1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 2: We spoke with Republican Senator Ran Paul of Kentucky, who 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 2: chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee and also serves on 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: the Foreign Relations Committee, tried to pursue some of these 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: questions we discussed with. Wendy asked him about the legality 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 2: of the Pentagon's actions in Venezuela and whether he thinks 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 2: they amount to a prelude to war. 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: I'm very fearful that these boat strikes and the positioning 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: of our ships and our troops right off the coast 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: of Venezuela as a prelude to war. I think that 11 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: there is a real question of legality under the military 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 1: jo justice. Under the Code of Military Justice, it says 13 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: that when someone has been incapacitated or shipwrecked or they're 14 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: clinging to the wreckage of a boat, that they're out 15 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: of combat and they're no longer subject to be killed. 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 3: And so there is a real question who. 17 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: Gave the order and why would they give the order 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: to kill someone who is out of combat. Now the weekend, 19 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: the Secretary of Defense was saying, well, I don't know 20 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: anything about it. I don't know anything about a second attack. 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: But today when he was interviewed, he said, well, yes, 22 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: I left the room for a while, the second attack occurred, 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: and I learned about it when he came back. 24 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 3: But why was he telling us this weekend. 25 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: He didn't know anything about a second attack, and he 26 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: had never authorized it. But now that it's come to light, 27 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: he says, oh, I didn't do it. Somebody else did it. 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: The admiral did it. So they're all pin and blame 29 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: on the military guide. But I'm one who tends to 30 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: give a lot of leeway to the military guy and 31 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: not so much leeway to. 32 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 3: The person who gave him the orders. These orders came from. 33 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: The Secretary of Defense, and ultimately he's gonna have to 34 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: accept responsibility. But to my mind, there's a question about 35 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: whether or not killing people in the first place, who 36 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: you have no proof that they're armed, you have presented 37 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: no proof that they're carrying drugs, and that you simply 38 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: kill them. I think that's outrageous. But now not only 39 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: do we kill them, our government is following up by 40 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: killing them when they're wounded and stranded and of no 41 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: threat whatsoever, which is, according to our own laws illegal. 42 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 2: Well, you've illustrated that carefully, Senator, it's Admiral Frank Bradley 43 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: we're talking about. He's been named by the administration. I 44 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: don't know if you think it's appropriate that his name 45 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 2: is made public before he testifies before the Armed Services 46 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: Committee on Thursday. But I guess the question now is raised, 47 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: where does the buck stop? Is it with the admiral, 48 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 2: the Defense Secretary or the commander in chief. 49 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: I think it's to me amazing that anybody in the 50 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: public accepts the idea that we would make an acca accusation. 51 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: We will simply accuse someone and then they are found 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: guilty without any kind of process. We asked the Coast 53 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: Guard for specific statistics off the coast of Venezuela, and 54 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: they said, of boats that have been interceded off of 55 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: the coast before we came up with this blow them 56 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: to smith a 'reens policy, we used to interdict them, 57 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: and of the boats that we interdicted off the coast 58 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: of Venezuela, about one in four twenty one percent, to 59 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: be exact, we're not caring drugs. That would mean if 60 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: you're going to blow up all of the boats off 61 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: the coast that look like drug boats, or that you're 62 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: suspicious For twenty one percent of the time, you'd be 63 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: killing innocent people. So I think it's outrageous that anybody 64 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: would countenance this kind of activity, And I'm surprised that 65 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: I seem to be one of the few people who 66 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: seem to be. 67 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 3: Alarmed at this. But I think it's unconscionable. 68 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: It's wrong on any level to kill people with no 69 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: proof that they are engaged in combat at all with 70 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: your country. 71 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: Well, so should Pete hagsth be fired? 72 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: There has to be an investigation, and I am glad 73 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: that for a change, there is a bipartisan push from 74 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: the Armed Services Committee to get to the bottom of this. 75 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: So to be an investigation, I think he needs to 76 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: be asked under oath, did you give the order to 77 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: kill any survivors? And if you didn't give the order, 78 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: what was the order? Why did the admiral think that 79 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: he was supposed to kill people clinging to wreckage? The 80 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: idea that these people were still a threat. It's a 81 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: debate whether they were ever a threat. They're on a 82 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: motor boat two thousand miles from our coast. If you 83 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: want to take that motor boat to the closest point 84 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: of entry, in Miami. You probably have to fill it 85 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: up twenty times. These motorboats can't go two thousand miles 86 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: on a tank of gas. If there was drugs on board. 87 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: They may be going to other countries, but probably not 88 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 1: to the US. 89 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 3: So the whole thing is. 90 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: Just remarkable that in our country we would allow this 91 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: to happen. 