Apr. 8, 2010: Rep. Michael Capuano

>> CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL CAPUANO

PUBLICLY WAIVERED BEFORE VOTING

FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SWEEPING

HEALTH-CARE REFORM PLAN.

 

THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE 8th

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SAYS HE

WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE REFORM

WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO

MASSACHUSETTS FIRST.

 

AND CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL WAP

CANO IS HERE.

 

>> -- CAP IS HERE.

 

>> WHERE YOU.

 

>>> I WOULD CALL IT FOOD

GOVERNMENT.

 

THEY CAN ALWAYS SHOW UP BETWEEN

NOW AND END.

 

MONTH.

 

>> Rooney: WE WERE THINKING

YOUR DISTRICT IS SUCH THAT YOU

WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A

DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER.

 

>> PROBABLY.

 

FOR A SERIOUS CHALLENGE I THINK

WE WILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME.

 

I THINK A REPUBLICAN WILL HAVE

A HARD TIME WINNING ANYPLACE IN

MASSACHUSETTS.

 

>> Rooney: EVEN IN THE TENTH.

 

>> THAT {SWUFERN} THE BETTER

SEATS BUT I THINK THEY WILL

HAVE A TOUGH TIME.

 

>> Rooney: YOU WERE SAYING, I

TALKED TO YOU A COUPLE WEEKS

AGO, YOU HEARD FROM A LOT OF

YOUR CONSTITUENTS DURING THE

HEALTH CARE DEBATE AND ABOUT

THE VOTE.

 

YOU SAID ABOUT 80% OF THE 7,000

ARE PEOPLE WHO CONTACTED YOU

WERE FOR IT.

 

WHAT KIND OF REACTION HAVE YOU

BEEN GETTING FROM CONSTITUENTS

IN THE AFTERMATH.

 

>> IT'S ALMOST ALL FOR IT WE

HAVE HEARD FROM SOME PEOPLE WHO

ARE OPPOSED TO IT AFTER THE

FACT BUT AFTER THE FACT WE HAVE

HEARD FROM MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE

THANKFUL AND HAPPY THAT THE

BILL-PASSED.

 

BUT IT HAS SLOWED WAY DOWN IT

HAS GONE BACK DOWN TO A NORMAL

LEVEL.

 

I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE

THOUGHTFULLY ANXIOUS, HAPPILY

ANXIOUS IN THE SENSE OF JUST

LIKE ME, I'M HAPPY THE BILL

PASSED.

 

I'M HAPPY I VOTED FOR BUT I

CAN'T SIT HERE AND GUARANTEE

YOU EVERYTHING I THINK IS GOING

TO HAPPEN WILL HAPPEN.

 

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE

NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AS THE

BILL REALLY HITS THE GROUND AND

WE SEE HOW IT WORKS.

 

I HOPE IT'S EVERYTHING WE HOPE

IT IS.

 

>> Rooney: HAS, I KNOW CONGRESS

WAS ON BREAK FOR A WHILE THERE

BUT HAS THE RHETORIC DIED DOWN

AT ALL IN TERMS OF THE PUSHBACK

FROM THE REPUBLICAN, THE REPEAL

OF THE LAW, JUST KIND OF THE

UGLY, YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR MITT

ROMNEY SAYING THIS IS ABUSE OF

POWER ON THE PART OF THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION.

 

>> IT'S DIED DOWN IN THE NORMAL

COURSE OF EVENTS BUT WE HAVE

EXTREMISTS EVERYWHERE.

 

AND THEY WON'T SLOW DOWN AT

ALL.

 

BUT I DO THINK THAT THE AVERAGE

PERSON REALIZES LOOK, OKAY,

WHAT'S NEXT.

 

LET'S GET TO JOBS.

 

LET'S GET TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

 

LET'S GET TO WHATEVER IT IS.

 

AND LET'S SEE HOW THIS WORK IT

DONE, WE HAD OUR HE DEBATE, OUR

ARGUMENT, DEMOCRACY WORKED.

 

SOME PEOPLE ARE HAPPY, SOME

PEOPLE AREN'T.

 

MOST PEOPLE ARE MOVE ON.

 

NOT THAT IT'S NOT AN IMPORTANT

ISSUE.

 

IT IS STILL AN IMPORTANT ISSUE

BUT THE REAL EXTREME RHETORIC

IS REALLY ONLY COMING FROM

MOSTLY THE EXTREME RIGHT.

