TO COUNTRIES THAT THEY DIDN’T COME FROM. WELCOME TO MEET THE
PRESS NOW. I’M ALI VITALI IN
WASHINGTON. AS THE PRESIDENT
ELECT’S GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
TEAM OF ELON MUSK AND VIVEK
RAMASWAMY SPENT THE DAY ON
CAPITOL HILL. MUSK HAD ONE OF
HIS CHILDREN IN TOW AS THE TWO
ENTREPRENEURS PITCHED LAWMAKERS
ON THEIR NEW DEPARTMENT OF
GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, OR DOGE,
AND ITS MASSIVE PUSH FOR REFORMS
AND SWEEPING CUTS TO GOVERNMENT
SPENDING AND PERSONNEL. NOW, TO
BE CLEAR, DOGE IS NOT A NEW
GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IT HAS NO
STATUTORY AUTHORITY. BUT IF ITS
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ABLE TO WIN
OVER ENOUGH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
OR THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF, ITS
WORK COULD MAKE SOME SERIOUS
WAVES IN WASHINGTON. MUSK AND
RAMASWAMY HAVE ALREADY LAID OUT
SOME AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR DOGE,
LIKE FINDING WAYS TO CUT $2
TRILLION FROM THE FEDERAL
BUDGET. MASSIVE CUTS FOR THE
FEDERAL WORKFORCE AND THE
ELIMINATION OF INDEPENDENT
AGENCIES LIKE THE CONSUMER
FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS EMERGED FROM
THEIR MEETINGS WITH OPEN MINDS,
SAYING THEY’RE RECEPTIVE TO THE
INITIAL IDEAS FLOATED BY MUSK
AND RAMASWAMY. TODAY, I THINK
THERE’S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, AND
HE’S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND OPEN
TO SUGGESTIONS.
>> IT WAS HE CAME TO LISTEN AND
I CAME TO LISTEN. SO IT WAS IT
WAS A GOOD SESSION.
>> I THINK WE’RE JUST EXCHANGING
IDEAS RIGHT NOW.
>> AND YOU’VE GOT A GROUP OF
REFORM MINDED PEOPLE.
>> SO I’M EXCITED ABOUT THE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE AHEAD.
>> THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF
A PROCESS THAT IF WE DO IT
RIGHT, WILL BE ONGOING.
>> SO NOW WE’RE JUST TALKING
ABOUT THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE,
KIND OF THE METES AND BOUNDS OF
THINGS THAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY.
THINGS THAT WILL TAKE A LONGER
TIME, REQUIRE ENABLING
LEGISLATION.
>> BUT IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION.
>> AND ON THE HOUSE SIDE,
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON APPEARED
EQUALLY EAGER TO WORK WITH THE
DOGE COMMISSION.
>> THIS IS A BRAINSTORMING
SESSION. IT IS THE FIRST. AGAIN,
AS I SAID OF A LONG SERIES OF
MEETINGS THAT WILL BE HELD AS
WE’RE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR
THE NEW YEAR AND THE NEW
CONGRESS. AND YOU’RE GOING TO
SEE A LOT OF CHANGE AROUND HERE
AND IN WASHINGTON. AND THE WAY
THINGS ARE RUN.
>> BUT THERE’S SOME SERIOUS
SKEPTICISM SURROUNDING DOJ’S
WORK. WILL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
BE AS POSITIVE ABOUT SPENDING
CUTS IF THEY IMPACT THEIR OWN
DISTRICTS? IS ANY MAJOR PIECE OF
LEGISLATION GOING TO BE ABLE TO
GET THROUGH THIS CLOSELY DIVIDED
CONGRESS? AND THERE ARE SERIOUS
CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUES AT
STAKE, AS WELL AS ELON MUSK’S
COMPANIES RAKE IN BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN FEDERAL CONTRACTS.