92 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,239 Speaker 4: Senator Senator Schumer has asked for footage of these strikes 93 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 4: to be released. 94 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: Is that something that you would support. Yes, we need 95 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: to see the footage, We need to hear the audio. 96 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: The Secretary of Defenses now said that he left the room. 97 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: That's fine, But the whole idea is the Admiral's not 98 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: just making these decisions. 99 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 3: Without an order. 100 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: The order came from the Secretary of Defense. And then 101 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: I hear some of my colleagues in the hallway just saying, oh, no. 102 00:04:58,839 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 3: Big too. 103 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: We do this all the t Whenever we bomb people, 104 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: we just do a second tap on them. 105 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 3: Man, if they're moving, we go back and hit them again. 106 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: Well, if it's soldiers with guns shooting our soldiers, I'm 107 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: fine with that, but this is a pretense of a war. 108 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: They've just said, oh, we call these people in these 109 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: boats Narco terrace, So we can kill them without any 110 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: kind of proof, without any kind of just fashi gup 111 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: because we say so, because we say it's a war. 112 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: This is insane, This isn't a war. These people don't 113 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: We don't even know if they're armed or we've killed 114 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: eighty people, Are any of them armed? What are their names? 115 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: What is it they're transporting? All these people going off saying, oh, 116 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: Fentel's killing people. I know people have died of Fennel. 117 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: I have a great deal sympathy. I know a family 118 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: lost two sons defendant. I have sympathy for that. There's 119 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: no evidence there's any fentyl on this boat. There's no 120 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: evidence that any fentanyl comes from Venezuela. 121 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 3: Zero. 122 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: There is fentyl come out of Mexico. But since we're 123 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: blowing these boats up, maybe we're taking our eye off 124 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: the border in Mexican go. So the whole thing is 125 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: a pretense and a prelude to war in Venezuela, and 126 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: I hope it doesn't happen. 127 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 4: Senator, you've said previously that you've received not one briefing 128 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 4: on Venezuela. In your eyes, does the administration have a 129 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 4: coherent strategy? On this issue, and how does it square 130 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 4: with the President and the administration's America first posture, this 131 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 4: idea that they were going to keep America out of 132 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 4: ever increasing foreign entinglements. 133 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: The one thing I've always liked about Donald Trump, and 134 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: the reason I've supported him and still do support him, 135 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: is that I think his instincts towards less intervention and 136 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: less foreign war have been sincere He's been against the 137 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: Iraq War for several decades before it happened, and after 138 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: it happened, he was against the war in Libya that 139 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: Obama took us into. So those were legitimate ideas that 140 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 1: are jegitimate part of America first. But this idea of 141 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: invading Venezuela, I think comes from the Secretary of State 142 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: who's long wanted regime change there. 143 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 3: Now, if you could wave. 144 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: A wand and have regime change where there's adversaries we 145 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: don't like, we would do it for China, we would 146 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: do it for Columbia, we would do it for all 147 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: the countries that have ten socialist dictators. 148 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 3: But we don't do that because the. 149 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: End result of regime change often is more chaos or 150 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: chaos worse even than the authoritarianism they live under. 151 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: Well, I'm getting confused here, Senator, because there was also 152 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 2: a pardon that the administration announced this week former Honduras 153 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 2: President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted for pushing hundreds 154 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:38,239 Speaker 2: of tons of cocaine into this country. If we're concerned 155 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 2: about the drug trade in America, why would the administration 156 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 2: pursue this pardon. 157 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: Oh, didn't they tell you he's not an arco terrorist? 158 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 3: And I'm being facetious. 159 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 2: I heard the President say today that it was a 160 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 2: Biden hoax, that it was Biden overreached. 161 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 3: So you don't support this part. So here's the thing. 162 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 3: Here's the thing. 163 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: If they say he's not a narco terrorist, he's not 164 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,679 Speaker 1: a threat to America, and maybe he was falsely accused. 165 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: And I say that facetiously because it gets to the 166 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: point of if they label you a narco terrorist, they 167 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: can kill you without trial. But if they say you're 168 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: not a narco terrorist, you can be given a pardon, 169 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: even though you have been convicted. Even though he's gloated 170 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: over all the people he's loaded with drugs, including some 171 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: who have probably and inevitably have died in our country, 172 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: but he's okay because the administration does not label him 173 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: and sell him a narco terrorist. 174 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 3: It gets to the whole problem of this. 175 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 1: So I have brought forward with Senator Cain on a 176 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: couple of occasions, and we'll do again the idea that 177 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: we have to debate whether this is war. There is 178 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: a lower standard for rules of engagement in war. But 179 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: they say it's not war. But then they say, what 180 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: kind of is war? Because we've labeled a narco terrorists 181 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: and they are designated to be foreign terrorists, so you 182 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: can kill them without any proof because their enemy combatants. 