 

>> Rooney: I'M WONDERING WHAT

YOU THINK WHEN YOU LOOK INTO

YOUR CRYSTAL BALL IF THIS IS

STILL GOING TO BE THE

PREEMINENT ISSUE IN THE FALL

ELECTION OR IS IT GOING TO BE

JOBS OR SOMETHING ELSE.

 

>> IT'S HARD TO TELL, OBVIOUSLY

BUT IF I HAD TO GUESS AT THE

MOMENT I THINK WILL BE JOB, THE

ECONOMY AND THE DEFICIT.

 

THOSE THINGS ARE ALL TIED

TOGETHER.

 

HEALTH CARE, WE HAVE DONE, WE

HAD THE DEBATE BY THIS

ELECTION.

 

THERE WON'T BE TOO MANY CHANGES

MADE BY THEN THAT PEOPLE WILL

BE ABLE TO REALLY FEEL.

 

THERE WERE SOME BUT NOT A LOT.

 

AND SO THEREFORE I THINK THAT

THE REAL ISSUES IN THE FALL

WILL BE THINGS PEOPLE SEE EVERY

DAY.

 

AGAIN IT IS HARD TO TELL YOU

ABOUT I WOULD THINK THAT THE

ECONOMY WILL STILL BE THE MAIN

ITEM.

 

>> WE HAD AN UPTICK IN THE

ECONOMY CERTAINLY IN THE STOCK

MARKET.

 

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME-- STEMMING

THE BLEEDING IN UNEMPLOYMENT.

 

WE ARE STILL VERY HIGH IN

MASSACHUSETTS.

 

AS IS THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

 

BUT IT FEEL ITS LIKE THINGS ARE

BEGINNING TO TURN AROUND WHAT

IS YOUR SENSE OF THAT.

 

>> MY SENSE IS IT IS STABILIZED

AND INCHING IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION.

 

BUT AGAIN I'M NO ECONOMIST AND

EVEN A GOOD ECONOMIST CAN'T

GUARANTEE IT WE HAVE CLOSE TO

10% UNEMPLOYMENT AND PROBABLY

OVER 10% IF YOU REALLY COUNT IT

HONESTLY.

 

AND AGAIN WE ARE A LITTLE BIT

BETTER IN THE COUNTRY BUT NOT

MUCH.

 

THAT BEING THE CASE, JOBS ARE

JOBS.

 

PEOPLE WANT JOBS AND EVEN

PEOPLE WITH JOBS ARE REAL

CONCERNED THEY WOULD LOSE THEM

AND PEOPLE WITH KIDS ARE

CONCERNED THEIR KIDS WON'T GET

A JOB OR IF THEY GET A JOB THEY

WON'T GET A JOB IN THE CAREER

THEY LIKE TO GET IT IN.

 

SO THAT ANXIETY IS CERTAINLY

STILL VERY HIGH.

 

I THINK THAT OVERALL MOST

PEOPLE THINK WE ARE SLOWLY

BEGINNING TO HEAD IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION.

 

OBVIOUSLY WE ALL WANT IT

TOMORROW.

 

>> YESTERDAY I WAS TALKING TO

MICHAEL LEWIS AT THE BLINDSIDE

AND ALSO THE BIG SHORT AND HE

HAS GOT THIS INSIDER'S LOOK AT

HOW A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE MADE

ALL THIS MONEY OFF OF THE

SUBPRIME MORTGAGE DISASTER.

 

I'M WONDERING LOOKING AT THAT,

WHAT IS TO STOP, I'M WONDERING

WHAT, IF ANYTHING THIS FINANCE

REFORM BILL WILL DO TO STOP

THAT KIND OF STUFF.

 

>> WELL, I THINK THERE ARE SOME

THINGS IN THE BILL.

 

THE BILL IS NOT AS STRONG AS I

WOULD LIKE IN THE SITUATION WE

ARE IN, COMPROMISE ACROSS THE

COUNTRY YOU HAVE TO MAKE THEM.

 

THE BILL IS A MUCH BETTER STEP

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

 

I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THE

THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN

DONE WAS ALREADY THERE.

 

WE ARE JUST CLARIFYING THE LAWS

AND MAKING SOME OF THE

ALLOWANCES AT THE FED AND

VARIOUS BANK REGULATOR KOS DO,

WE ARE MAKE THEM MANDATORY AS

OPPOSED TO THAT.

 

THERE ARE STILL OM SOAR THINGS

WE CAN DO.

 

AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED

LEVERAGE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

THING.

 

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS MAKE MONEY

THAT IS A GOOD THING.

