CNBC Press Releases

DYLAN: LET'S FINISH ON SPENDING. YOU ARE ONE OF THE APPOINTEES TO ADDRESS THE S-CHIP VETO AND THE SPENDING DEBATE ON HEALTH CARE IN GENERAL. WHERE WE STAND ON THAT AND OF ALL OF THE SPENDING ISSUES AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN CRITICIZED FOR THE LACK OF SPENDING DISCIPLINE OVER THE PAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS YOU TO DEBATE THE REASONS FOR THAT. WHY HAS THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE NOW BECOME SUCH A SUBJECT OF DEBATE?

HUBBARD: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT. MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE DOING ARE TRYING TO CONVERT OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE BASED HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM INTO A GOVERNMENT BASED HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM. THEY WANT A SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE WHICH RESULTS IN RATIONED CARE, PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 12 FOR 24 MONTHS TO GET ELECTED SURGERY, WAIT TOO LONG FOR EMERGENCIES. IT WOULD ELIMINATE THE DOCTOR PATIENT RELATIONSHIP. PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO CHOOSE A DOCTOR THEY WANT TO, THE HOSPITAL TO GO TOO.

DYLAN: WE WATCHED THE UAW WE KNOW THE CORPORATION IS REACHING A BREAKING POINT. IN ITS ABILITY TO CARRY THE BULK OF THE HEALTH CARE BURDEN. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

HUBBARD: THE PRESIDENT MADE IT CLEAR HE WANTS THE SCHIP REAUTHORIZE HE THINKS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT IS DESIGNED TO TAKE CARE OF POOR CHILDREN. HE THINKS IT SHOULD BE REAUTHORIZE FOR POOR CHILDREN. THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO REAUTHORIZE FOR POOR AND COME CHILDREN AND MIDDLE INCOME CHILDREN AND FOR ADULTS. IT WAS CREATED FOR CHILDREN NOT ADULTS. WE SHOULD PRESERVE IT ANKE BUT THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN AND MIDDLE INCOME CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THAT IS WHAT THE FIGHT IS ALL ABOUT. ONE OTHER POINT. IF WE LOOK AT WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE DOING, IT EVEN GIVEN THEIR GOALS THEY ARE SPENDING TWICE AS MUCH MONEY AS NECESSARY. THEIR BILL IS 35 BILLION. WE THINK BASED ON WHAT THEY SAY THEIR GOALS ARE THEY TO DO IT FOR 15 or 20 BILLION AND A THINK WE WILL HAND THEM THE MONEY AND THEY WILL SPEND IT ON OTHER THINGS AND EXPANDING HEALTH CARE.

DYLAN: BUT THEY HAVE GIVEN THE 30 OR 40 SECONDS I WILL NOT ASK YOU TO SOLVE AMERICA'S HEALTH-CARE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW BUT MAYBE WE TALKED TO MUCH. IF WE TALK LESS MAYBE WE CAN GET TO IT. NOW AS COMMERCE SECRETARY, WHAT DO BELIEVE THE SOLUTION IS? WE WATCHED THE HEALTH-CARE COST GET PUSH FROM A CORPORATE BALANCE SHEETS AND A LABOR BALANCE SHEET IN THE LABOR AUTO INDUSTRY. DO BELIEVE THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF A SOLUTION? THAT WE WILL SEE A COLLECTIVIZATION OF HEALTH-CARE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE LABOR SIDE AND IS THAT PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL SOLUTION FOR AIRLINES FOR INDUSTRIAL FOR THE ENTIRE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX --?

GUTIERREZ: YOU HAVE TO ANSWER A STRATEGIC QUESTION FIRST. DO YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER HEALTH CARE AND NATIONALIZE HEALTH CARE OR DO WANT TO GO DOWN THE PRIVATE OUT AND GIVE CONSUMERS MORE POWER AND HAVE MORE COMPETITION AND HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY IN PRICING AND BRING PRICES DOWN AND HAVE INDIVIDUALS HAVE HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTS NOT ONLY HAVE TAX BREAKS FOR CORPORATIONS BUT ALSO INDIVIDUALS. BUSINESS IT IS A STRATEGIC QUESTION THE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE TAKING DOWN THE ROAD OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE WITHOUT....

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