1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 2: With the federal shutdown now becoming the second longest in 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: US history, science that it could become the longest one ever, 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 2: with both parties still far apart and far away from. 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 3: A deal, but there are lawmakers who are reaching across 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 3: the aisle. Among them Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. We 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 3: spoke with Senator Cortez Masto earlier today and we asked 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 3: her about the YA boat and where the shutdown goes 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 3: from here. Here's that conversation. 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 4: Well, I can tell you just in general, there's a 11 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 4: group of US Democrats and Republicans trying to come together 12 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 4: and help get through this impast there's an impass right now. 13 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 4: We need to open up the government and we need 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 4: to extend the healthcare subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. 15 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 4: I think there's the ability to do both. And those 16 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 4: are the conversations that are taking place with some of 17 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 4: us right now, both RS and d's. 18 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: Well, depending on who you talked to right now, Senator, 19 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 2: and I'm sure you know this all too well, are 20 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 2: either a profile encourage or you're a problem for your party. 21 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 2: And I'm wondering what the conversations are like in the 22 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: cloak room, are you trying to get other Democrats to 23 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: join you? And are you surprised that hasn't happened yet. 24 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 2: I think it's twelve rounds today. 25 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 4: Right. Well, I can say this, we're all aligned in 26 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 4: the sense that we're fighting for Americans, right We're fighting 27 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 4: for this country, We're fighting for healthcare. We're taking on 28 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 4: what we see are the bad policies of this administration. 29 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 4: And it is not just unique to Democrats. I can 30 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 4: tell you right now, there are some of my Republican 31 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 4: colleagues that want to address the Affordable Care Act and 32 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 4: address the healthcare subsidies the tax credit. They need to 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 4: because in their states, Americans will be harmed if we 34 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 4: do not extend these healthcare subsidies. And that is true 35 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 4: across the country. I don't care with your blue state, 36 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 4: red state, purple state. It's about Americans and supporting them 37 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 4: and helping them lower their healthcare costs. 38 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: This is one way we can do it. 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 4: And that's why both Democrats and there are some Republicans 40 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 4: who want to this healthcare subsidy, and they should because 41 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 4: if we don't, there's probably about twenty two million Americans 42 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 4: across the country there are not only going to see 43 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 4: their healthcare costs go up, some of them are going 44 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 4: to lose access to healthcare because they can't afford it. 45 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 3: Senator you said that you believe that you can reopen 46 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,119 Speaker 3: the government and extend the subsidies. I'm curious in your 47 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: conversations with the other senators, do you have some guarantees 48 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 3: from Republicans that they will vote in favor of it. 49 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 4: Well, those are the conversations and negotiations now, because clearly 50 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 4: we have to do both. And I will tell you 51 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 4: a key part of this conversation is going to be 52 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 4: the man in the White House, Donald Trump, because the 53 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 4: leadership of Republicans in the Republican Party in Congress, they're 54 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 4: only going to do what he says. So they have 55 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 4: to be a part of this conversation. And Donald Trump 56 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 4: has to be a part of this conversation. He can't 57 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 4: be flying around everywhere. He needs to be here in Washington, 58 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 4: bringing the parties together and being a constructive part of 59 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 4: addressing the healthcare costs that we have in this country. 60 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 4: If he were to engage, that would help us move 61 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 4: through this impass of opening up the government and addressing 62 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 4: the Affordable Care Act subsidies so that we do not 63 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 4: see healthcare insurance premiums increase for families. I can't stress 64 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 4: this enough. And it's just not unique to Nevada. I 65 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 4: know my family's in Nevada, family of four. If you're 66 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 4: making fifty six thousand dollars a year, you're going to 67 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 4: see your healthcare premium go up by at least two 68 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 4: hundred dollars. 69 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: That's crazy. 70 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 4: There's going to be a double digit increase for premiums 71 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 4: for people and they are not going to be able 72 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 4: to afford it. 73 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: That means we're going to lose. 74 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 4: People on healthcare and the only time now we will 75 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 4: see them if they have an acute crisis and they're 76 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 4: going to show up in emergency rooms. It's going to 77 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 4: have a ripple effect for everybody's health care coverage in 78 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 4: this country, and it's going to have an impact on 79 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 4: all of our hospitals and our clinics. 80 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: Including in our urban and rural areas. 81 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 4: So we really need to come together to address this 82 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 4: issue in this country, and that requires all of us 83 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 4: talking and get beyond this impass and start addressing and 84 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 4: solving the problems of the American public, and this is 85 00:03:58,760 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 4: what they want us to do. 86 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 2: The continuing resolution that you've been voting for, Senator only 87 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: runs through the twenty first of November, so there's been 88 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: a question about whether that date needs to change. There's 89 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: also a question about whether this could be extended by 90 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 2: a much greater length of time. John Thune suggested just 91 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: twenty four hours ago that a full year cr might 92 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 2: be the only way out of this. The White House 93 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: has suggested it, and we spoke earlier today with the 94 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Jason Smith, 95 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 2: told us he would support such a move. So you're 96 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 2: not facing potential shutdowns every couple of months here. How 97 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 2: about you through December twenty twenty six. Would you vote 98 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: for that? 99 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 4: Well, let me just say this, this is part of 100 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 4: the problem. Instead of coming to talk leadership, talking amongst 101 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 4: each other, Democrats and Republicans and all of us working 102 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 4: together like we normally should, we're hearing conversations from the 103 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 4: press and offers coming from the press. No offense to 104 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 4: both of you, but this is where this should happen, 105 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 4: right here in Washington, and us coming to the table 106 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 4: having these conversations. 