BUT DOGE ISN’T JUST LOOKING TO
CONGRESS. MY CNBC COLLEAGUE
EAMON JAVERS SAT DOWN WITH VIVEK
RAMASWAMY YESTERDAY, PART OF
CNBC’S CFO COUNCIL SUMMIT, AND
RAMASWAMY MADE IT CLEAR THAT
HE’S HOPING THE PRESIDENT ELECT
WILL ACT ON DOJ’S
RECOMMENDATIONS IF CONGRESS
DOESN’T LISTEN.
>> I THINK THAT THERE IS AN
ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN CONGRESS NOW, INCLUDING THOSE
WHO’VE BEEN ELECTED, BUT ALSO
MANY WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS
FIGHT FOR A LONG TIME, FEEL LIKE
NOW IS THE MOMENT WHERE THEY’VE
BEEN GIVEN THE ABILITY TO DO
WHAT THEY HAVEN’T REALLY HAD THE
LICENSE TO DO IN THE PAST, THAT
BEING SENT TO THEIR DISTRICT.
>> BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK
THAT THAT IGNORES WHAT CAN BE
DONE THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH. ALREADY. THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH HAS NO OBLIGATION TO SEND
OUT A PAYMENT IF IT IS WASTEFUL
OR IF IT IS KNOWN TO BE
FRAUDULENT, OR HAS A REASON TO
BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ERROR
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PAYMENT.
>> JOINING ME NOW, MY COLLEAGUE
ON CAPITOL HILL, RYAN NOBLES,
WHO’S WAITING OUTSIDE OF THAT
HOUSE MEETING, NBC’S GARRETT
HAKE, COVERING ALL THINGS TRUMP
TRANSITION. AND CNBC SENIOR
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT EAMON
JAVERS. RYAN, WE’LL START WITH
YOU. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
WE’VE SEEN THE DOGE COMMISSION
ON THE HILL. I KNOW REPUBLICANS
ARE BOUGHT IN, BUT TO WHAT
DEGREE IS THIS A ONE SIDED
EFFORT? BECAUSE I KNOW A HANDFUL
OF DEMOCRATS WHO ARE INTERESTED
TO.
>> YEAH.
>> WELL, THE FIRST ANSWER TO
THAT QUESTION, ALI, IS THAT THIS
IS A ROOM IN WHICH RAMASWAMY AND
ELON MUSK ARE ENTERTAINING A
BRAINSTORMING SESSION, AND
THERE’S NOT A SINGLE DEMOCRAT IN
THAT ROOM. DESPITE THE FACT THAT
SEVERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE RAISED
THEIR HAND AND SAID THAT THEY’D
LIKE TO BE A PART OF THESE DOGE
CAUCUSES IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND
THE SENATE.
>> AND SOME HAVE EVEN SAID THAT
THEY WISH THAT THEY’D GOTTEN AN
INVITE TO THIS MEETING.
>> SO IT’S NOT OFF TO A GOOD
START.
>> IN TERMS OF THE BIPARTISAN
NATURE OF ALL OF THIS.
>> BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT AT
SOME POINT ALONG THE WAY, THEY
MIGHT TRY AND INCLUDE DEMOCRATS,
AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF
DEMOCRATS ON CAPITOL HILL WHO
AGREE WITH REPUBLICANS THAT
FEDERAL SPENDING IS OUT OF
CONTROL AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO
BE REFORM. BUT AS WHAT ALWAYS
HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET INTO A
CONVERSATION ABOUT SPENDING IN
WASHINGTON, EVERYONE LOVES THE
IDEA OF CUTTING SPENDING.
>> BUT THEN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY
PUT THOSE SPENDING CUTS NEXT TO
ACTUAL REAL POLICY, THEN ALL OF
A SUDDEN THE CONVERSATION
CHANGES.
>> FOR INSTANCE, YESTERDAY,
BERNIE SANDERS SAID HE’D BE ALL
IN FAVOR OF MASSIVE CUTS TO THE
PENTAGON’S BUDGET.
>> WELL, THERE’S PROBABLY A LOT
OF REPUBLICANS IN THAT ROOM THAT
PROBABLY DON’T FEEL THE SAME
WAY.
>> SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN
ONGOING PROCESS. THERE’S A LOT
OF BACK AND FORTH.
>> THERE’S OPTIMISM HERE.
THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A NECESSARY
THING THAT WASHINGTON NEEDS TO
HAVE THIS KIND OF GUT CHECK
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
>> AND PERHAPS THIS IS A
POSITIVE EFFORT, BUT THEY’VE GOT
A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEFORE WE
SEE ANY SORT OF SUBSTANTIVE
REALITY EMERGE FROM THIS NEW
COMMISSION.
>> YEAH, CERTAINLY. THAT’S
RIGHT. AND THE CONVERSATIONS I
WAS HAVING THIS MORNING WITH
SENATORS, I HEARD VERY FEW
SPECIFICS. BUT THE OTHER WAY
THAT WASHINGTON WORKS IS THAT
CONGRESS HOLDS THE POWER OF THE
PURSE. WHEN I WAS OUT IN THE
HALLS TODAY, THERE WERE SENATORS
WHO SEEMED FINE WITH THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH SORT OF TAKING
THE REINS HERE AND JUMPING INTO
THE GOVERNMENT FUNDING SPACE.
BUT DOES THAT START TO CHANGE
WHEN THIS COMMISSION BEGINS
TARGETING SOME OF THESE OWN
LAWMAKERS PET PROJECTS IN THEIR
DISTRICTS AS PART OF THE LARGER
EFFICIENCY EFFORT?
>> YEAH, I THINK PART OF THIS IS
MAYBE A FUNDAMENTAL
MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE
FEDERAL BUDGET WORKS, RIGHT? I
JUST TALKED TO CONGRESSMAN GREG
STEUBE OF FLORIDA, WHO HE
BELIEVES THAT A LOT OF THIS
THESE CUTS CAN BE DONE BY JUST
NOT SPENDING EXISTING MONEY
THAT’S ALREADY BEEN
APPROPRIATED. I DON’T KNOW IF
THAT GETS YOU TO $2 TRILLION IN
ONE YEAR. I YOU KNOW, I DON’T
HAVE THOSE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP
OF MY HEAD, BUT MY GUESS IS THAT
YOU REALLY CAN’T GET TO $2
TRILLION IN CUTS WITHOUT TAKING
A SERIOUS LOOK AT ENTITLEMENT
PROGRAMS AND A SERIOUS LOOK AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MAKES UP
18% OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET. THE
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
21% OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET. IF
YOU’RE LOOKING AT $2 TRILLION IN
CUTS IN A $6 TRILLION BUDGET,
THERE’S NO POSSIBLE WAY YOU CAN
GET TO THAT NUMBER WITHOUT
GETTING INTO THOSE TWO SPECIFIC
AGENCIES THEMSELVES. IT’S NOT
WON’T BE ENOUGH JUST TO NOT TO
GET RID OF FUNDS THAT YOU
BELIEVE ARE MISAPPROPRIATED. BUT
TO YOUR POINT, ALI, THERE DOES
SEEM TO BE A DEGREE OF
ACCEPTANCE FROM MANY RANK AND
FILE REPUBLICANS THAT TRUMP CAN
JUST CUT WHATEVER HE WANTS AND
WILL JUST LET IT HAPPEN. AND
THIS IS AGAIN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF THE CEDING OF AUTHORITY BY
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH TO THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH THAT WE’VE SEEN
SLOWLY BUILD UP WITH BOTH
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS OVER
THE PAST COUPLE OF PRESIDENTIAL
CYCLES. BUT THE POWER OF THE
PURSE IS PERHAPS CONGRESS’S MOST
IMPORTANT AUTHORITY. AND IF
THEY’RE WILLING TO JUST CEDE
THAT TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,
WELL, THAT MAY BE A DIFFICULT
POWER TO RECOUP LATER ON. AND
THE OTHER POINT IS, THEY JUST
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO
CONSTITUTIONALLY.
