WEBVTT - DONKEY: Hakeem Jeffries Says He Doesn't Support Medicare For All

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<v Speaker 1>It's time for Donkey of the day. You have a

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<v Speaker 1>bunch of donkeys out here in the street. Don't here

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<v Speaker 1>today called donkey of the day. It really caught me

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<v Speaker 1>off guard.

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<v Speaker 2>If we live a life where we write are tell

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<v Speaker 2>based off who we may offenised.

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<v Speaker 1>He never would say anything. Give it to you are

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<v Speaker 1>a donkey. That is why Charlemagne is some donkey today

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<v Speaker 1>Bakfast Club. Okay, Charlamagne, who'll be giving Donkey of the

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<v Speaker 1>day too?

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<v Speaker 3>It's to day?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, Donkey to day for Tuesday, August eighteenth

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<v Speaker 2>goes to one of the most confusing people in American politics,

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<v Speaker 2>Congressman Hakeem Jefferson.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, actually he's not confusing.

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<v Speaker 2>If you follow the corporate pack money, then you know

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<v Speaker 2>exactly why Haqum moves the way he moves. Okay, it's

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<v Speaker 2>a reason they call him a pac shakor it's a

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<v Speaker 2>reason they call him a pac rocky. But today we

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<v Speaker 2>are here to talk about APAC. We are here to

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<v Speaker 2>discuss Medicare for All. Okay, what is Medicare for All?

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<v Speaker 2>It is a proposed single pair national health insurance system

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<v Speaker 2>for the US. It would expand and improve the current

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<v Speaker 2>public Medicare program to cover all residents, replacing private health

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<v Speaker 2>insurance companies and eliminating out of pocket costs like premiums,

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<v Speaker 2>co pays, and deductibles care.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of data I've seen.

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<v Speaker 2>Says around fifty to sixty percent of all Americans support

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<v Speaker 2>a national Medicare for all, our single payer healthcare system.

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<v Speaker 2>But Hakim Jeffries is not one of those people. See

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<v Speaker 2>Hakim was on Meet de Press with Christen Welker, and

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<v Speaker 2>the House Minority Leader indicated that he does not currently

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<v Speaker 2>support Medicare for all. Okay legislation, even though he co

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<v Speaker 2>sponsored similar bills from twenty thirteen to twenty twenty one.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's go to Meet the Press for the report.

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<v Speaker 3>Please, all right, let's move on to Medicare for All.

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<v Speaker 3>You co sponsored Medicare for All legislation from twenty thirteen

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<v Speaker 3>to twenty twenty one, You've not co sponsored it since

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<v Speaker 3>you became Democratic leader. Will you put Medicare for All

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<v Speaker 3>up for a vote if you become speaker?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, listen, these are all conversations that the House Democratic

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<v Speaker 4>Caucus is going to have to have right now. We're

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<v Speaker 4>focused on November third, not January third. What we are

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<v Speaker 4>promising the American people, is that we're going to fight

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<v Speaker 4>to make health care affordable for every single American. And

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<v Speaker 4>we know there's a lot of damage that Republicans have

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<v Speaker 4>done that we've got to restore and repair. For instance,

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<v Speaker 4>Republicans have enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history.

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<v Speaker 4>More than a trillion dollars or so has been cut

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<v Speaker 4>from Medicaid, and what you're going to have is about

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<v Speaker 4>fourteen million Americans lose access to healthcare.

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<v Speaker 3>Do you personally support Medicare for All? Do you personally

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<v Speaker 3>support Medicare for All?

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<v Speaker 4>No, as you indicate it, I haven't co sponsored the

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<v Speaker 4>Medicare for All legislation that has been introduced over the

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<v Speaker 4>last several years. I do think we need to figure

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<v Speaker 4>out how to fix our broken health care system and

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<v Speaker 4>then build something better once we repair the damage that

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<v Speaker 4>has been done. Now that will include doing things like

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<v Speaker 4>extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits so that more

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<v Speaker 4>than twenty million people who have seen their health insurance

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<v Speaker 4>premium skyrocket in some cases by up to a thousand

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<v Speaker 4>thousand dollars a month. That's not sustainable and that's something

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<v Speaker 4>that Donald Trump and Republicans have visited upon the American people.

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<v Speaker 3>Just be very clear, though, as a Democratic leader in

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<v Speaker 3>the House, would you vote for or against Medicare for All?

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<v Speaker 4>I think, as you've indicated in your question to me,

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<v Speaker 4>it's not legislation that I currently am co sponsoring or

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<v Speaker 4>that I support. Okay, but we do support the notion

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<v Speaker 4>that we've got to find a path forward to fix

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<v Speaker 4>our broken healthcare system and make health care affordable for

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<v Speaker 4>every single American.