107 00:04:59,120 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: That's part of the impact. 108 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 4: And this is my frustration in some of my colleagues, 109 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 4: we see the same frustration Republican leadership, Democratic leadership, the 110 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:07,239 Speaker 4: White House. 111 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: We need to all be in the same room. 112 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 4: We need to be working like the American of public 113 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 4: expects us to do in Congress and do our jobs. 114 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 3: Senator, though you are not all in the same room. 115 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,119 Speaker 3: So what do you believe could be the turning point here? 116 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 4: I think it starts with the conversations around things that 117 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 4: you've just said. We all obviously need to open up 118 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 4: the government. We have to address and appropriation skills and 119 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 4: still pass those. We're going to need time to get 120 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 4: those done. And we have to fix the Affordable Care Act. 121 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 4: All of those things are on the tables. It's not 122 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 4: going to change, and that's why we have to come 123 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 4: together and start talking about those and how we vote 124 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 4: on those, and what our agreements are around those very areas, 125 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 4: and how we start moving those forward. 126 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 2: Each state is feeling this a little bit differently by 127 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: way of furloughed federal workers, Senator, and your case in 128 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: the VATA. Among the many furloughed are nuclear staffers inspectors 129 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 2: who are watching the nuclear stock pile in your state. 130 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: They have in many cases been furloughed as well by 131 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 2: way of the Energy Secretary. I'm curious your reaction to 132 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 2: sending those workers home and if this is a national 133 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 2: security problem. 134 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: So most people don't know. 135 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 4: The Nuclear Security Agency has a number of sites across 136 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 4: the country. One of them is the Nevada Site Security Site, 137 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 4: where we actually have federal workers and contract workers overseeing 138 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 4: our nuclear stockpile and ensuring its national security, testing the stockpile, 139 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 4: ensuring its safety, and amongst other things. Those are central workers. 140 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 4: They should not be furlowed, they should not be fired, 141 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 4: and they should continue to get paid. It's essential for 142 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 4: a national security and for so many other reasons. Again, 143 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 4: what I saw happen just recently with this Energy secretary 144 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 4: is more of this politics is trying to put pressure 145 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 4: and play political games. The end of the day, the 146 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 4: only people that are suffering are these federal workers and Americans. 147 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: They're constantly ponds. 148 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 4: Federal workers and federal contracts are constantly ponds and at 149 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 4: the whims of political agendas, and it's just outrageous to me. 150 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 4: That's the reason why I don't support shutdowns. We can 151 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 4: still do our jobs and get things done without using 152 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 4: a federal worker as a pond. This is a very 153 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 4: example of what the impact is in Nevada. And it's 154 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 4: not just my contractors and federal workers at that test 155 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 4: site out at the nuclear site. It is federal workers 156 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 4: throughout my state. It is a tourism industry that's having 157 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 4: an impact of the bad policies from this administration. So 158 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 4: we're sitting a downturn in tourism across the country, including 159 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 4: in Nevada. I'm now hearing because I follow what's happening 160 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 4: in my state. Housing is not moving as quickly as 161 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 4: it could because there's no federal workers to do. 162 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: The permitting that we need. That's crazy to me. 163 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 4: My small businesses and businesses who rely on SBA loans 164 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 4: are not getting those loans because there's no federal workers 165 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 4: at the SPA to do those loans. I mean, it's 166 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 4: just this is part of the problem why we should 167 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 4: never have a government shutdown. We should be doing our jobs, appropriating, 168 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 4: making sure we're moving forward, coming together to work together. 169 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: And that is my frustration. 170 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 4: That's some of the frustration I hear from colleagues, both 171 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 4: Democrats and Republicans that are not in leadership, and that's 172 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 4: why many of us have been talking and negotiating and 173 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 4: trying to figure out a way out of this impasse. 174 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 3: Senator, just a short time ago, I do want to 175 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 3: get to some quick foreign policy before we leave you. 176 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 3: A short time ago, Scott Bess and the Treasury Secretary 177 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 3: said to reporters outside of the White House quote, we 178 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 3: are either going to announce after the close this afternoon 179 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 3: or first thing tomorrow morning, a substantial pickup in Russian sanctions. 180 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 3: Just want to get your reaction to that. 181 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. So, I sit on the Banking Committee. 182 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 4: I support sanctions against Russia and have in the past 183 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 4: and will continue to do so. I think we need 184 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 4: to put as much pressure as we can on Russia. 185 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 4: I support Ukraine going on is outrageous, this illegal war 186 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 4: of Putin, and we have to continue using the levers 187 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 4: that we have here. Some of those are sanctions, in 188 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 4: my case in the Banking Committee, those are financial sanctions 189 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 4: that we have to continue to impose, and I hope 190 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 4: we do use all the levers we can to hold 191 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 4: Russia and putin accountable. 192 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,199 Speaker 2: Our thanks to Senator Cortes Maso for joining us today.