this kills me laugh laugh. >> that is true. >> it is amazing how politics changes policy going back 25 years ago republicans offered individual mandates and the democrats offered employer mandate now everybody hates that. now they will get rid of it somehow because it is tough politically and the reality of the individual mandate people are not getting audited and there not paying the fine. but if you come up with a more basic benefits package more catastrophic and open their rates than the older and sicker people will get big subsidies they don't pay them any way if their rates go up.

so to make it more basic that 27 year old will get it all lot cheaper the insurance company has been pushing for that for years. right now you can enroll any time you want. and you can pick entombs such a that the federal benefits plan there is a bunch of things to make be insurance politics better but with deep irritation foundation. >> eric is a notion that if you are a stable population

to sign up with the change for many years most people go through many mike decisions they signed up because of the transition of self employment coming changing jobs, so our experience the average person is about seven or eight months this is not a stable population that stays there for ever similar to medicare so think about how to stabilize the market with people going through different life changes and the coverage is based upon those life decisions. it isn't like medicare to sign up forever and what will happen at the end of the days are the competing proposals and the score keeper will be cbo cranking

out the estimates and people will lose coverage or game coverage based upon different proposals and without the mandate, the cbo will not assume they have coverage as the policy makers have. so with fa population in this transitory then mechanically wobble you will get the scores that save this many billion people will lose coverage of that is the fundamental debate because they will guarantee the best they can. >> i am sure there is a lot more questions be have 10 minutes left so i will bin to the audience if you look

at 3m of be individuals who presided over the biggest program changes ever since the inception of the of program. >> i understand 18% of gdp is health care is there anything on the table that will reduce the increase of the health care as the percentage of gdp? >> first started working in the senate in 1980 my boss the 5.6% of gdp is outrageous is health care and has to be stopped then missed rival says people want health care so improbably never stop growing that much. but i do think in the next few years it will be bold back 30 or 40%.

and how many will be dropped but the level of the uninjured goes up one end you will see a slight slowing of the growth health care will keep growing. >> it was 16 percent then so the trend is likely to continue or maybe it slows the rate of growth, maybe not 25% as some have predicted that ultimately whether that aging of that population, or the improvements of better devices or drugs or what ever else, what more people

with chronic illnesses there are reasons why it spending lot of money in the health care sector and these will continue to put pressure even if we do some reduction of medicaid on the extension and it gets back to be earlier point of fiscal responsibility over the next several years because of 18% of gdp because roughly a just under one-third of the federal budget goes to health care. >> the two things is that the country has decided to expand coverage and what we

have not talked about is part of a the part d law that was passed restraining growth overall. medicare per-capita spending was sadder rate nobody thought would happen but now it is 2 percent per capita rate fiver 7% previously with the overall medicare program. if the next administration decides to change that to pay providers more, that ladd more cost to the system with the 20 percent gdp. there is a huge choice if they want to continue the policies that have spent in place to restrain growth that have brought value to

the overall health care system but that is a huge rice to talk about coverage expansion going forward. >> can you speak to the position of coming in as the new cms administrator to own a program by your boss says is fundamentally flawed but all the heather people say aca will have to continue a couple years. i al that i read that but we want to take it apart and how to balance the responsibility to do business the right way in the short run verses and your boss and?

>> don't forget there are 50,000 contractor employees and 6,000 cms employees. so the nude minister is figure out who are the gritted career people with their are a bunch of them i think they are democrats because the agency is based in baltimore, i think they are very good and very loyal making the trains run on time for the next few years feted the biggest agency is the government by a long shot. so figure out those top career people that you can trust to make those trains run on time.

>> so that law that was passed, a lot of people wish that structure changed from when the president came in. but the thought was it was pretty popular so to change the part d benefits created disruption and push back with us community so as they can understand that people are used to dad and signing up and educated of the difficult proposition of that transition added time with the other priorities and also a decision that the president made was not to chase the part d benefits but make them stronger.