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<v Speaker 1>Pathetic.

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<v Speaker 2>Some Democrats don't want to win, and it's about time

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<v Speaker 2>folks stop pretending that they do. Okay, now, listen, I

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<v Speaker 2>want to be clear, Hakim Jeffries is not getting donkey

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<v Speaker 2>of today because he doesn't support Medicare for All. You

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<v Speaker 2>are allowed to not support Medicare for all. You can

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<v Speaker 2>believe in a public option. You can believe in scrimphening Obamacare.

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<v Speaker 2>You can believe in expanding Medicare and Medicaid. You can

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<v Speaker 2>believe there's another way to get every American affordable health care.

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<v Speaker 2>That's called having a policy position. But with Hakim did

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<v Speaker 2>on meet the Press illustrates one of the biggest problems

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats have right now, and it's one of the things

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<v Speaker 2>that pisses me off the most.

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<v Speaker 1>About the Democratic Party. They will tell people what they're.

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<v Speaker 2>Against without giving them something equally clear that they're for. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>we will come back to that. But I have a

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<v Speaker 2>question for Hakim Jeffries in regards to Medicare for All.

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<v Speaker 1>Simply what changed? Okay? Right, Hakim?

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<v Speaker 2>In September twenty nineteen, you became a co sponsor of

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<v Speaker 2>the Medicare for All Act. Then in twenty twenty one, Hakim,

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<v Speaker 2>you know you wasn't just somebody who eventually jumped onto

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare for All. No, you was an original co sponsor

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<v Speaker 2>of the Medicare for All Act of twenty twenty one meeting.

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<v Speaker 1>When that bill was introduced, your name was already on it. Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>Now fast forward to twenty twenty six, Hakim Jeffries, as

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<v Speaker 2>you just heard, goes on meet the Press and says

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare for All is not legislation that he currently co

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<v Speaker 2>sponsors are supports.

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<v Speaker 1>Once again, what changed?

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<v Speaker 2>What did you learn between twenty twenty one and now

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<v Speaker 2>that changed your mind?

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<v Speaker 1>Did the economics change?

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<v Speaker 2>Did you discover something about Medicare for All that you

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<v Speaker 2>didn't you know, you know when you co sponsored it?

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<v Speaker 2>Did America's healthcare system suddenly get better. We know the

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<v Speaker 2>answer to that. Did premiums get so cheap that I

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<v Speaker 2>missed the announcement? Did deductibles disappear? Did prescription drugs become free?

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<v Speaker 2>Did medical that go away? The insurance companies stopped the

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<v Speaker 2>nying claims? Because if any of that happened, we all

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<v Speaker 2>missed it.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>And by the way, politicians are absolutely allowed to change

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<v Speaker 2>their minds. Okay, we should actually encourage people. People to

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<v Speaker 2>change their minds when they get new information. Growth requires

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<v Speaker 2>changing your mind sometimes, Wisdom requires changing your mind sometimes.

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<v Speaker 2>But when you're an elected official and you change your

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<v Speaker 2>position on something this significant, the people deserve to know why,

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<v Speaker 2>especially when the thing that changed most dramatically during that

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<v Speaker 2>time appears to be your position. Okay, not your policy position,

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<v Speaker 2>your actual position. Because once again, in twenty twenty one,

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<v Speaker 2>Hakem you was a congressman from Brooklyn.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember that.

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<v Speaker 2>Remember when you was a congressman from Brooklyn and you

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<v Speaker 2>was quoting Biggie and Jay appearing to be down with

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<v Speaker 2>the people. Today, you're the leader of the House Democrats, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>the House Democratic Caucus, and could potentially become Speaker.

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<v Speaker 1>Of the House. But you appear to be done with

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<v Speaker 1>corporate America, not the people. So I have to ask

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<v Speaker 1>did your beliefs change when your title changed? Because that's

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<v Speaker 1>what people hate about politics.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, It's not disagreement, all right, It's the feeling that

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<v Speaker 2>politicians believe one thing when they're trying to move up,

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<v Speaker 2>and another thing once they moved up. Okay, And Akim

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<v Speaker 2>Jeffreys has repeatedly said, healthcare.

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<v Speaker 1>Is are right?

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<v Speaker 2>All right?

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<v Speaker 1>If healthcare is are right? How are you gonna guarantee

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<v Speaker 1>that right? That's all we want to know.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, Because if medicare for all isn't the answer anymore,

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<v Speaker 2>what's the answer. Don't just tell me what you don't support,

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<v Speaker 2>tell me what you do support. How are democrats gonna

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<v Speaker 2>make sure every American has health care? How are you

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<v Speaker 2>gonna lower premiums? How are you gonna load deductibles? How

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<v Speaker 2>are you gonna lower prescription drug prices? How are you

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<v Speaker 2>gonna stop families from being financially destroyed because somebody simply

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<v Speaker 2>got sick? What happens to the millions of Americans who

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<v Speaker 2>are uninsured, are underinsured?

