newspaper. and as far as the people calling and saying right and left, it doesn't make a difference. the left called george bush hitler. and if you want to see real rhetoric, log on to news.org. host: thank you, we have becky joining us from ohio. good morning. caller: hello, i am so glad to get through. we have the talk this morning about the people in the tea party. i believe, i am agreeing with a lot of that. because there is so much rhetoric going on. the tv, we have a clear channel here. and ohio all we hear is rush limbaugh rattling off terrible things. and hannity and glenn beck and sarah palin are all in the tea party. and now here we have a new house person and even in ohio we have

a tea party too. so boehner just got through saying this morning, we are all at risk in service here. but who caused it? i am sorry, i have to say this. i am sorry but i believe they are causing it. host: for all of your comments and e-mails and your thoughts on this sunday. we will continue this conversation tomorrow morning on "washington journal," and we have guests, william kristol, and jeffrey rosen, and the intent of the constitution. that's all tomorrow morning. thank you for joining us on this sunday. and a view of the capitol, for those who suffered yesterday.

congresswoman gifford remains in critical condition. enjoy your sunday. >> thank you very much, mr. president, mr. vice president. you have honored me and my family. by giving me an opportunity to serve you and to serve our nation. >> with more than 80 appearances by william daly and you can use the c-span library to learn about new additions to the obama administration. of the thousand of people you can search online. at the c-span video library, it's washington your way. >> this week on "newsmakers," congressman henry waxman and our reporters this week to help with

questions. david has the first question, go ahead. >> congressman. was there a moment this past week when it finally sunk in, democrats are now in the minority. how did it feel? >> well, it's been sinking in pretty quickly. since the election. but this week brought it home. republicans on the first day had their speaker say they wanted openness, transparency and accountability and then the first bill they bring up is a bill that will not have a day of hearings. we will have no chance to offer amendments to change. and it will repeal the health care system. not change it, but just repeal the whole thing. this is not serious. this is theater. but the health care bill is a serious matter. and to repeal it could be very

disruptive and tragic for a lot of people. >> speaking of the theater, what were you thinking of that symbolic moment of the gavel passed. >> i was so pleased by it. because we do have a peaceful transition in this country. and the american people make decision in the elections. and we don't go to the streets but recognize there is a transition and the new people come in. and we have to see that we have ways to work together. but this first week was not encouraging as working together,as far as i could tell. >> what did you make of the vote of the speaker and the vote for former speaker of nancy pelosi, 19 democrats did not vote for her to be the party leader. what does that say to you about the route forward and her ability to lead the caucus? >> i think the that members that

didn't vote for her realized that it didn't make a difference. a few said in their campaigns they would not support her because used in a demonizing way to attack the republican candidates. and i think they felt it didn't make a difference. it was a free vote. i wish they hadn't voted that way. if they voted against her in the caucus, that's a way to express the point of view. but on the floor it's like the democratic nominee versus the republican nominee. one thing about being in the minority, is that the majority brings you together very quickly. especially when they overstep their power. and the minority whatever the differences that it unites us. >> what do you believe that pelosi and you voted for her. and in the last election and the

demonizing done to her on the campaign trail. why does she still emerge as the right leader? >> she's been a terrific speaker. and i have been in the house since carl albert has been the speaker. she's done an outstanding job. she was the democratic leader in the minority and helped us get the majority. and in the majority she helped us pass landmark legislation. and helped pull democrats together and no other speak has done. in the past they let them do in the committee. and we failed with health care reform when clinton was president. i think she's a strong and powerful, outstanding speaker of the house. and i suggest this, could you imagine the reaction if she cried? i think that a lot of opposition to her is that she's a powerful woman. and a lot of people don't feel comfortable with that.