that is one reality once he step into the agency will these laws. so big about the transition and the push back because they will lose those benefits. >> then don't know what repeals and replays will look like it could be a continuation so therefore you don't want to kill something you have to rebuild and that means you have to work with those individuals on the outside whether insurance companies or providers that make up program mark but actually wanted to work better if it will continue and don't know what the replacement will look like it is incumbent upon you to do the best they you can you don't know the

alternative going forward to rely on what it is there today for the future. >> predicting that uh coverage would be rolled back, obviously we spent time talking about destabilizing the health-insurance market and the we have not talked about baja spittle side sowed do we in addition what was predicted as the replacement foresee that refocused of how that is calculated? because i don't think we will have insurance hospitals and the emergency situation so in those

thoughts with that regard from? >> the fact is more word towards managed care or medicare vantage they and anything else to run the risk with the way that they save money theoretically is 20 doc hospitals it will be i'll little tougher that is just as at 32% and medicaid managed care is already 50 percent. so that inpatient model will change but they will be

hesitant to try new subsidy at a hospital but certainly look at senator grassley they are hypersensitive. something will be done but is less of a result of the nine aca with the changes of the benefits that it is changing. >> in the medical practice to get some the autumn of the hospital within 24 hours to have dave really big impact with the medicare benefit passed in 1965 and they can be entirely different to catch up with the practice of medicine that may or may not be an opportunity that congress takes up in the next four years but that is something

we will be focused on. >> so one example of the sensitivity to hospitals with senator baucus in the jordan valley hospital, a cms regional administrator wanted to shut down in we talk to keep that hospital open they said if you shut down doc hospital level shutdown the regional office laugh laugh my point is members of congress use.

[applause] [inaudible conversations]

best. >> this morning i was encouraged by reports that after a number of its then starts fell was picked up on with continued conversations by russia and turkey to take place what we talked about using the same template that we created, there are individual cease-fire's worked out with the armed opposition group commanders

and it appears for some period of time if it will hold or where it is, that i airstrikes have stopped and the cease-fire may be taking hold. i emphasize may. forces are beginning to move the of 21 buses and ambulances reached the checkpoint. this convoy a includes more than 1,000 people on their way to the turkish border. however, a big however, we have also heard reports a convoy of injured people was fired on by forces of the regime and we remain deeply concerned we're hearing reports between the ages of 18 and 40 who have been

detained were constructed in the military service while trying to pass through the military checkpoints and so then they went missing days or weeks ago and we still don't have been or families are loved ones don't have accountability for what has happened. obviously these actions are despicable contrary to the law of war and basic human decency.

. >> about 10 years ago i got a call from a writer i read your article of forefathers' gas station and i would like to interview you. i said sure and his first question the very first question he asked me was what was it like when growing up in such a historic place? >> my father was a great collector but also very enamored with the with the end of the of west so that

it would fit both military. >> sharing the story of winfield scott case civil war hero who saw potential spanish he just graduated from seminary school assigned to which church when the civil war broke out they were calling for volunteers. epi-pen did to get into it so you would back to his hometown in new york and started recruiting and raising his own company of soldiers. team recruited 33 of his own cousins and his bible study class even the town band. >> and how to live in the desert southwest.

to set up a laboratory looking to set up a new type of architecture

on saturday december 24 the two others will join us with uh great american immigration story in the book of white and christian america. finally won shall be waked up president rex be sure to watch beginning sunday 8:30 p.m. eastern.

electors meet in their respective states to vote by ballot. and donald trump won up presidency with 306 votes compared to the 232 with hillary clinton. we will have live coverage of the official vote from springfield illinois pennsylvania, michigan and virginia.host: >> joining us is senator cardin the democrat from maryland to talk about many issues related to being the top democrat on the foreign relations committee you calling for the independent investigation into russia interferences in the election. , positive are you? what is the evidence they did interfere in this election?

>> it is a pleasure to be with you again and on the show but to make that determination babysat in october that russia in dade shin a cyberattacks against the united states, and they have confirmed it was that the highest levels of the russian government, they use that information to try to compromise the integrity of our elections. and that finding was released several months ago so that is a given that wasat the motivation?a to pick a side of a candidate? that is our broader strategy to undermine the democratic system? that they are extremely active with these types of activities in europe taking place in germany and france to being gauged in similar conduct they involve

america's national securitymela. but when we were attacked online 11:negative 9/11 to take appropriate action for those that would compromise our system we need to do the same thing with their day attack s either way it is an attack we need to have the information that is why call for the independent commission. >> host: have you heard from your colleagues about concurring with ann and will they go forward? is that a bipartisanth movement quick. >> it has to be. the only way that it works actually yet shed be non-partisan in should not have any partisan flavor at all is not a question of the legitimacy but to protect us

