MSNBC "The Ed Show" -Transcript

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Welcome back to THE ED SHOW. Republicans in Congress have been doing everything they can to stall the health care bill. But there"s one thing I have to give them credit for: they know how to stick together as a party. Joining me now is Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming.

I"ll tell you what, you circle the bullet points, and you get everybody on the same page, and you don"t deviate. That really has been, I"d have to say, senator, a solid strategy to this point. The delay games are causing a problem. Wouldn"t you agree?

SEN. JOHN BARRASSO ®, WYOMING: The NBC poll that you took out, just came out today, says exactly that. Support of this is now at an all-time low. Only 32 percent of Americans support it. The people who are most opposed to it are seniors. "The Washington Post" story out today--the poll shows by five to one, seniors think this is going to make Medicare worse. It"s going to make their care worse and their care more expensive.

The American people, the more they see of this bill, the more they tend to not like it. And yet we still don"t know what is exactly in the bill, because so much is being done behind closed doors.

SCHULTZ: That"s what"s really amazing. I don"t know how anybody can have a real opinion of it when nobody has read it. The majority of Americans haven"t read it.

But the GOP, senator, is not gaining favor either. The latest NBC poll shows tonight that the GOP is only at 28 percent when it comes to a positive view of the party. How do you recon that?

BARRASSO: I"m working on health care for the American people, increased access and quality and getting down the cost. This bill doesn"t do that.

SCHULTZ: Then why did you vote against the reimportation amendment last night, if you want to help Americans?

BARRASSO: Because I want to make sure that drugs are available, cheap, as well as safe. And I will tell you, this deal is worse than you even talked about with Senator Dorgan, because the deal with big Pharma, they"re even not going to allow seniors to use the generic drugs.

(CROSS TALK)

SCHULTZ: Are there--

BARRASSO: -- with the insurance industry, the drug companies, one after another. The president has flip-flopped on so many things. That"s why the American people don"t like this bill.

SCHULTZ: Why would you deny Americans getting cheap prescription drugs when it"s very well documented about how cheap they are in Canada, Germany, Great Britain and other countries, and they are coming from the same companies? Why would you vote against that. I don"t get the rational on that.

BARRASSO: I"ve been consistently saying I"m for safe drugs, as well as cheaper drugs. I voted for the Lautenberg amendment that said, I want to make sure drugs are safe, as well as cheap.

SCHULTZ: You really think drugs are not safe over there?

BARRASSO: If the FDA says they are safe, then I am going to be for it. But I think people ought to be able to buy generic drugs, too, Ed.

SCHULTZ: The FDA has given the White House cover on that. You really think there is a safety problem?

BARRASSO: I want to make sure that there"s not a safety problem. I"m concerned having practiced medicine for 25 years.

One other thing; you talked with Senator Harkin earlier about a conference committee. I don"t believe that there is going to be a conference committee. I believe that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to swallow this whole thing, whether she likes it or not, that whatever goes out of the Senate is what"s going to be signed into law by the president.

SCHULTZ: Senator, good to have you with us tonight. Appreciate your time.

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