>> speaking of the landmark legislation, i am sure that day in march of the signing of the health care law. you thought that this fight was won. and now the battle is roaring on capitol hill. what are your thoughts on this bill you worked so hard. people may not know that the energy and commerce committee was a major writer of the health care law. >> and i follow that, what strategy do you have to fight the republicans on their efforts? >> a couple of things combined in that question. i felt that john boehner's statement fragility in power, it could come and go. it was very meaningful. and it reminds me that things we take for granted can be lost. the social security system and the medicare system, the legislation that was passed in the new deal in the johnson

period. and now things that people take for granted could be gone. so we always have to realize that matters might be relitigated. and some don't like laws to regulate public health care and safety. the medicare bill is attacked by republicans with a lot of misinformation. so the strategy has to explain to the american people what the law does and doesn't do. there are people around that feel it's filled with death panels and tell the elderly that we want to save money by not providing them care. it's absolutely not true. we need to shine a light on what is true and what isn't. and the next couple of years as we fight the republican efforts to eliminate this law. we have to explain why it's important to have this law. >> that sounds like strategy, and legislative what do you have

to fight them on this? >> we are not in such bad shape, next we have control of the house. they will lose that vote. i think it's a vote they will regret. and to repeal the protections for people that are discriminated against because they get sick, and the insurance companies can throw them overboard or not give them insurance. it makes people so ill vulnerable to the whims of the people that run the insurance companies. there are a lot of important things in there and republicans are throw it all out. we are in good shape, they can beat us in the house but not in the senate. they don't have a majority in the senate. and if a bill got to the president and repealed the health care bill. he would veto it. we could have a stalemate on this and other issues, or say

let's work together. and end this gridlock and figure out the best interest for the people. >> so you are open to compromise of changing the health care law. where do you see improvement? >> i am always open to changes of law, and i think it's incumbent on the republicans to say what they want. all they said is they don't want this law. but recognize what health care was like before this passed. for decades people have said we need to reform the health care system. the costs were going up. and employers were dropping coverage. an individual who didn't have coverage would have to go into the individual market. they couldn't get a policy if they had pre-existing conditions, and couldn't afford it. they were left in the lurch, this legislation took in parts of ideas.

a lot were republicans ideas of what to do in the health care system to create a market, to prevent discrimination, to protect the rights of individuals. to be able to shop around and make a decision for what is best interest for them and their family. >> do you envision that the law will be opened up this year? and through action in the senate there will be reforms made. if so, what would you want to see done to jigger that law in a way to make it different? >> i think we passed a very good law. and we need to implement it and get into effect. it's already in effect for a lot of reforms. a lot of people are relying on that law right now. for example, small businesses are getting tax breaks to help pay for their employees. they have those tax credits to pay for employees' health insurance, and they have more money to hire more employees. and same with the early retirees that employers reward with

federal health to provide insurance for those early retirees and not on medicare. a lot of young people are relying on getting health insurance policies of parents up to age 26. and what is taken away from repeal, you can't rescind a policy. if you apply for health insurance, and they can't take it away when you show up at the hospital. and if they arbitrarily do things that the insurance companies, you can repeal those. there is a basic rights and in law. and why the republicans want to repeal it and hold a hearing to hear from small businesses and state and local governments, families and seniors. is clearly not a responsible move. >> congressman, let's talk about

the costs. repealing the law would cost $230 billion over 10 years. >> yeah, the -- >> revenues from the taxes and health care would outweight the cost to americans. what gives you the confidence that speaker boehner dismissed that. and doesn't believe it, this bill be far more costly than suggested. and that medicare cuts are hard to stand behind. that's nearly $500 billion in cuts. and at the same time they avoid costs to improve. >> the president said let's put all on the table to hold down health care costs.

and some are to eliminate the inefficiencies in the system, to try to get doctors to work together in a colleaguial way to give better patient care. not new services but better quality care. there are ideas in marketplace, competition between insurance companies. that always drives down cost. when there is market competition. people can choose a lower-priced policy. a lot of medicare cuts are going to be picked up by the rest of the health insurance private market. and some cuts go right to the inefficient and wasteful expenditures in health care. and that means lower cost for health care. this country spend more money for health care than any other country in the world.