from all was done by a foreign government or the russian detriment. republicans have called for an investigation. senator mccain has called and senator mcconnell the majority leader has the knowledge we need to do investigation. so that is clear but congress needs to do its work. . .ou >> why couldn't the american people just, do you think there would be reluctance to accept any investigation coming from congress? why the the importance

of an independent miss mission? if congress is going to do the investigation themselves anywayo >> the independent commission will have a broader representation, congressional resignation will be limited to members of congress. independent commission can draw experts from a nation that can help us put the pieces together so that there's more competence in the findings and how we canin move forward. i think it will work very well with the attack on the country on 9/11. it's a very serious intrusion into america and the american people deserve to have that type of serious nationalo what investigation as to what happened. >> the washington times reports on the guardian story on the front page. they discussed the democrat, not russia gets the blame. according to this a wiki leaksks claim to that it received leaken clinton campaign e-mails when

they continue to blame russian on wednesday. a close close associate of the wikileaks founder set a report by the daily mail that he flew to washington for a handoff with one of the e-mail sources in september. >> i'm not the person who collects intelligencezb professionn for nation. we have the premier professionals that do intelligence collection for nation. we have the best in the world. this is not the white house determination, this is the intelligence community's conclusions. and that is russia attacked us and made that information available in an effort to discredit our election. that is not is not a partisan telling you that. that is the professionals telling you the intelligence community and they made that public for the american people.a >> as a top democrat on the foreign relations committee, what is your position are yourgy

thoughts as rex arena secretary of state. >> he has a record is the ceo of exxon corporation. he's been engaged in international transactions on behalf of his company. he has a close tie to mr. putin in russia. what i need to know is how he perceives his responsibility as secretary of state. can he divorced himself from the commercial interest? can he divorced himself from the personal relationship? what is his view as it relates to russia they have attacked us, they try to interfere with our elections. they invaded ukraine.kraine, arr they are currently-on the move in georgia. the responsible for the atrocities taking place in syria. we need to make sure the secretary of state will put the american security interest as

the only concern, and not the commercial interests. i also concern about his positions inon regard to climate change in the environment. these are issues that need to be dealt with going into the confirmation process. i'm looking forward to the hearings and discussions that will happen january about mr. tiller sent. i think that will give the american people a better understanding as to how he sees russia and his responsibilities as a secretarys of state. >> president-elect, mr. trump would also like the deputy at the state department to bee mr. bolton, that nomination as deputy secretary of state would be subject to a vote in theri senate is not clear whether he would survive his confirmation hearing. you grew that? >> guest: mr. bolton has a well-known record, this is not like mr. tillotson who does not have a record on governmentno service inform policy.re mr. bolton has made many statements that are very dangerous. that is not a democrat speaking, think democrats and republicans both have very serious reservations about mr. bolton serving as the

number two in the state departmn department. i made a commitment that i would not prejudge any of mr. trump's nominations until we go through the confirmation process. but mr. bolton raises a real. >> he remains undere job consideration by the president-elect and they report that he enjoys a powerful ally in -- a casino -- any reaction to that? >> it's one thing if you don't, what you want to say is fine, but when you are in that t position as the number two person in the state department so to have that opportunity it's hard to understand to change hir

position and become a diplomatic about it. >> calls rolling in charlotte esrth carolina europe with thehe senator. >> seems like the essence of the argument in the investigationatc e-mails -- and the clintone campaign that their allegations of rigging with bernie sanders, giving questions to hillary clinton, all of of these things came out. when you look juxtaposed that h with hillary clinton been called by the fbi director extremely careless and how she handled her e-mails and there's a high probability that there hacked because she was using a privatel e-mail service you just said

that the security of the united states should be of utmost importance to the president. i don't understand i think that should be investigated much more than the email hack. i would like to know if the russians did it but it wasn't a national security issue, it was emails that e-mails that were leaked to wikileaks. >> guest: the issue here is what is russia's motivation. what are they trying to do. it's night isolated just to the united states. we know they interfered with the elections in montenegro. in an effort to prevent consideration a montenegrin first session at the nato. we nato. we know they have been actively engaged another european countries and trying to influence elections and to actually finance elections in these countries. the question is are they trying to undermine democratic governments throughout western europe and the united states. that's the issue. don't ha