183 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: But if you try to have a vote in Congress 184 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,959 Speaker 1: as to whether it's war, said, we can't have that 185 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: because this is our prerogative. But then you get into 186 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: the lunacy of well, Orlando Hernandez is not a narco terrorist, 187 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: but these guys who we don't know their name and 188 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: we presented no proof they're narco terrorists. It's absolutely and 189 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: utterly insane, Senator. 190 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 4: Republicans have often been hesitant to push back on the 191 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 4: administration's policy moves. How optimistic are you that Republicans will 192 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 4: be able to come together, find some unity on this 193 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 4: issue and provide oversight on this issue of the boat 194 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 4: strikes and the posture towards Venezuela. 195 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: I'm encouraged that the Arms Services Committee is going to 196 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: do an investigation. 197 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 3: That is a bipartisan thing. 198 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: The Republican Chairman Wicker is going forward with an investigation. 199 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: I hope they will demand the actual footage and the 200 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: audio of what happened during that strike. These are strikes 201 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: that are going out without the approval of Congress, at 202 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: the very least after the fact. They ought to show 203 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: us the actual video, the actual footage, and the actual audio. 204 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 3: And we should hear. 205 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: Under oath from the admiral that gave the order, and 206 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: hear under oath from the Secretary of Defense. 207 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 2: I got to ask you about healthcare, Senator. Just a 208 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 2: couple of hours ago. You probably saw this, the President 209 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 2: posting on truth Social what appears to be a screen 210 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 2: grab of a text that you sent him. 211 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 3: Is that real? 212 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 2: Just for starters, is that a text that you sent 213 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 2: the president? 214 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: I did, and I've engaged with the President because I've 215 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: worked with him before and still want to work with 216 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: the president. In the first administration, I engaged with him 217 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: on something called association health plans. These are group plans 218 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: that individuals can buy so For example, the biggest problem 219 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: we have in healthcare is that if you're a small 220 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: business person, say you're an accountant and you have three 221 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: employees you want to buy insurance, you go into the 222 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: individual market and you have no leverage, and if one 223 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: of your employees gets cancer or you get cancer, they 224 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: jack up the risk for your really small risk pool. Instead, 225 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: what I'm proposing is you should be allowed to go 226 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: anywhere where you want to buy insurance across state lines, 227 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,439 Speaker 1: including places like Costco, Sam's Club, Amazon, and then if 228 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: you became one of millions of people buying insurance, Amazon 229 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: or Costco would negotiate directly with the insurance company and say, look, 230 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: I got ten million people want insurance, and I'm negotiating 231 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: for them, and all of a sudden they become the 232 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: large they become the largest entity in America, and they'll 233 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: drive the prices down. The problem with Obamacare, although well 234 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: intended to help people, is when you give people money 235 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 1: to buy insurance. As insurance rates are going up, you 236 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: say I'll give you more one thousand dollars, then I'll 237 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: give you five, then I give you ten. You just 238 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: keep chasing the rates higher because you're artificially increasing the 239 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: demand and the price just goes hired and has it 240 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: worked so Originally President Obama said prices will go down 241 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: twenty five hundred dollars within I don't know a year 242 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: or two of Obamacare, and the exact opposite has happened. 243 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: So if we continue to do this, it won't get better. 244 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: We're chasing in our tail, we're chasing inflation, and so 245 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: well we need is leverage and to allow the marketplace 246 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: work to work to bid down prices. My plan would 247 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: also let everybody have an HSA, and it would let 248 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: you purchase your health insurance out of an HSA. So 249 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: as you save money and you're able to purchase your 250 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,479 Speaker 1: insurance out of it, there would be a possibility, particularly 251 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: over time, that you might be able to a crew 252 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: enough money that you would be able to get larger 253 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: and larger deductible because you have a big savings account 254 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: to cover your deductible. 255 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 2: Just to understand for our viewers and listeners here, Senator, 256 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: do you need the President now that you're pitching him 257 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 2: on this, to say which plan yours or bil cassidys 258 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 2: should be pursued here and will this get a floor vote? 259 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: When that happens. 260 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 3: It's the debate. 261 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: We're having this debate right now within our caucus. Others 262 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: in my caucus want to take the Obamacare money and 263 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: stick it in your HSA. That to means another form 264 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: of Obamacare, and I'm not really for that. I'm for 265 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: letting you save your own money in your HSA and 266 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: letting ninety percent of people who don't have an HSA 267 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: get one, and then let you negotiate through a buying 268 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: quote co op like Amazon to get lower prices. 269 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 2: Republican Senator Ran Paul of Kentucky with a sun balance 270 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 2: of power