1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: The Senate is staring down healthcare in a major battle, 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: with Obamacare subsidies set to expire on purpose. Why are 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: they set to expire because Democrats designed it that way. Now, 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: you may ask yourself a question, why would they design 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: a program to expire on purpose? It's pretty simple. Democrats 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: were playing politics. They wanted this to be a political 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: issue that if you don't vote for them, the Democratic Party, 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: that then you can't afford your Obamacare, also known as 9 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: the Affordable Care Act, which is anything but affordable. They 10 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: created a crisis out of thin air, a crisis so 11 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: that then when the midterms came around, they could say, 12 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: you better stick with us, because otherwise you will lose 13 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: the healthcare that we told you we were going to 14 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: give you forever. It was a designed crisis. That's how 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: evil the Democratic Party was with health care, and specifically 16 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: with the subsidies around Obamacare. They also knew that Obamacare, 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: the quote Affordable Care Act, was never going to be affordable. 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: They knew from the very beginning. But what's happened since 19 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: then is even worse. Democrats had figured out that their 20 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: best donors could be the health care industry, insurance companies, hospitals, 21 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: those that get paid with these guaranteed subsidies of Obamacare, 22 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: and they would fill their campaign coffers with cash. Why 23 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: because the Democratic Party was filling their bank accounts with 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: guaranteed government payments at levels that even the insurance companies 25 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: could have never imagined. So here we are with a 26 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: crisis that was created by the Democrats on purpose, a 27 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: crisis that was made for political reasons only and for 28 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: reelection camp. And now we're dealing with the fallout. Senate 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: negotiators are set for a high wire act this week 30 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: on healthcare, and this is all happening. Wow. Many of 31 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: them are leaving Washington for the holidays without a resolution 32 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: on the expiring and hand subsidies, With lawmakers increasingly shifting 33 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: into campaign mode as the calendar flips to the new year, 34 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: it's an election year. The Chamber has been consumed for 35 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: months by a fight over the future of expiring Affordable 36 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: Care Act subsidies, which were at the center of that 37 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: record breaking government shutdown. It was the Schumer shutdown. We 38 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: all know that, with the subject of multiple votes and 39 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: extensive negotiations in the week since, so that we don't 40 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: have another government shutdown in the new year. Now the 41 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 1: December thirty first deadline is set to come and go. 42 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: A bipartison group of lawmakers is trying to keep those 43 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: hopes alive that a deal could come together, but they're 44 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: now facing numerous problems, chief among them bringing the fraud 45 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: that has now been exposed under control, as well as 46 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 1: the rhetoric from the left and those on the right 47 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: that say we should never have done this in the 48 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: first place. Quote, since the Obamacare passage, any conversation about 49 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: anything on healthcare has been a big lift. That is 50 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: what Senator James Langfort, a Republican from Oklahoma, said, saying, quote, 51 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: everybody sees the problems, and at times my Democratic colleagues 52 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: will admit, okay, yeah, that's a problem, but trying to 53 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: vote on it has been tougher. So no matter what 54 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: we do tweaking this thing, it's going to be hard. Now. 55 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: The Senate voted on two competing healthcare proposals on December 56 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: the eleventh. Both failed. Four Republicans even crossed the aisle 57 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: to vote in favor of a Democratic bill to extend 58 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: the subseas for three years, and centers on both sides 59 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: of the aisle have spent the days since trying to 60 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: pick up the pieces and find a new deal. Now 61 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: there is a group now of nearly two dozen members 62 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: occupying various political aims across each party, that is convened 63 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: with an eye towards, as they describe it, unveiling a 64 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: possible deal, with some even indicating that hopes of a 65 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: framework agreement could come by the end of the holiday 66 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,799 Speaker 1: work period and could be in theory past next month. 67 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, and then he would 68 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: say a Republican in name only, and Bernie Marino, a 69 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: Republican from Ohio. We're among the organizers of the big meeting. Now. 70 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: Their bill is calling for just a two year extension 71 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: of the Obamacare subsidies paired with conservative leaning reforms served 72 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: as the basis of the discussion to get rid of 73 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: some of the waste, fraud, and abuse that Democrats do 74 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: not want to touch. Why because when there is fraud 75 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: in the health care industry, it goes directly to the 76 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: bottom line of the healthcare providers who are their biggest 77 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: donors of the candidates and the Democratic Party running in 78 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: these midterms. Now on Wednesday, and this went very much unreported. 