Republicans Sell Health Care Plan
HARLOW: All right, however you want to say it, the Republicans have a tough road ahead in terms of selling this health care plan as it exists, not only to Democrats and to some of the American public, to their fellow Republicans, especially in the Senate. Let's got "The Bottom Line" with CNN's senior political analyst Mark Preston. All right, the CBO says 24 million more Americans will not have health care. Next year, just next year, 14 million more won't have health insurance. I mean how devastating overall is this? Because Mick Mulvaney just told Chris, you know, you've got it totally wrong. This isn't devastating.</s>MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right, so let's look at two tracks, right, there's a political tract and then there's the human factor, right? The human factor is just unbelievable. The fact that you're going to have folks out there who have coverage right now that are not going to have coverage. They're not going to be able to afford coverage. And, quite frankly, if you look at some of the models, some of the coverage outpaces what some of these people actually make. The political track now, though, is Republicans who are pretty well positioned right now to take really full control of Washington in 2018 right now are going down this really slippery slope where they could have a lot of problems in the mid-term elections. And then Donald Trump is running for re-election in 2020. Can you imagine what his prospects are going to be if more people are off of the rolls?</s>CUOMO: And they have a little bit of a tough sell, I think, Pop, with the good and the bad news that's good news, which is part of that won't have insurance number are young people who don't have the mandate anymore and so they don't have to buy anything and the Republicans are using that --</s>HARLOW: And are probably proud that they're not forced to pay a penalty.</s>CUOMO: Right, and the Republicans are saying this is good news.</s>HARLOW: Yes.</s>CUOMO: But that also adds to the bottom line on this because those young people are what bring costs down by spreading the risk in the -- in the pools for coverage.</s>HARLOW: That was the big problem with Obamacare.</s>CUOMO: And that's why they put in the mandate. So even the good news --</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>CUOMO: Could play as bad news. How do they deal?</s>PRESTON: Right. And go one step further on that. What if you're a young person, 23 years old, who gets in a car accident without insurance.</s>CUOMO: God forbid.</s>PRESTON: Who's going to pay for that, right? Who's going to pay for that? Well, that's going to fall on our backs, right, because, I mean, the person needs to get coverage no doubt. But you're -- but you're right about the fact that the coverage could be good news/bad news. I think what was devastating was the Chase analyst that you had today, not Democrat, not Republican, on air today saying that this bill is absolutely flawed. There are some good parts to it, but it needs to be fixed. I think what's lost in all this white noise right now is that the current system is flawed as well and it needs to be fixed.</s>HARLOW: Yes.</s>PRESTON: And I think that --</s>HARLOW: It is -- that is lost.</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>HARLOW: I mean the fact that Aetna calls it a death trial (ph). Humana is out. A lot of people only have one provider to choose from.</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>HARLOW: They can't afford it. They're not getting covered. I mean that -- that has been lost. The onus also on Democrats, what are they going to do to fix the existing plan.</s>PRESTON: Right. And they haven't offered any solutions.</s>HARLOW: Right.</s>PRESTON: You know, that's -- you've got to wonder where the anger towards Washington is where we know it is very intense and fierce right now, when is that anger going to turn on both parties and say, you know what, we're sick of politics, we're sick of the fact that you folks are only trying to take care of yourselves and keep your office for another two years, another six years and get something done for us.</s>CUOMO: Well, what they say is, well, we have a plan. Our plan is the ACA. But they are watching and enjoying right now the difficulties that the Republicans are having.</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>CUOMO: But you're saying the onus will be on them to step up and say, we're not just going to say, you didn't fix it well, we must be productive in finding a better way than what exists right now?</s>PRESTON: Well, they're elected to do so. And you have to wonder, with all this anger, though, Chris, at some point, are people going to say, you know what to the Democrats, you need to work with the Republicans to get something done.</s>CUOMO: Obstruction</s>PRESTON: But -- correct. But if you're Donald Trump, you can't go out there and say, you know what, let's let this all just collapse and then -- and then we'll do something (ph).</s>CUOMO: But he did say exactly that.</s>PRESTON: It's exactly what he said and that's not the way -- how Washington should work. But, unfortunately, it's the way it does work.</s>CUOMO: Which gets us to another point, right? This is a big point where the word of the White House matters.</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>CUOMO: And they are at best tap dancing on things and at worst just flat out misleading people on a regular basis about things that don't matter.</s>PRESTON: Right.</s>CUOMO: Now this does matter. How big a deal is credibility?</s>PRESTON: Huge, but it's -- but it's normally just on this issue. To your point, Donald Trump, you know, for, what, the 50 days he's been in office, 60 days he's been in office, it seems like every day he says something that's misleading.</s>HARLOW: All right.</s>PRESTON: Unfortunately.</s>HARLOW: Mark Preston, nice to have you here.</s>PRESTON: Thank you.</s>HARLOW: Getting ready for the big town hall tomorrow night with HHS Secretary Tom Price. We'll be watching. Thank you.</s>PRESTON: Thanks.</s>CUOMO: What do you say, time for a little bit of "Good Stuff"?</s>HARLOW: I could use that.</s>CUOMO: All right, coming up, next.