and the only country in the world and has millions without coverage. we took every idea to try to lower the costs and hold down the expenditures. so we could put everybody in the system. if we get everyone covered, the objective of this law. it means that hospitals and others who provide care to people on an emergency basis, that's the only way they can get in the hospital. we spend an extra thousand dollars a year, each one of us, to pay for extra insurance coverage to pay for the uncompensated care. we needed a rational system, and this bill is a moderate, reasonable one. took ideas from many people and will put those in place. >> what is the legislative win

game after wednesday's vote? is that the end of it on a serious movement of changing the health care law? we hear the republicans will come at it piecemeal, what do you expect next? >> i think they will come at it, piecemeal. and i think try to withhold money, and enforces law. that doesn't make sense, but not enforce a law that will mean so much to so many people. so they believe that the american people are against this law. i don't believe it. and it means for us, those who passed this law and support it, we have an educational job to do. i don't think that a lot of members understand the number of people adversely affect. and from my area in los angeles, there are 55,000 individuals

with pre-existing conditions. if they have to buy the insurance on the individual market, they won't be able to buy it no matter how wealthy. there are health care tax credits for 15,000 small businesses and thousands of families. i think that tax credits to help individuals buy insurance is a worthwhile thing and help people that couldn't afford it. and for the seniors, a lot of seniors don't like this but they don't know what is in it. seniors will get help for their prescription drug costs and get a discount. and they won't have to have costs they have to pay for preventive services. because we want to prevent medical cost and illnesses. and the medicare trust fund is extended for i think it's 12 years. if we repeal this law, in around six years, i am not sure of the numbers, but in a short period

of time we will bankrupt medicare. and the propaganda line, you shouldn't allow this to happen, they will take away your medicare. and medicare is a government-run program. and it will be a better and more efficient program under this law. >> can you think of one area that can be improved in this law as republicans look at it, as the senate looks at it. is there one area that you think the two sides can improve? >> we asked the republicans, work with us, when trying to pass this law. for two years, we said give us your ideas. they didn't have any ideas to make sure that all americans are covered. we cover 200 million people. they didn't have any idea how to do it. if they come up with good ideas, i want to look at them and see if we reach an agreement.

but they didn't come up with an idea to make decisions for the government. >> surely there is one area of this area in washington, we have heard about the insurance forms, the 1099 forms. >> that may be something that we can look at? >> anything else? >> if there were problems with this bill, i would have changed it. this bill is worked on for decades, we took work from senator dole and things from nixon's times. and the clinton proposal. they don't want this law. they want to be able to let the insurance companies make these decisions. and i think that people don't want insurance companies making decisions. they wanted to be empowered to make the decisions for themselves and their families.

>> a little over five minutes left. >> moving past health care and talking about other areas. are there any patrolsatrols -- proposals where you heard republicans and like reagan and o'neill working on social security. >> an issue that is a big issue for us is energy reform. we are so dependent on foreign oil that our national security is at risk. we keep on increasing our dependence on oil. and we get the b.p. and the gulf doing environmental damage. we need to produce more oil that is safe. but we have to get away from relying on oil and coal and the

fuel and the environmental degradation climate change. and in doing that we have to find ways to get the private sector to develop alternatives and greater efficiency. this is something we should work on, we weren't able to do it in the last congress. but we need to work on this problem. >> i assume you don't expect them to support a cap and trade program at this point. what are the pieces? >> we have to make sure there is a renewable fuel. the stimulus bill put in a lot of money to develop renewable fuels. if we could put a price on carbon in some ways. you have ways to get environmental results, all decisions made from commanding control of the regulators. or youincentives to

the private sector, and we don't have to look to china, we can develop them. let's develop clean burning coal and we have to figure out ways to do that given the right incentives. >> have you had discussions with the new chairman, on way forwards? >> no, we have talked about which rules the minority will have for the staff. and when we are going to organize the subcommittees and so on. he's a decent person and i will work with him to try to do things in colleaguial way. we haven't gotten to policy. i will work with him on policy. i have authored a long list of bills that are law. and i believe in bipartisanship and compromise. and we will see if these republicans new in the congress will come in the idea that compromise is a bad word.