79 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: There was actually a group of House GOP centrists, so 80 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: they're not really hardcore conservative, they're not Maga Conservatives who 81 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: bucked their leadership of the Speaker Mike Johnson by signing 82 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: into a Democratic effort to force a vote on extending 83 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: the subsidies, also met with a group of centers to 84 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 1: try to chart a path to a deal that could 85 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: pass in both chambers, because that's part of the problem. 86 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: If you get it down the Senate, you still have 87 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: to get it done in the House. Now. Democrats in 88 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: the Senate have also shied away from trying from tying, 89 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: I should say the healthcare battle to the looming government 90 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: funding deadline at the end of January, giving talks a 91 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: major boost now and it adjourned without reaching a healthcare 92 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: framework for Christmas. That is problematic. Democrats present the first 93 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: they described it bipartisan meeting last week. They knew that 94 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: people were leaving town, so it was pretty much meaningless 95 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: and it was a political stunt. And they said they 96 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: were initially encouraged, as they described it, by the discussions, 97 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: but they indicated that complications made striking a deal increasingly 98 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: quote problematic. Quote. There was a simple concept on the table. 99 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: When we walked in, it was within the range of reason, 100 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: but then it got more complicated. There was conceptionally might 101 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: be well okay, but maybe or might not. That's how 102 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: Senator Tim Caine, the Democrat from Virginia, said, labeling the 103 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: meeting a quote productive discussion. He also said there was 104 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: quote complicators in the room now. Attendees said that they 105 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: expected future meetings, but whether they continued to push the 106 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: ball up the field and keep talking during the two 107 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: week holiday break remains an open question. Both sides also 108 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: have political considerations that could scuttle discussions at any time. 109 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: And then you've got numerous Republicans that have signaled that 110 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: they have little to no appetite to vote for any 111 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: type of extension of the enhanced subsidies, no matter the 112 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: reforms that could make the package more palatable. Why it's 113 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: a campaign issue, There's a lot to think Obamacare is 114 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: well a total lie, and it's filled with fraud, and 115 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: they're not going to keep paying for that level of fraud. 116 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: They have also indicated that language concerning the High Amendment, 117 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: which bars federal funds from going towards abortion and any 118 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: healthcare package, also remains a major sticking point. Democrats are 119 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: also quick to note that Republicans have, as they described it, 120 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: continuously opposed the Affordable Care Act. Well, it's not affordable. 121 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: That's one reason to appt owes it. And the Minority 122 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: Party has indicated they plan to pen the blame because 123 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: this is really all about politics, not about helping you 124 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: on the GOP. For the premium hikes that millions of 125 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: Americans are set to experience in the lead up to 126 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: the midterms. Now, let me be clear, if you have 127 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: a massive hike in the premiums going into the midterms, 128 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: it will be blamed on the Republicans because people don't 129 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: pay attention. We have a lot of idiots in this 130 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: country that just love free stuff. They don't realize how 131 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: much that free stuff costs, because nothing is free in healthcare. 132 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: So here we are at a crossroads what Republicans do, 133 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: and the President of United States of America has got 134 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: to figure out a way to bring them all together. Now, 135 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: before we get to the end of the story here 136 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: with Donald Trump and what he has to figure out 137 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: and really overcome, I so think there's another aspect of 138 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: this that you need to understand, and that is this 139 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: part how broken it actually is. And this is why 140 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: there are Republicans that do not want to just in 141 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: essence auto renew this thing, because the argument is, why 142 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: would we reward waste, massive fraud and your tax dollar 143 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: is going to insurance companies that are literally, as I 144 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: would describe it, stealing from you. Let me give you 145 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: some data that you're not going to hear anywhere else, 146 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: and you should know this data. But you should also 147 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: take this data and take the podcast and share it 148 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: so other people hear this. Not only is Obamacare or 149 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: the I'm going to probably call it more