we don't have all the information that we need to know and that's one of the reasons why we have to have an investigation. there are a lot of issues here about how russia behaved and we need to know that. we need to know their motivation. this is a foreign government that is not our friend. we have to protect ourselves. i'm not trying to rehash the election. were trying to do is find out what rushes trying to do not only to the united states but to democratic countries around the world. >> tresa is a republican from tennessee good morning. >> caller: morning. i have three quick points.ussiad i read that it was that russia didn't hack to help trump those event at ed against hillary. it was not to help trump it was to get back at hillary. second of all, will you be investigating the foreign money

from saudi arabia in china that was given to hillary clinton that is buying influence and trying to influence the election my third point is, did not obama administration hack cell phones and he had to apologize for him hacking? i didn't obama interfere with israel's election. >> you've asked a lot of questions. we are not naïve. our intelligent agencies trying to get as much information as they can in order to protect america. we know china's active in north korea and iran, there's water

countries that are active in collecting information and we understand that. what's different with russia is that they use that information to try to affect our democratic system of government. our you election. that is what is disturbing and that is what we need to get to the bottom of.that no foreign government can get funds or for election in america. that is against our laws and if there is evidence of that they'll be criminally investigated.st that is not allowed under our legal system if there is credible evidence that's investigated. there's been no such investigation there's been no such investigation. as as far as the united states activities inn israel we did not try, art government did not interfere with their election. there's news that take place all the time during the cycles, that the facts in the news.

if you have fake news which was on the selection that's a deliberate effort to mislead in order to influence an election. we have not done that and that was done, we think by russia. that's another issue that needs to be investigated.ller: >> host: moving onto john john and montana. an independent.ve >> caller: i know you have a different very difficult job but i would like you to speak to these observations. isn't this a failure of the obama administration to just come out with this after the election that the russians were hacking? my goodness and the leaks that are going on with the cia that is one point that i think is a huge failure on the obama administration. number two, the investigation have any democrats call for anes investigation to the linden foundation?

the foreign money flooding inton the clinton foundation the 10% that they only spend on foreign countries and the rest goes into their lavish lifestyle. i'd like to see a democrat stand up and say that's wrong. even if it's good to by the law, it's wrong. please address those two points. >> guest: again these are different issues. we'll talk about is a foreign government that is trying to interfere with our democratic system. the clinton foundation is a private a private foundation. that's a separate issue. it's not the same as having the type of concerns about what activities are being done to try to influence an election in a country. there are different issues and w be concerned but i think you have to draw a distinction about a foreign government trying to interfere with our electionmo system.

i don't want to jaw conclusions as to the motivations and that's why they've asked for an independent investigation to find out why it was done. is watching, you're on the air. >> caller: good morning. give me a minute so i can just express myself to the democrat, i'm a democrat. and for them and for the media attack like president obama didn't bring this up in october, that is like a duty on your part because all during the selection russia has had a thumbprint on this. and sir, with all due respect, to not let mitch mcconnell lead this investigation because when you added up it's going to lead back to the republican party because they knew this was going on. so please, write this down, do

not let mitch mcconnell cover no investigation, you need an independent investigation. the media is not helping you, this is been out there long time. this didn't just come up, how else could they get this in wikileaks leak this every weekaa because they gave it to them. we have dropped the ball sir. >> carol we have heard your this po >> caller: i respond to the last caller, the point that was justo me, the intelligence community did release information prior to the elections that russia was engaged in cyber activities

against the united states and responsible for leaking that, causing an impact on our election system. that was release. so don't blame president obama. what president obama was trying to do, he did not want to become part of the partisan elections that close to the election, he respected that. he has asked for a full investigation. upon investigation will be made prior to him leaving office on january made prior to him leaving office on january 20. will have the benefit of the presidents internal investigation by his administration and all of the players of his administration. and the president still has the ability to respond prior to january 20 in regards to what that investigation shows. i thinkniow president obama is responding the way i would want the president of the united states respond. not in a partisan way that can be interpreted as a part is simply to go move but in a way that looks at the seriousness of the situation gathering all of the information we have, making that available to the american people in the global community and taking appropriate steps. >> ron from indiana, republican. >> caller: i just wantedes to sy but the not russians window wanted a lot in there to startis

with i wanted to ask the first e question anytime in my opinion everybody on the democratic side would be successful and get elected again you better follow -- because that man is able to reach across the aisle into it innocence your way this mentality has got to be taken on because with all that's going on the simplest way to fix it and i wish donald would remember, term term limits.mp t if your county sheriff has to have two done then why doesn't everybody else in the middle have to have that? if that was stop more of the corruption because if are not there more than eight years you don't have time to be corrupt. t i keep saying it is the simplest thing we can do is to terms and you're gone.