 

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH

MAKING MONEY.

 

THE QUESTION IS IF THEY ARE

MAKING IT ON YOUR BACK WITHOUT

YOU GETTING ANY OF THE BENEFIT

AND THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE

PAST IN MY OPINION WAS THE

DEGREE OF BORROWING AND

LEVERAGE THAT WENT ON TO THE

BENEFIT OF A VERY SMALL NUMBER

OF PEOPLE TO THE DETRIMENT OF A

GREAT NUMBER.

 

>> BETTING THAT SOMETHING IS

GOING TO GO BAD AND WHEN IT

DOES ARE YOU THE WINNER.

 

>> AND YOU BET WITH SOMEBODY

ELSE'S MONEY.

 

>> AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

 

>> THAT CAN BE STOPPED.

 

I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE

TOOLS ARE ALREADY THERE.

 

WE JUST HAD REGULATORS IN AN

ADMINISTRATION F IN A SOCIETY,

IT'S A SOCIETAL ISSUE WHO

WASN'T INTERESTED.

 

I THINK SOCIETY IS NOW THERE

EVEN REPUBLICANS ARE NOW COMING

AROUND TO UNDERSTAND AND TO

PUBLICLY STATE THAT THEY WANT

SOME KIND OF REFORM REGULATORY

REFORM IN THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM.

 

AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD.

 

NOBODY IS TRYING TO KILL IT.

 

THAT'S NOT THE IDEA.

 

THAT WOULD BE CRAZY.

 

THE IDEA IS TO SIMPLY PUT IT

BACK IN A NORMAL TRACK.

 

>> Rooney: I REALIZE IT IS A

STATE ISSUE BUT WHERE DO YOU

STAND ON THE CASINO GAMBLING

ISSUE.

 

I MEAN YOU COULD BE, THERE

COULD BE ONE IN YOUR DISTRICT.

 

COULD BE IN THE SUFFOLK AREA.

 

>> FOR ME, LOOK, ADULT ITS DO

GAMBLE.

 

THEY GAMBLE ON-LINE.

 

THEY GO TO CONNECTICUT.

 

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT I HOPE

THOUGH THAT IT IS NOT SEEN AS

AN ECONOMIC ISSUE.

 

IT IS A PART OF A GREATER

ECONOMY.

 

I WOULD NEVER WANT OUR ECONOMY

TO BE VEGAS.

 

FIRST OF ALL IT COULD BE.

 

OUR ECONOMY IS INTELLECTUAL

CAPITAL BUT A PART OF OUR

ECONOMY, A SIGNIFICANT PART IS

TOUR.

 

SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WHATEVER

THEY DO THAT IF THEY PUT A

CASINO IN, THAT THEY PLAN ON A

VAST NUMBER OF OUR SIGNIFICANT

PORTION OF THE MONEY COMING IN

A CASINO IS ENTICED BY OUT OF

STATE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE

COMING HERE FOR A CONVENTION OR

OTHER BUSINESS.

 

MY MOTHER ONLY GAMABLES SO

MUCH.

 

AND YOU KNOW --

>> IS IT GOING TO BE THE JOBS

CREATOR.

 

>> I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE.

 

BUT AGAIN, SOME JOBS IT WILL BE

SOME JOBS.

 

I DON'T THINK IT'S A

MULTIPLYER.

 

IT IS NOT LIKE FINANCIAL

SERVICES OR HIGHER EDUCATION

THAT IS A MULTIPLIER.

 

IT IS, THEY ARE JOBS.

 

I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IN A MORAL

SENSE.

 

IF YOU DON'T LIKE GAMBLING,

DON'T GAMBLE.

 

AT THE SAME TIME I REALLY DON'T

SEE IT AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE.

 

THE ONLY THING I HAVE SEEN IT

WORK AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE IS

LAS VEGAS.

 

>> EVEN ATLANTIC CITY IS {QEBL}

DEPENDING WHO YOU ASK AND

WHATEVER.

 

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING

THAT.

 

WE CAN'T DO IT, WE SHOULDN'T DO

IT AT THE SAME TIME, IF THEY

ARE PROPERLY PLACED AND

PROPERLY REGULATED AND AGAIN,

THE IDEA IS TO ATTRACT PEOPLE

WHO CAN AFFORD IT, AND

HOPEFULLY PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE

THE STATE, AGAIN.

 

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE IT BUT I WILL

BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.

 

WE HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD

SEVERAL TIMES.

 

>> YOU SIT ON AN AVIATION

SUBCOMMITTEE.