the Affordable 150 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: Care Act, because it's so insane that that's what they 151 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: actually called it, the Affordable Care It's just lunacy. It 152 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: is heavily subsidized. This thing is being propped up by 153 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: your tax dollars at numbers you can't even get your 154 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: head around. Now, Donald Trump wants the money to go 155 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: directly to you so that then you can spend the 156 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: money on healthcare the way that you believe it should 157 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: be done, so that these insurance companies don't keep screwing 158 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: us through all the fraud and the fake accounts and 159 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: the payments that are going right like that's that's the 160 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: number one thing, all right. So let me give you 161 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 1: some data here. Twenty four point three million people selected 162 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: right or were auto re enrolled in the marketplace coverage 163 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five. Now a big driver in the 164 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: Advanced Premium Tax Credit known as the APTC. The report 165 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 1: notes that twelve point eight million or more receive that 166 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: subsidy in twenty twenty five compared to twenty twenty. People 167 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: are asking the question where do these twelve point eight 168 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: million people come from? Now? These enhanced subsidies are a 169 00:10:55,840 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: massive budget item, all right, and their expiration is a clip. 170 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: The Enhanced Premium Tax Credit. It was expanded under COVID, Right, 171 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: it's no longer around. COVID's not around like it was. 172 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: It was all done during the COVID era legislation and 173 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: it was extended and they're scheduled to run out. They 174 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: will expire at the end of this year. That's why 175 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: there is this like the house is on fire moment. 176 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: One major budget estimate, by the way, says that permanently 177 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: extending the enhanced substis for COVID, which we don't have anymore. 178 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: That's how broken the Affordable carec They need subties for 179 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: COVID even though we're not dealing with COVID all right, 180 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: could cost up to three hundred and fifty billion dollars 181 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: through twenty thirty five. That is insanity. And the analysts 182 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 1: also note that well over fifty billion of that cost 183 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 1: flow two households above five x the poverty level. Let 184 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: me give you an example. Some of these substees are 185 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 1: going to families that make one hundred and sixty thousand 186 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: dollars a year for a family of four this year. 187 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: Is that where we're and this is how you get 188 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: closer and closer to just straight up socialized medicine. You 189 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: subsidize people at one hundred and sixty k with a 190 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: family of four. They then learn to just rely on it, 191 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 1: depend on it, They vote on it because they don't 192 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: want to pay for their healthcare because it's going through 193 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: the taxes. And then you have this big grand divide, 194 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: and you get very close to what I just described, 195 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: which is socialized medicine. And we're on the verge of 196 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: that just being the reality, which was the whole design 197 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: of Obamacare. That's part of what you really need to understand, 198 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: Like this was all a part of the design. It 199 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: was designed to fail so that the government would just 200 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: take over the entire system. Now, without the enhanced subsidies, 201 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: the affordability math worsens really fast. Okay, twenty twenty six 202 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: premiums modeling finds that the marketplace premium payments would rise 203 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: by one hundred and fourteen percent on average, meaning that 204 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: fifty percent are above that level if the credits expired. 205 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: That's about one thoy sixteen dollars a year. So the 206 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: Congressional Budget Office says, look, the expiration not only would 207 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: reduce substas in the enrollment, but it would raise the 208 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: uninsured rate, which then would be blamed they believe on 209 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. That's why Democrats are willing to play this 210 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: game of Russian roulette. They also said that not only 211 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: would that happen, but literally millions could lose coverage because 212 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: if Congress says nothing, then the money dries up, and 213 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: then they're like, why can't afford it? And then the 214 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,199 Speaker 1: rates have gone through the roof because the rates that 215 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: the insurance companies are charging have skyrocketed since the subseas 216 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: came in, because they're like, well, we need to get 217 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: our hands on more of this money. So now you're 218 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: actually paying a rate that is egregious, that is unrealistic 219 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: for the marketplace without the government subsidies. You following me here, 220 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 1: the insurance company said, hey, we can grab billions of dollars. 