you won't have time to do all this crap with nancy posey and harry reid and all these other fools. >> host: senator, what you think? spee-02 i am proud of the manner in which not only the senator but how we have conducted our business on the senate foreign relations committee. senator corker and i are proud that our committee operates in a bipartisan manner, that we think we are stronger when we work together. i am proud of the relationships i have with republicans getting things done in the united states senate, so i take exception toe the tone of the, because we dowr work together they set up three

independent branches of government. the senate has a responsibility to advice and consent on the nominations made by a president. it is an independent responsibility that we have. in the american people expect us to use the confirmation process in order to make sure that the people nominate into these critically important positions have gone through the appropriate screening. yes, i believe the president has a right to has a right to have his team in place. and i give deference to the recommendations of the president of the united states. i will cast my vote recognizing the president needs to have a team te place.ou the but when you have a person he appoints to the environmental protection agency who disagrees with science, that that gives me heartburn to tell you the truth. he is 70 science deniers in the nominations he's making, we have have a responsibility as an independent branch of government to bring that to the attention of the american people and we will continue to do that. but ps we'll consider all of the factsf before we make our decisions of

who we vote for. i take exception because i think many republicans feel the same way. they have expressed those concerns. we are an independent branch of government and we will act as an independent branch of government. >> senator are you leaning against scott pruett's epa administrator, as rick.t: heading up the energy i was lisg department? recently >> i was listening to joe biden who i deeply respect in an interview he gave recently as to how we should consider nominations by any president, in. he says the differences you can support those nominations unles there's a reason not to. so one of those reasons you should consider not voting for a person is he doesn't believe in the mission of the agency he's been appointed to. so in in one case you have the pa nominee who person has sued the epa on everything it's doing that and in the other case you have a person who is recommended the abolition of the department of energy. these will be troublesome for members of g the senate.

>> host: margaret from florida is an independent. >> caller: morning, the, the more you speak a senator i think it's interesting that you take up session for anybody i love how democrats use names. it's not every scientist that agrees with everything the democrats say regarding climate change as far as the nomination process i love the new buzzword, fake news. i didn't hear any stand up when the majority tried to sway the election just because the personal preferences and personal politics. as far as brock obama doing anything in a bipartisan way, i had to sit down for that. i didn't want i don't want to follow the floor.r barack obama had a super pack in israel to try to stop -- but we

won't talk about that because he must have loftier goals. hillary clinton 20% of our uranium went to russia and now we have fake news i remember clearly barack obama laughing with disdain and anyone even imagining now the american people voted in that didn't agree with him. it's interesting that now we have a major investigation youdg squirted skirted quickly away what the fbi said about our presidential candidate being negligent and not handling her e-mails well.pp but were supposed to be very noe impressed that she didn't get to be president that proves the rest of america doesn't have something wrong. she she could've put us in bigger harm. anything that came out of her mouth was the pole of the day

for the clintons what they believe inches i take exception with you. i used to be a democrat and i left i left the party my parents for the very reason that when i listen to what you say, don't take exception to what other people disagree with you that's what makes america great. there a lot of scientist you can call them deniers? >> host: let's give the senator a chance to respond. >> guest: i'm not a scientist. all i know is that will pass the clean air and water act democrats and republicansca working together said we want to go where science takes us. we want to make sure that we use the best science to keep people healthy in america. people were dying from dirty water and ernie air. i'm proud of the fact that we came together as a nation under within via mental issues. scientists are telling telling p us that we have a problem. that we can do something about climate change. there are certain steps that wee can take that will help protect

