Pence to Make Case for Health Care Replacement; American Medical Assn Opposes GOP Health Care Plan; WH Tries to Unite Republicans on Heath Care Bill
PAUL: It's always good to have your company. I'm Christi Paul.</s>BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has demanded the resignations of 46 U.S. attorneys. Now, such a purge, some are calling it, it is not unusual at the Justice Department, but sources tell us many of the prosecutors learned of their fate only through a news release.</s>PAUL: The White House has pledged a full court press to sell the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare, and Vice President Mike Pence is hitting the road to do just that. Later this morning, he'll meet with business leaders in Kentucky. Also on hand, the state's governor who says changes need to be made. Now, as the White House tries to sell this plan here, this health care plan, it is facing growing opposition from medical groups. In fact, the American Medical Association sent an open letter to House leadership about the American Health Care Act.</s>BLACKWELL: It read, quote, "While we agree there are problems with the Affordable Care Act that must be addressed, we cannot support the American Health Care Act has drafted because of the expected decline in health insurance coverage and the potential harm it would cause to vulnerable patient populations." Earlier, I spoke with the president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Andrew Gurman, and asked him about his concerns about the GOP's health care plan.</s>DR. ANDREW GURMAN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: We need to understand that people who don't have health insurance lives sicker and die younger. So, our concerns are based on our worry that people will, in fact, lose health insurance coverage. Some of the numbers released by the Kaiser Family Foundation compared the subsidies that are available under the Affordable Care Act as opposed to the proposed legislation. And let me give you a couple of examples. Someone who is 27 years under the Affordable Care Act would get a subsidy if his or her income qualified for that, would get a subsidy somewhere between $2,500 to $4,500 depending on where they live geographically. Under the proposed legislation, there is no geographic adjustment. The subsidy would be $2,000. Now, if you're 27 years old and relatively healthy, you might be able to find an insurance policy for $2,000, $3,000, even $4,000 that would cover at least your basic needs. But if you're 60 years old, the subsidies under the Affordable Care Act would be between $9,500 and $13,000, whereas under the proposed legislation, it would be $4,000 doesn't matter where you live.</s>BLACKWELL: Beyond your group, AARP, the federation of American hospitals, American college of physicians and other groups, oppose the bill as written. Here's how White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer characterized the president's reaction to that opposition. Let's watch.</s>SPICER: This isn't about trying to figure out how many special interests in Washington we can get paid off. It's about making sure that patients get the best deal, that lowers prices and costs. So, while I have respect for some of the work that some of these Washington, D.C.-based associations do, at the end of the day, this is about patients and about the input from doctors who are on the front line of seeing patients and talking about the care that they're able to give or not to give to people.</s>BLACKWELL: Your response?</s>GURMAN: Well, he talked about input from doctors. This doctor on behalf of the American Medical Association has concerns on behalf of patients that they're going to lose insurance and thereby live sicker and die younger.</s>BLACKWELL: Sean Spicer also called for your group and groups like yours to share your ideas, shares your thoughts and make sure there's input on the bill. Has the White House, have congressional Republicans reached out to the AMA, have you reached out to them beyond this letter to be a part of the process putting this bill together?</s>GURMAN: The AMA has been very active in interacting with congressional leadership for quite some time in preparation or leading up to this bill. I don't know if we've had any interactions with the White House. But we certainly have spoken with congressional leadership and will continue to do so. We stand ready to engage and try to make this work for our patients.</s>BLACKWELL: Dr. Andrew Gurman, president of the American Medical Association -- thanks so much for being with us.</s>GURMAN: Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the vice president is headed to Kentucky today and his trip is meant to sell the GOP's new health care plan to the public. But the White House is struggling to get some members of its own party onboard. And the governor of Kentucky appearing with the vice president today says that he's not really a fan of the current plan.</s>GOV. MATT BEVIN (R), KENTUCKY: Senator Paul has ideas of things he thinks it needs to be a lot stronger. He's not as impressed with what has currently been offered, as some who have currently offered. Truth be told, I'm not either. So, I'm with him. I think there are things that need to be done.</s>BLACKWELL: Now, he later leased a statement saying he had an encouraging conversation with the White House about the bill. It would be great to hear what that encouragement was from the White House. Question, how can the Trump administration unite the party and deliver on its promise to repeal and replace Obamacare? Here to discuss is CNN political commentator Paris Dennard. Paris, good morning to you.</s>PARIS DENNARD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.</s>BLACKWELL: So, there are some congressional Republicans who believe that the president is making it harder to pass this bill, because he seems to be open to moving up the date -- and this may get into weeds of ending the Medicaid expansion here which Republicans who put this bill together say that it's crucial to keeping this bill, or getting it passed. Is the president making it harder to pass the replacement and the repeal process?