221 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: Let's keep raising the rates every year. The government will 222 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: pay the rate increase guaranteed. We'll also have a bunch 223 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: of dead people that are enrolling and people that have 224 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: died that are still being enrolled in a bunch of 225 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: fraudulent enrollment. That's all a fact. We know that as well. 226 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: We are getting paid for people that never use their insurance. 227 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: We're getting paid for people that don't even know they're 228 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: actually enrolled in Obamacare, and so they never come into 229 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: the hospital. And we get all that money without having 230 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: to offer any coverage or actual service. And now you 231 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: understand exactly why Democrats want this to keep going, because 232 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: the insurance companies have basically said, we have a blank 233 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: check for you. We will write you a check for 234 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: you to get elected and get re elected, and we 235 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: will write it for you forever as long as you 236 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: let us keep getting the billions of dollars in government aid. 237 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: These insurance companies are not running a business anymore. I 238 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: want to be clear about that. They're running a full blown, 239 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: shady as hell, corrupt business with a government check that 240 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: keeps showing up. It's bribery. That's the best way I 241 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: can describe it is it is bribery. Let me give 242 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: you another example. The programs quote integrity and fraud vulnerabilities 243 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: have been documented now for the first time. How bad 244 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: is it? I'm going to quote for you the Liberal 245 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: Washington Post. Okay, are you ready? This is the I'll 246 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: say it again, the Liberal Washington Post. The Washington Post 247 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: reported at broker scheme has now been tied at least 248 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: one hundred and eighty million and in proper federal subsidies, 249 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: alongside findings including a GOA test showing weak verification controls 250 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: in many cases. Now, this is just full blown fraud. 251 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: How many people gone to jail so far that we 252 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: know of? I don't think any. Usually when we find 253 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: this level of fraud, what usually happens we don't get 254 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: any Okay, body that actually goes to jail. This reminds 255 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: me a lot of the housing crisis and the fraud 256 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: that we found out was going on in the housing market, 257 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: in the loan market, and what happened when there was 258 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: the big crash in eight One guy went to jail 259 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: because all of these bankers and all of these mortgage 260 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: lenders that were in on this scheme. This just massive 261 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: level of corruption, of waste, fraud, and abuse all got 262 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: away with it. So is there any incentive to not 263 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: do it again? No, there is zero incentive to not 264 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: do it again. This is what President Trump is having 265 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: to deal with. And the question that he's going to 266 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: have to ask is how much money should go to 267 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: subsidize them? Right, Like, there's two big buckets that are 268 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: at the center of this subsy debate, right the premium 269 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: tax credits, the monthly subsidies, that's the main affordability engine 270 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: for the marketplace premiums, which if skyrocketed. And then the 271 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: enhancement sub subsy expansion, the temporary larger credits that were 272 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: done in the name of COVID that is three hundred 273 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: and fifty billion we're talking about right now through twenty 274 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: thirty five. I'm going to say it again, we can't 275 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: afford this. We can't afford any of it. So how 276 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: do you pull back? Okay, how do you pull back 277 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: on this? That's the question that everybody needs to ask, 278 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: and how do you do it without losing a midterm 279 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: election is the bigger question on this. So Rick Gernell 280 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: is a dear friend of mine. He is an American diplomat. 281 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: You know him as a service to President Donald Trump 282 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: and he served as an ambassador. He is now doing 283 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: something that's truly incredible, and that is be the president 284 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 1: of the executive director of the Now Trump and John F. 285 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Rick, you and I 286 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: were trading messages and I said, this is the perfect 287 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: time to have you on because many people are gonna 288 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: get to see an incredible night this week on CBS 289 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: from the Kennedy Center. The Awards. It happens once a year. 290 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: It's a great night. The President's there, we get to 291 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: honor Americans have done incredible things in the arts. And 292 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: there's been a controversy beforehand as Democrats are trying to 293 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: undermine what the President has done with the Kenney Center. 294 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: And I thought, let's just tell the story of just 295 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 1: how bad things were at the Kennedy Center, all how 296 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 1: much had been deferred in basic upkeep of that building. 