 

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU

DEAL WITH.

 

BUT THE BIG BUZZ AROUND HERE

AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THE LAST

FEW DAYS, IT HAS BEEN ABOUT

THESE FEES FOR LUGGAGE.

 

YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TO BE

--

>> NOW THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT,

OF COURSE I THINK THIS MAKES

SENSE.

 

YOU FORCE PEOPLE TO TO CARRY

THEIR LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE TO

PAY SOMETHING AS OPPOSED TO THE

PEOPLE WHO-- BUT YOU KNOW, SOME

OF THOSE FEES ARE GOING TO BE

ONEROUS, LIKE $45 IF IT DOESN'T

FIT UNDER YOUR.

 

>> FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T LIKE

THEM.

 

I ACTUALLY HAVE A BILL IN

CONGRESS TO DEAL WITH THIS

ISSUE.

 

MY ARGUMENT IS PUT IT ON THE

TICKET.

 

THE KIND OF SIMPLE.

 

MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR.

 

AS THE OVERHEAD STUFF I TOTALLY

AGREE WITH YOU.

 

NOW WILL YOU HAVE OVERHEAD BINS

THAT REQUIRE NOTHING THAT ARE

GOING TO BE EMPTY, THAT'S

RIDICULOUS.

 

YOU COULD HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT

OF WEIGHT AT YOUR FEET AS

OPPOSED.

 

THEN LIMIT THE SIZE OF THE

BAGGAGE, WHICH THEY ARE SAYING

THEY SHOULD.

 

>> THEY ARE SAYING THOSE THINGS

ARE COLLECTING COBWEBS, NOBODY

USES THOSE BAGS, THEY ARE

PULLING DOUBLE WIDES DOWN THE

AISLE.

 

>> I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT IS

FINE, I HAVE BEEN ON THE PLANES

LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS

WATCHING PEOPLE DO THAT.

 

>> $25 A BAG CAN REALLY ADD UP

IF ARE YOU A FAMILY OF FOUR AND

GONG A VACATION.

 

>> WHAT THEY WILL DO IS DRIVE

PEOPLE OFF PLANES AND I HOPE

THEY DRIVE THEM INTO OTHER,

RIGHT NOW IS ONLY ONE AIRLINE

DOING THAT.

 

THEY ARE ACTUALLY TWO AIRLINES,

NATIONAL AIRLINES THAT HAVE

SAID THEY ARE NOT CHARGING FOR

BAGS.

 

I HOPE THEIR BUSINESS

INCREASES.

 

AND AGAIN THE WAY I TRAVEL I GO

BACK AND FORTH TO D.

 

C.

 

.

 

>> WITHOUT DOESN'T, SOUTHWEST

AND ANOTHER.

 

>> I FORGET, IT'S TWO OF THE

BIG ONCE.

 

I FORGET WHICH ONES.

 

>> JETBLUE AND SOUTHWEST SAY

THEY ARE NOT CHARGING FOR BAGS.

 

ONLY ONE COMPANY IS CHARGING

FOR THE OVERHEAD AND MY HOPE IS

NOBODY FLYS THAT AIRLINE.

 

>> WHAT ABOUT THIS PROPOSED

MERGER DO YOU THINK, U.

 

S.

 

AIR

AND UNITED.

 

>> ON PAPER THE CONCEPT OF A

MERGER DOESN'T BOTHER ME BUT I

WANT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS.

 

HOW WILL IMPACT BOSTON.

 

HOW DOES IT IMPACT FLIGHT ITS,

CONSUMERS.

 

>> Rooney: NOT WELL.

 

YOU JUST HAVE TO ASSUME THAT.

 

>> WELL, IT'S NEVER TO OUR

BENEFIT BUT AT THE SAME TIME

YOU CAN'T STOP, YOU SHOULDN'T

BE STOPPING ALL MERGERS.

 

THERE HAS TO BE A REASON TO DO

IT, JUST THEY HAVE TO MAKE

MONEY AND THEY HAVE TO SURVIVE.

 

SO AND THOSE TWO AIRLINES HAVE

ALREADY WORKED VERY CLOSELY

TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS.

 

AND SO THEY ARE NOT MERGED BUT

THEY HAVE DE FACTO MERGED IN

MANY WAYS.

 

AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO

ACCEPT REALITY.

 

>> ALL RIGHT, MICHAEL CAPUANO

ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU

HERE.

 

WHEN WE CONTINUE, TIGER'S

NEWEST COMMERCIAL CONTROVERSY.