>> YEAH. AND WE’LL GET TO EAMON
IN JUST ONE MOMENT. WHO TRIED TO
COUNT TO 2 TRILLION WHEN HE WAS
INTERVIEWING RAMASWAMY. BUT
GARRETT I’LL GO FIRST TO YOU.
THIS COMMISSION ISN’T EVEN AN
ACTUAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY. SO DO
THEY HAVE A PLAN ON HOW TO
ENFORCE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS?
AND WHAT EVEN ARE THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS POINT?
>> WELL, I THINK THE WORD ON THE
STREET IS CONCEPTS OF A PLAN.
THE PHRASE WE’VE ALL BECOME
FAMILIAR WITH HERE, I MEAN, NO,
LOOK, THE THOSE FOLKS HERE ARE
ESSENTIALLY OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS
WHO WILL BE BROUGHT IN TO EACH
OF THESE AGENCIES WITH THEIR OWN
IDEAS.
>> BUT THE ACTUAL LEVERS OF HOW
THIS ALL WORKS, AS YOU AND RYAN
BOTH KNOW, IS THAT CONGRESS HAS
TO SPEND THIS MONEY AND THEY’RE
GOING TO DO SO LIKELY, AT LEAST
FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, WITH
CRS CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS,
WHICH LOCKS IN THE SAME AMOUNT
OF SPENDING THAT THEY’VE DONE
YEAR AFTER YEAR.
>> I MEAN, THERE’S A REASON WHY
THIS KIND OF WORK HASN’T BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST. IT’S
EXTREMELY CHALLENGING. AND I
THINK THE OTHER SORT OF BASIC
DATA POINT TO CONSIDER HERE IS
THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN
PRESIDENT BEFORE, FOR FOUR
YEARS, AND SHOWED EFFECTIVELY NO
REAL INTEREST IN STOPPING THE
KIND OF SPENDING THAT THEY’RE
TALKING ABOUT. NOW, HE WASN’T
INTERESTED IN DEFICITS. HE
WASN’T PARTICULARLY INTERESTED
IN CURTAILING THE DEBT. AND HE
DIDN’T ROLL BACK SPENDING. HE
JUST HAD DIFFERENT SPENDING
PRIORITIES. AND SO I THINK WHEN
I HEAR MIKE JOHNSON TALK ABOUT A
LONG LIST OF MEETINGS AND
BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS, I THINK
WE MAY BE SEEING HERE IS A BUNCH
OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WHO WANT
TO GET CAUGHT TRYING TO TALK
ABOUT THE THING THAT DONALD
TRUMP AND HIS SELF-DESCRIBED
FIRST BUDDY, ELON MUSK, CARE A
GREAT DEAL ABOUT, RIGHT NOW, BUT
MAY NOT STILL HAVE A LOT OF
ENTHUSIASM BEHIND IT.
>> ONCE THE APPROPRIATING
PROCESS RESUMES IN EARNEST NEXT
YEAR.
>> TELL ME YOU CAME UP IN THE
SCHOOL OF CHUCK TODD WITHOUT
TELLING ME BY SAYING, GET CAUGHT
TRYING THERE, GARRETT, BECAUSE
THAT’S SOMETHING THAT CHUCK
OFTEN SAYS. BUT REALLY, ARE THE
OPTICS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
OUTCOME? IS IT IMPORTANT FOR
TRUMP TO BE ABLE TO GO ON THE
ROAD AND SAY, THE DOGE
COMMISSION EXISTS, EVEN IF IT’S
NOT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING?
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT’S ENTIRELY
POSSIBLE.
>> AND I THINK IT GIVES TWO OF
HIS MOST VOCAL AND KIND OF HARD
TO PLACE ELSEWHERE IN THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SUPPORTERS
IN ELON MUSK AND VIVEK
RAMASWAMY, WHO BOTH HAVE A LOT
OF INFLUENCE AND A LOT OF
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, WHICH
WOULD MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
FOR THEM TO HAVE A MORE
TRADITIONAL ROLE, SOMETHING TO
DO AND SOMETHING TO DIRECT THEIR
MEGAPHONES BACK AT THE ISSUES
THAT TRUMP AND HIS BASE CARE,
YOU KNOW, SAY THEY CARE A GREAT
DEAL ABOUT. BUT I THINK AT THE
END OF THE DAY, CUTTING
GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS NOT IN
THE TOP FIVE THINGS THAT TRUMP
RAN ON AND WON ON IN 2024. AND I
DON’T EXPECT THIS TO BE THE KIND
OF THING THAT HAS A LOT OF LEGS
IN THE NEW YEAR.