297 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: Why the President said I'm going to be on the 298 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 1: board and have great board members and put you to 299 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: be in charge because he wanted to bring it back 300 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: to greatness. And now they're all losing their minds after 301 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: we brought it back to greatness. But talk about what 302 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 1: you inherited before we even get to the added name 303 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump on the building. 304 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 2: Okay, great, well, Ben, thanks for having me. First of all, 305 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 2: Tuesday night eight o'clock, you have to watch the Kennedy 306 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 2: Center Honors, which is now the Trump Kennedy Center. So 307 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:18,960 Speaker 2: Tuesday at eight o'clock on CBS, it's going to be 308 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 2: an amazing show. Look, Ben, when President Trump asked me 309 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 2: to come in and help save the Kennedy Center, I 310 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 2: arrived at the Kennedy Center at the time and we 311 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,640 Speaker 2: had no money in the bank. We were paying staff 312 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 2: with debt reserves that we were saving up for a 313 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 2: bond payment. In twenty thirty we had ninety four people 314 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 2: in one department, the fundraising department, and it was truly bloated. Remember, 315 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 2: the woman who had the job before me was getting 316 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 2: paid one point four million dollars a year, and yet 317 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 2: they couldn't keep up up with the maintenance. 318 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: So million a year. Who, like, how does that even happen. 319 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 2: It's crazy. Look, Congress gives a little bit of money 320 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 2: around thirty five million, sometimes up to forty million a 321 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 2: year to maintain the building because it's a memorial to 322 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 2: John F. Kennedy. So there's two things that happened. There's 323 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:27,360 Speaker 2: a huge staff that's paid through fundraising, and then there's 324 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 2: a very small staff that just care takes the building 325 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 2: and the memorial part, and they get somewhere between thirty 326 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 2: five and forty million a year from Congress for that. 327 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 2: They were not using that money to keep the building up. 328 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:48,360 Speaker 2: When I arrived, the roof was leaking, the pipes were 329 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:54,719 Speaker 2: bursting below. We constantly had floods. Most of the elevators 330 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 2: did not work. The water fountains out front did not work. 331 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 2: The seats were collapsing. We literally had infrastructure falling on cars. 332 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 2: When you drive underneath the Kennedy Center, the safetts and 333 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 2: the concrete were falling on cars. The building people actually 334 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 2: suggested that we tear the building down and start over, 335 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 2: that the deferred maintenance was so bad for so long 336 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 2: that we should start over. So I brought President Trump 337 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 2: over the Great Builder and took them through the whole building. 338 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 2: We went to the bottom of the building. We saw 339 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: the pipes, we saw the infrastructure, and looked at the roof, 340 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 2: and he said, this is bad, but it can be fixed. 341 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 2: We don't have to tear the building down. And by 342 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 2: the time he left the Kennedy Center and went driving 343 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 2: back to the White House, he had called multiple members 344 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 2: of Congress to say, I want two hundred and fifty 345 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 2: million dollars to save the Kennedy Center. Now, look at 346 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 2: that point, I think Democrats should have celebrated a Republican 347 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 2: trying to save an arts institution, but they didn't. President 348 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 2: Trump then launched the fundraising portion for staff and programming, 349 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,159 Speaker 2: which you cannot use any of that two hundred and 350 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 2: fifty million for anything but the building. It would be 351 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 2: a moral to do that. It would be what the 352 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 2: Democrats did of trying to take their little bit of 353 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,360 Speaker 2: money that was supposed to be for the building and 354 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 2: not use it for the building. So we wanted to 355 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 2: commit to bringing the building back to a beautiful place. 356 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 2: We've already been doing that in the ten months that 357 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 2: I've been there. We now have more money being raised 358 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: for programming, a huge amount of money for the building renovation. 359 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 2: We've started on the renovations. We've already done a tone 360 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 2: of painting. The water fountains are working, the elevators are working. 361 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,719 Speaker 2: We're redoing the marble, redoing the seats, redoing all of 362 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 2: the things that should have been done. One of the 363 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 2: things that is crazy to me is that the Kennedy family, 364 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 2: who is complaining now about the money being poured in 365 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,479 Speaker 2: from Donald Trump, they're not thanking him. They're complaining that 366 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 2: a Republican has come in and is getting credit, and 367 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 2: the board is giving Donald Trump credit for all of this. 368 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 2: They were nowhere to be found. I don't want to 369 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 2: call anybody out specifically, but I can tell who's given 370 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,880 Speaker 2: money to the Kennedy Center, and it's not coming from 371 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 2: the Kennedy family. And so this outrage is unbelievable in 372 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 2: that they should be thanking Donald Trump for saving the 373 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 2: former Kennedy Center, and when the board says, let's make 374 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 2: it the Trump Kennedy Center because now it's bipartisan. Now 375 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 2: it's a recognition that Republicans and Democrats should both be 376 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 2: making this a priority. They should celebrate this, they should 377 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 2: totally celebrate, but instead they're he you mentioned bipartisan. 