Senator Sessions offered an answer that wasnt even required by the question. He on his own offered that he never met with the russians, and so he really dug himself this hole, and the question when it was got