our globe in the future. that's not what a politician is telling you that's what science is telling us. these these are w things we can do that not only will help us in our environment it will help us with jobs and help us with national security. there are ways that we can come together as a nation using what science is telling us what we can do that will help our economy and help our security. that's what i'm suggesting i think is the right path. and that's not i think democrats and republicans agree that it's a path we should go downre together. in my state of maryland we have worked together on the chesapeake bay. it's not a partisan issue and never has been in my state. were proud of the progress we made for future generations on protecting the bay. we are judged by best science. i don't i don't make the decisions as to how we will deal with land

development or wastewater or farming activities. theth scientists tell us what we can do in order to minimize the p pollution going into the bay and then we follow that path. that's what i think is the best way. but if you but if you deny that it should be driven by science and you have the politicians making those decisions. quite frankly special interest usually rolls out. special interest means that will sacrifice public health in order to help the commercial interests. s to me that's not what we shoul'k be doing. >> host: let's talk about the situation in syria. the editorial this this morning about the meltdown in aleppo. they write that on tuesday theye delivered and powered -- she blamed the assad regime but offered no acknowledgment that sustainable aleppo also extends to the herd and honor those who will turn with the long-term

consequences are unlikely to be so forgiving. did the president syrian strategy fail? >> guest: clearly there were misjudgments when this civil war started i think most of the people analyzed it believed the opposition would be able to get rid of assad in a short period of time, that he had no credibility to continue as a leader in syria and that there needed to be a different leader. i think that was on path until russia intervene. russia has russia has allowed the assad regime to continue in power. t it doesn't represent and willhy never be able to control the entire syrian geography that that will happen, they were able to maintain their control of the strategic part of syria with

russia's support. aleppo is the latest casualty. that's a that's a tragedy. civilians were used as articles of war.la they were slaughtered through barrel bombs. crimes against humanity havesias been committed and rush it has been complicit in this. policies that we can see did not work, that is correct. in the human tragedies that have occurred are devastating. the civil war continues. the civil war continues. as a result were not concentrating as we should on isis development in syria. so the extremists are able to operate because were fighting a civil war. there's no easy answer here. iran is engaged in popping up the assad regime. there there are multiple wars that are taking place in the strategy that has been developed has not worked how we need to engage the international community and look at strategies that could end the human disasters that are taking

place. assad will never have the credibility to be able to lead syria, work in in a way that we can get a transition to new leadership within syria. >> host: was the first step to making that happen? >> guest: you have to work with russia. work with with russia to get a meaningful cease-fire so that the civil war bombings stop and shooting stop and humanitarian assistance can get into save lives. and work on a process that will lead to a transition a new leadership in syria. then allow those forces to concentrate collectively against isis. >> host: gene in illinois, republican is on the air. >> caller: hello. analysis of pollsters have come out since the election and they clearly see a change in the numbers after clinton, that

smug, old woman called half this country deplorable's. that's when the number started to shift and that didn't have anything to do with wikileaks, there was were her words, her smug face, i think you all really need to realize that you have angered 100 million people and more in this country. your days are numbered, so wake up and take that message back to your lavish little places in washington. >> guest: okay you are bringing out a lot of partisan comments this morning that's perfectly okay. i'm more more than happy to debate the partisan issues here. what i was and the reason i made my original, is that i think you can find democrats and republicans coming together on this issue. and that is, we don't want any foreign government interfering with our

election. i've not drawn any conclusions about how effective they were in influencing the election, i haven't drawn any conclusions about that. i do know that they were involved in trying to undermine the credibility of our free election system and our democratic form of government. that troubles me greatly in troubles republicans greatly that's not a partisan issue. what happened in the selection, that's a matter for show that we should talk about. but i am here is the ranking democrat on the senate foreign relations committee to tell you that we have a serious issue with a foreign government trying to interfere with an american election, it's not you need, they've done it in europe and it's something we need to be prepared because they could do it in the future and is not aimed at getting one person elected, it's aimed at undermining our system. >> host: jonathan marilyn, an independent. >> caller: good morning and

thank you for showing up today i would ask you question like why did you allow the united states government to stop start propagandizing american citizens you allowed to pass the propaganda against american citizens. what you consider that fake news as well, so what's the culprit here? >> guest: i'm not sure what you're referring to. >> caller: there is a bill passed in the united states at the last second that allowed the united states government to use propaganda, american propaganda against united states -- >> host: what language was in the bill? i'll have to google it, but i'm pretty sure your senator knows what i'm talking about here. >> host: senator, he said you're not