378 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: That's the part when I was on TV the other 379 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,399 Speaker 1: night on CNN about this, like and they're losing their minds. 380 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: I just laughed because I'm like, this is used to 381 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: be The Kenney Center used to be the hottest ticket 382 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: in town. When I was there at the Bush administration, 383 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: it was. It was a hot ticket. It slowly started 384 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: to lose its luster. I mean, I go back to 385 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: Charlie Wilson's war if you've ever seen the movie True Story, 386 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: he just wanted to be on the board of the 387 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: Kindy Center because he wanted the tickets because it was 388 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: such a hot item. And then it become an afterthought 389 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: and forgotten. And that's part of what you guys have 390 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: done at the Kenney Center is turned it into the 391 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: hottest ticket in town. By bringing in people that people 392 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: want to a go and see. You're also having people 393 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: that want to have their events at the venue, which 394 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: is so important. It's an incredible venue. It's right there 395 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: on the river. It's unbelievable to walk out on that 396 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: balcony and just c DC. It's an amazing a truly. 397 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 2: An underutilized space. Yes, underutilized, because look, one thing to 398 00:24:55,240 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 2: be clear, when when I arrived, the program was really bad. 399 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 2: The ticket sales were in the tank. Every single arts 400 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 2: institution across this country is struggling with ticket sales. As 401 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 2: a matter of fact, two months ago the New York Times, 402 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 2: which I seldom quote, The New York Times had a 403 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 2: front page paper that said Broadway is dying. Nobody's buying 404 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 2: Broadway tickets. This is a phenomenon that's been happening across 405 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 2: arts institutions. But what they don't realize is that the 406 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 2: reason why arts institutions are struggling is because the programming 407 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 2: is so far left and woke that it doesn't capture 408 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 2: the public's mind or corporate America, who should be funding 409 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 2: these things. 410 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: I do love, by the way, before you get back 411 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,399 Speaker 1: to the ticket sales, Rick that they were like. The 412 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: question they asked me on CNN was, well, I mean, 413 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: what's next, You're going to put his name on the 414 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 1: Lincoln Memorial or the Jefferson Memorial or the Washington Monument, 415 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: name of the Trump money. The level of Trump arrangement 416 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,159 Speaker 1: syndrome over this is truly impressive. 417 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, my reaction when I get that is, oh, 418 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 2: I think the Jefferson and the Lincoln and the Washington 419 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 2: have been maintained and so nobody needs to save them. 420 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: That's a that's a great point. So you get there, 421 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: and I want to go back to ticket sales. That 422 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: was one of the big problems. The building had gone down, 423 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: the ticket sales had gone down. You guys inherited a disaster, 424 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: and deferred maintenance had never been done correct. 425 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 2: And look, arts institutions are struggling with ticket sales, every 426 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:30,919 Speaker 2: single one across them the country, and it's because most 427 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 2: of the arts institutions push programming that corporate America and 428 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 2: donors don't want to participate in. And so what we 429 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 2: did is we said to corporate America and to our donors, 430 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 2: you're never going to be embarrassed by what we're bringing. 431 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 2: It's going to be big, common sense programming. We're bringing. 432 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 2: We brought in Stuttgart Ballet, We're bringing in the Vienna Philharmonic, 433 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 2: We've got Chicago the Musical coming, we had Ley miz 434 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 2: We're doing the big cop and sense programming. We do 435 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 2: have a problem in that the left and Democrats are 436 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 2: boycotting it right now, which is unbelievable when you think 437 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 2: about boycotting an arts institution, because Republicans are putting money 438 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 2: into it. But we're not going to go backwards. We're 439 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: not going to go back to the days where we 440 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,360 Speaker 2: can't pay our bills. And what I've decided to do 441 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 2: is not only look at ticket sales, because you can't 442 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 2: pay for programming with just ticket sales. We have nineteen 443 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 2: unions at the Trump Kennedy Center, and that makes every 444 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 2: programming extremely expensive. And so what I say is, between donors, 445 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 2: Corporate America and ticket sales, you got to get me 446 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: to revenue neutral in order to do these programs because 447 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 2: we can't go in debt by doing these things. 