and can be brought to the point whera they understand unless we work together, nothing will happen. >> one area that he wants to work on first is the new e.p.a. rules and asked for delay whether the courts decide if the e.p.a. has authority. would you agree to delay until that happens or a job analysis. >> the e.p.a. is following the law, and following the u.s. decision to regulate the carbon and other pollutants. but the e.p.a. in their regulation is modest. i want a legislative solution, and that's why we put forward our bill last year.

and in the meantime i don't want to do nothing. and the e.p.a. is giving us a way to move forward. >> do you believe that he can get republicans and many democrats to agree with him for some sort of delay? >> i don't think he's going to get that. e.p.a. has to enforce the law. you don't delay enforcement of the law because you have a bunch of polluter industries saying delay it. every delay means more harm to the environment. we have to figure out to have e.p.a. regulations to be as meaningful and to adopt additional legislation. if we don't have e.p.a. act and not legislatively, we are doing nothing but polluting the planet. >> for someone who has conducted oversight of past

administrations. what insight do you have for the white house that is facing a new round of oversight? >> i strongly believe in oversight. it's an important function of congress than legislation. legitimate oversight is warranted and needed. i told people in the administration, they have to cross their t's and dot their i's and do everything proper. that's what we expect. and to come through and give the information. the real question is whether the republicans will misuse this power. they did it once before going after clinton. they spent time to find out in clinton misused his christmas card list. to issue subpoenas and when bush was president, they didn't ask

the questions. we need legitimate oversight and i hope that the republicans don't fall into the trap. >> and there was a list of topics to conduct oversight. there were anything on the list that you felt was inappropriate? >> no, i felt he had appropriated investigations and the democrats should work with him. and he went on tv, and said that president obama is the most corrupt president in u.s. history. what a statement to make. it's like alice in wonderland, sentence first and then the facts later. and then backed away from the president and then not corrupt in the sense of doing some wrong. do your investigation and find out the facts. and work together after you find the facts, where it leads to correct the problems. >> can i ask one more question, you have been in congress since watergate.

and people talk about this earlier era of congress and they got together more. and had a social life and that helped breed a bipartisan atmosphere. is that true? can you give us examples of how you have seen relations in washington change? >> the relationships are more poison. they were a lot different when i came to congress. we had committees and people developed expertise. you looked at a problem, and have an approach of how government responds. but after a while, you have to be practical and do what works. and take everyone's view into consideration. that's what we need to go back to. not this business of where we will repeal it. tell us what you want to change. not some amendment or resolution they are going to put through. and say, we need to make sure people are not discriminated against for pre-existing conditions.

we have that in the law. we want to make sure that people don't lose their insurance if they get sick. that's already in the law. tell us how to change the law and get the ideas on the table and have an honest discussion. not this partisan politics and rhetoric that democrats are no good, and the president is corrupt. the election is over. let's now figure out how we can do what is best for the american people. especially in a time of such difficult economic circumstances for so many americans. >> congressman, we need it wrap up. would you describe yourself as more energized? or have you given second thoughts of being in the minority? >> if i had my choice, i would rather not be in the minority. but i have been in the minority before. and like the republicans for the last two years they didn't have

to have a solution. they are against economy and health care reform, they are against anything. they are the people that have to be responsible. i can be critical. but i also know they don't just want to be critical. i want to work together to get something done. >> congressman waxman, thank you for being our "newsmakers." >> we are back with our reporters, david, let me begin vote is this wednesday. what did you hear from henry waxman on this? >> he was one of the chief authors of this law. he's proud of it and no room for repeal. and what is fascinating if you followed the health care debate and frustrated of the senate.