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<v Speaker 1>What's the plan, my guy?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay? Because this is another problem democrats have. You cannot

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<v Speaker 2>spend all day telling America what Republicans are doing wrong

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<v Speaker 2>and never clearly articulate what you're going.

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<v Speaker 1>To do right.

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<v Speaker 2>Opposition is not an agenda, Resistance is not an agenda,

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<v Speaker 2>where not them is not an agenda, And saying we

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<v Speaker 2>need to fix our broken healthcare system isn't a plan.

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<v Speaker 2>And tell you to tell people how you're going to fix

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<v Speaker 2>the broken healthcare system. Regular people don't wake up debating

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<v Speaker 2>the finer points of single pair.

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<v Speaker 1>Of health care, okay.

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<v Speaker 2>They wake up asking why am I paying hundreds of

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<v Speaker 2>dollars a month for insurance and still have a deductible

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<v Speaker 2>that's thouands of dollars?

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<v Speaker 1>Okay?

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<v Speaker 2>Why did my insurance company deny the procedure my doctor

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<v Speaker 2>said I need? Why does this prescription cost hundreds of

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<v Speaker 2>dollars that I don't have? Why am I afraid to

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<v Speaker 2>go to the er because I don't know what the

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<v Speaker 2>bill is going to look like. That's what people are

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<v Speaker 2>dealing with in real life, Hakim. So, once again, Hakim,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't need you to support Medicare for all, but

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<v Speaker 2>I need you to explain why you supported Medicare for

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<v Speaker 2>all when you weren't the Democratic leader, but democratic Hakim

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<v Speaker 2>Democratic leader Hakim Jeffrey, does it?

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<v Speaker 1>Okay? What changed? All right? Was it? The policy?

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<v Speaker 4>Was it?

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<v Speaker 1>The country? Are your position?

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm asking because leadership should make you know, shouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>make your convictions harder to find. Leadership should make your

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<v Speaker 2>convictions clearer.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>If you believe Medicare for all was the solution in

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<v Speaker 2>twenty nineteen and believes it enough to become an original

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<v Speaker 2>Cospontan in twenty twenty one, but you don't believe it's

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<v Speaker 2>the solution in twenty twenty six, you have to tell

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<v Speaker 2>us why, and more importantly, probably the most important, tell

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<v Speaker 2>us what replaced it, because you can't tell Americans healthcare

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<v Speaker 2>is a right and then get vague when they ask

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<v Speaker 2>you how you're going to guarantee that right. Rights require mechanisms,

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<v Speaker 2>rights require policy, Rights require somebody actually fighting to make

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<v Speaker 2>those rights real. And maybe that's the lesson in all

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<v Speaker 2>of this, all right. The easiest thing for a politician

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<v Speaker 2>to change is their position. When their position changes, when

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<v Speaker 2>you're trying to climb the ladder, bold ideas sound great, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you become responsible for protecting suits and raising

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<v Speaker 2>money and maintaining coalitions and potentially becoming speaker, not to

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<v Speaker 2>mention taking corporate back money, and suddenly.

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<v Speaker 1>Those bull the ideas get a whole lot quiet on

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<v Speaker 1>the creek.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, I understand the politics of that, but the American

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<v Speaker 2>people deserve more than politics. They deserve an explanation. So,

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<v Speaker 2>Congressman Jeffries, you don't owe anyone your support for MEDICAI

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<v Speaker 2>for all. What you owe the American people is an

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<v Speaker 2>explanation for why something worthy of your signature in twenty

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<v Speaker 2>twenty one isn't worthy of your support in twenty twenty six.

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<v Speaker 2>And until you explain that, people have every right to

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<v Speaker 2>wonder whether the thing that changed was the policy or

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<v Speaker 2>the politician, please give House Democratic Leader how Kim Jeffries

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<v Speaker 2>the biggest.

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<v Speaker 1>He huh, what the hell is that? You need to

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<v Speaker 1>go see somebody right now.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus Christ, that's a damn biscuit God like a damn

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<v Speaker 2>a cat.

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<v Speaker 1>The guy has stuff that's you about to call up

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<v Speaker 1>a frog?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, one time I see somebody put rootwork on

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<v Speaker 2>someone and they caught up a whole frog.

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<v Speaker 1>Sounded just like that. It could be a hairball. How

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<v Speaker 1>many bits you head? All right? Thank you for thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for that Donkey of the Day.

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