>> GARRETT RYAN, THANK YOU BOTH
SO MUCH FOR JOINING. RYAN. KEEP
YOUR RUNNING SHOES ON. YOU GOT
TO RUN AFTER ELON MUSK I’M SURE.
EAMON, YOU AND I ARE NOW GOING
TO TRY TO COUNT TO 2 TRILLION
BECAUSE THE US HAS A MASSIVE
BUDGET. BUT SOME OF IT IS
MANDATORY SPENDING. MUSK HAS
SAID HE WANTS TO AGAIN GET TO
THIS MAGIC NUMBER OF 2 TRILLION
THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT. BUT
WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET
CUTS, HOW MUCH CAN THE DOGE
COMMISSION ACTUALLY DO?
>> WELL, AS YOU GUYS WERE JUST
POINTING OUT, THEY DON’T HAVE
ANY ACTUAL AUTHORITY TO DO ANY
OF THIS.
>> THIS IS AN OUTSIDE YOU KNOW,
WHAT YOU CALL A BLUE RIBBON
COMMISSION. AND THIS HAS BEEN
TRIED BEFORE. MOST RECENTLY AND
MAYBE FAMOUSLY WITH THE
SIMPSON-BOWLES COMMISSION A
DECADE OR SO AGO. THESE THINGS
HAVE FAILED IN THE PAST. AND THE
REASON IS BECAUSE ONCE YOU
PRESENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
PEOPLE UP ON CAPITOL HILL, THEY
SAY, THAT’S GREAT, BUT WE’RE NOT
GOING TO TAKE THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE WE LIKE
THE SPENDING THAT WE’RE DOING,
OR IT GETS CAUGHT UP IN A DEBATE
ABOUT HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED TO DO
REVENUE RAISERS. THAT IS TAX
INCREASES. AND HOW MUCH DO YOU
NEED TO DO BY CUTTING SPENDING?
EVERY DOLLAR, AS YOU GUYS HAVE
JUST BEEN POINTING OUT, EVERY
DOLLAR THAT WASHINGTON SPENDS
HAS A RECIPIENT OUT THERE
SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY OR
SOMEWHERE AROUND THE WORLD WHO
LIKES THAT DOLLAR BEING SPENT?
WHO DOESN’T THINK IT’S WASTE,
FRAUD, AND ABUSE, AND WHO HAS A
MEMBER OF CONGRESS THAT THEY CAN
TALK TO ABOUT IT?
>> AND I WANT TO GET YOU ON THE
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST PIECE OF
THIS, TOO, BECAUSE SPECIFICS AT
THIS POINT ARE MINIMAL. BUT ONE
EXAMPLE IS A RECENTLY APPROVED
$6 BILLION LOAN TO RIVIAN, WHICH
IS AN ELECTRIC CAR MAKER, AND
THAT’S ALSO A DIRECT COMPETITOR
TO ELON MUSK’S TESLA. DOES THAT
RAISE SOME ALARM BELLS TO YOU?
>> YEAH. YOU KNOW, I ASKED VIVEK
RAMASWAMY ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY.
YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO GET HIM TO
GIVE US A SPECIFIC JUST
ANYTHING, A LINE ITEM OF ANY
KIND, OVER $10 BILLION THAT HE
WOULD CUT AND HE WOULDN’T OFFER
A SPECIFIC I TRIED TO GET HIM TO
SAY WHAT IT IS THAT DONALD TRUMP
HAS TOLD HIM ARE HIS PRIORITIES
FOR CUTTING SPENDING. HE
WOULDN’T OFFER A SPECIFIC THERE
EITHER. AND THEN I ASKED HIM
ABOUT THESE ELON MUSK CONFLICTS
OF INTEREST THROUGH SPACEX. ELON
MUSK IS AN ENORMOUS GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTOR HIMSELF, WITH THE
PENTAGON AND WITH NASA. HE GETS
A LOT OF FEDERAL CONTRACTS. WHAT
IF HE’S DECIDING THAT THE
CONTRACTS FOR HIS COMPETITORS
ARE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE? BUT
THE CONTRACTS FOR HIS COMPANIES
ARE NOT WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE?
HERE’S WHAT VIVEK RAMASWAMY HAD
TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
>> ANYBODY WHO’S OFFERING
RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU SHOULD
ALWAYS HAVE A SKEPTICAL LENS TO
LOOK AT.
>> WHAT ARE THEIR MOTIVATIONS
FOR MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION?
I SAY THAT THAT’S THE BEST
ADVICE I’D GIVE THE PUBLIC.
>> ALWAYS BE SKEPTICAL OF WHEN
SOMEBODY IS MAKING A
RECOMMENDATION. THAT BEING SAID,
APPLY THAT STANDARD 360 DEGREES.
>> WHAT DO WE HAVE TODAY?
>> YOU HAVE REGULATORS WHO ARE
REGULARLY JOINING THE INDUSTRY.
>> IS THAT THEY REGULATED.
>> IS THAT A CONFLICT OF
INTEREST WHEN THEY WERE MAKING
THAT DECISION AS A REGULATOR?
ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO HE’S TALKING ABOUT SORT OF
THE WASHINGTON SWAMP THERE,
RIGHT. THE IDEA THAT REGULATORS
GO BACK INTO INDUSTRY AFTER THEY
WRITE THE RULES FOR THAT
INDUSTRY. YOU’VE GOT GENERALS AT
THE PENTAGON WHO SEND CONTRACTS
OUT TO COMPANIES, THEN GO SERVE
ON THE BOARD OF THOSE COMPANIES.
SO A LOT OF THIS IS CULTURAL AND
BUILT INTO WASHINGTON. THEY’RE
GOING TO ATTACK ALL THAT AND
WE’LL SEE WHETHER THEY’RE
SUCCESSFUL.
>> YEAH, THERE IS THAT REVOLVING
DOOR THAT OFTEN HAPPENS IN THIS
TOWN. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME
OF THE COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING
TO THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE A
STAKE IN THIS, THE
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, THE
DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, THAT’S JUST
NAMING A FEW. ARE THEY ON BOARD
WITH THESE CHANGES? WHAT IMPACTS
ARE THE REFORMS GOING TO HAVE ON
THEM, EVEN IF THEY’RE ON BOARD
OR NOT?
>> WELL, NATURALLY THEY’RE NOT
ON BOARD. THEY MAY SAY A WHOLE
BUNCH OF THINGS ABOUT IT, BUT
BASICALLY THEY WANT FEDERAL
MONEY. AND IT’S INTERESTING
BECAUSE RAMASWAMY HIMSELF IS A
FORMER FORMER PHARMACEUTICAL
EXECUTIVE. RIGHT. AND I ASKED
HIM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT
SECTOR YESTERDAY. YOU KNOW, DO
YOU THINK THE DRUG COMPANIES ARE
GETTING TOO MUCH MONEY FROM, YOU
KNOW, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, SOCIAL
SECURITY? AND WHAT HE WAS
TALKING ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW,
SORT OF PROGRAMMATIC FAILURES IN
THOSE OPERATIONS. SO HE’S NOT
TALKING ABOUT YOU KNOW, CUTTING
BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS, BUT HE
MAY BE TALKING ABOUT THE US
GOVERNMENT OVERSPENDING ON DRUG
COMPANIES, AND THAT WOULD IMPACT
THOSE PHARMA COMPANIES.
>> COLOR ME SHOCKED THAT THOSE
VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS DON’T