448 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: Now. 449 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 2: I believe in arts education, and when we get a 450 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 2: little bit of money, we can do the niche programming 451 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 2: that educates people about the arts, new forms of art 452 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 2: that they haven't quite been accustomed to. But when you 453 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: have niche programming, ben you get big donors who say, 454 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 2: I believe in this, and I'm going to write you 455 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 2: a check. 456 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: Right. That's my passion, right, that's my passion project, and 457 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 1: this is something that is so important to me. I 458 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: want to write a check because I think this should 459 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: be expanded and introduced to others. And that's exactly again, 460 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,679 Speaker 1: how you run an essence and nonprofit you find people 461 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: that are passionate about it, which is something that I 462 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: had died at the Kenney Center with their funding. 463 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 2: You can't pay someone one point four million dollars who 464 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 2: then tries to come up with some crazy programming like 465 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 2: an all lesbian cast of a Fellow. You can't do 466 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 2: programming like that because Corporate America says they're not coming. 467 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 2: But since we've been there and we've promised Corporate America 468 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 2: that it's big, common sense programming, we have seen fundraising 469 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 2: shoot through the roof. Again. We still have Democrats who 470 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 2: say we're boycotting with ticket sales, but an arts reporter 471 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 2: that covers you know, arts programming in Washington, d C. 472 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 2: They've never ever done a story about plummeting ticket sales 473 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 2: ever until we came. And then suddenly they are saying, oh, well, 474 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 2: ticket sales aren't doing well. Well, correct, but ticket sales 475 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 2: have been really dying, as the New York Times pointed out, 476 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 2: with Broadway and all arts institutions, they've been struggling. What 477 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 2: we have shown is that when you fix the programming, 478 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 2: Corporate America comes with really big checks, and then financially 479 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 2: you can if you're responsible with staffing you can do 480 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 2: the big programming and arts institutions can work. I think 481 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 2: this is an example. President Trump has given arts institutions 482 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 2: across the country an example be bipartisan fix the programming 483 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 2: so that you invite corporate America in and that is 484 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 2: how you're going to be able to have good theater 485 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 2: and good programming. 486 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 1: Well, let's talk about that quickly to by person aspect 487 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: of this, because I do think that's the part that's 488 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: really incredible. You're bringing in an amazing app that are nonpartisan 489 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: acts and the Democrats are refusing to show it because 490 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: they want this to fail. The same people that demand 491 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: more money for the arts. This is the biggest stage 492 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: for the arts, and they're saying no all because a 493 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,719 Speaker 1: Republican is the one doing it. If that isn't the 494 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: definition of insanity and hypocrisy, I don't know what is. 495 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 2: Well I'll tell you one thing. This is a test 496 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 2: for Democrats because if they try and kill a bipartisan 497 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 2: arts institution like this by refusing to participate and refusing 498 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 2: to do ticket sales and refusing to do a long 499 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 2: term buying of tickets like through sponsorships, then they are 500 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 2: going to send the message to Republicans, you're not welcome 501 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 2: at arts institutions. They then will when Democrats take over Washington, 502 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 2: whenever that may be, they are going to make it 503 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 2: far left end and disinvite the Republicans, and we will 504 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 2: be back to arts institutions that pay one point four 505 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 2: million dollars in a salary with bloated bureaucracy and then 506 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 2: deferred maintenance problems. And look, when I arrived inn we 507 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 2: had no money in the bank zero. Today we're financially 508 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 2: doing really well, and we're paying back all of that 509 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 2: debt reserve and all of the moneies that we digged 510 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 2: in that we dug in and spent that we shouldn't 511 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 2: have been spending on Rick. 512 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: It's an incredible success story. Congratulations. I look forward to 513 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: being at the Kennedy Center soon and what you guys 514 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: are doing is amazing and I can't wait take my 515 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: picture in front of a bipartisan sign with the last 516 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: name Trump and Kennedy on it. It's incredible, it really is. 517 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: And I hope everybody will grab this interview shared on 518 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: social media. You know the background now of the Trump 519 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: Kennedy Center. Don't forget share this podcast wherever you can 520 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: with your family and your friends, and I'll see you 521 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: back here tomorrow