</s>DENNARD: No, I don't. I think this is one of the key things that we have to remember about this president in particular. Donald Trump, as a candidate, always talked about the fact that he was a great negotiator. That he was someone who could bring people together at the table and come up with the best deal. Remember, he always talked about I'm going to get the best deal for the American people. So, I've always said he might make a lot of Republicans upset. He might make a lot of Democrats upset because at the end of the day, he's not an ideologue. He's someone who wants the best deal for the people. That's why he's a president that's open to both sides. That's why you have an administration who is not afraid to go to Kentucky where you have a sitting senator, a junior senator, speaking against the plan, and the governor who seems to be not 100 percent on board with it. But that's part of the process. And it's a great opportunity for the Republican Party. Republicans in Congress to work with this White House to break with the plan that's going to be more -- that's going to be beneficial to the American people and a better plan. I think at the end of the day, that's what Republicans want and that's what this Trump administration wants. The president wants a better plan for the American people.</s>BLACKWELL: Now, you say that this may upset some of the Republicans in offering potentially moving up that day to end the expansion. But more than upset Republicans, this could -- this could kill the bill, the first phase of this three-leg stool that we heard from Paul Ryan. Is the president going to have the freedom to negotiate? Are Republicans on the Hill willing to allow this president to negotiate, if, as you say, that is his strongest asset here?</s>DENNARD: Yes, you know, this is a make or break moment for the Republican Party. We have long talked about repeal and replace. I advocated for review and revise. But the line is repeal and replace. And if we do this, we have to replace it with something. We can't leave people out there in the cold. And so, this is an opportunity for the Republican Party and the Trump administration to come together and say, listen, we're going to first listen to the American people and get this right. And in doing so, you have to compromise. Look, Democrats, when they passed Obamacare, the more extreme liberals were upset because it didn't have everybody covered or pieces that they didn't like, and still don't like. And conservatives and Republicans on the far right might be upset with the plan we have right now. But you have to compromise but you have to agree to come together. You might not get every single thing that you want, but I think if we can get most of it and assure people, that is what the goal should be. So, the ideologues have to put that aside and decide what is best deal for the American people and that's what I believe President Trump wants to do.</s>BLACKWELL: Paris, quickly, why is the vice president going to make the case today instead of the president? I mean, 2009, when Barack Obama was pushing the Affordable Care Act, they didn't send Joe Biden out the door first.</s>DENNARD: Look, I think when you look at someone like vice president pence you have someone who has excellent relationships with the Hill. He has been a sitting -- he was in the Congress and he was a governor. And so, it makes sense to put him in a position to go talk to another governor because he was a former governor. It's a brilliant strategy to place someone's strengths. The president is going to be behind the scenes doing negotiation, we saw him yesterday meeting with congressional leaders, the chairs of committees. That is his strong suit.</s>BLACKWELL: Now, it seems that the argument that you just made that it makes sense for the president to be behind the scenes, but Mike Pence has the congressional relationships -- it would make more sense based on your description of the strengths for Mike Pence to be working behind the scenes. And this is billed today as a pitch to the American people for the president to be out in front of a rally of supporters there in Kentucky because we know that's what he enjoys.</s>DENNARD: Well, this is more than just a rally. This is an opportunity for him to listen to the governor and listen to people at the company that they're going to be visiting and getting it from the people that are there. As a former governor going to speak with a current governor, he understands the issues that go on as you govern. Look, there are people like Governor Kasich and governor in Arizona who have to get expansion and they're very conservative. And so, this vice president understands the delicacies that goes on at a state level, and that's why I believe he's going to attempt to do that. And that's why when it comes to congressional relationships and really negotiating and bringing people to the table, that's what you saw from the president in the past few days because that is what he's going to do to be an effective leader for this country to give us the best deal we can to having a more affordable health care plan.</s>BLACKWELL: Paris, thanks so much.</s>DENNARD: You're welcome. Thanks for having me.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Wednesday night, join Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash for a live town hall with Health and Human Secretary Tom Price. He'll answer questions, maybe questions you have about the new GOP health care proposal, Obamacare and what comes next. That's Wednesday at 9:00 Eastern, right here on</s>CNN. CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Syrian President Bashar al Assad calling U.S. troops in Syria "invaders". And twin bombings just rocked the city of Damascus. Dozens of people are dead, hundreds are wounded. We're going to get you the latest with a live report, ahead. Do stay close.