With the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation battle, MSNBC Live host Stephanie Ruhle naturally invited on Senator Maize Hirono (D-HI) during Tuesday's show to discuss just what Democrats can do to try to stop Republicans from confirming whomever President Trump nominates.
For Hirono, the answer was simple: go on friendly cable shows and make the case to the public: "Now all we need is for two more Republicans to grow a conscience, which have been -- actually has been sorely lacking for the last four years as far as I'm concerned. So what I'm doing, Stephanie, is going on your program to let the American people know what's at stake and it is their health care."
Hirono also falsely claimed that Republicans will be trying to "steal yet another Supreme Court seat" and then make away health care for millions of people because the nominee will vote to strike down Obamacare.
Ruhle then pleaded with Hirono for answers on what she and her colleagues can do to stop said stealing from happening: "Senator, with all due respect, I wish my program had that kind of influence. Do you really think Republicans in the Senate are going to watch you on television and say, ah, yes, time for me to not take Mitch McConnell's call. I'm guessing that is not going to work. Given that, do you have another plan to stop or slow this process?"
Predictably, Ruhle's concern over conservative judicial nominees has been a constant theme of the last four years.
Attempting not to appear defeatist, Hirono vaguely responded by claiming that "we can use every tool to slow things down," but conceded, "but as you all have been reporting, Mitch McConnell has the votes" and proceeded to call McConnell a liar and warn again that Obamacare will be struck down and that Roe v. Wade will be next "on the hit list."
Before moving onto coronavirus stimulus negotiations, Ruhle tried once more to find comfort in Hirono's crusade and again accepted her premise about Republicans stealing Supreme Court seats (click "expand"):
RUHLE: And the thing is, they've been doing this for decades, and it's working. This would be the —
HIRONO: Yes.
RUHLE: — third supreme court justice seated, and we know federal judges, in record numbers, have taken seats on the bench in the last three years.
HIRONO: Yes.
RUHLE: You have said you'll use every tool at your disposal. What tool? What tool do you have that you can use to stop this?
HIRONO: We can try to slow things down, but the biggest tool we have is the awareness, the knowledge of the American people that they are about to get screwed. I'm very clear about what's going to happen. So when the Supreme Court takes up the affordable care act in November, whoever trump nominates will vote to strike down that law, so I'm very clear on that. And so the American public need to get clear on that. That is a tool. You know what? It is the American people who are not going to stand for this. That is my hope. That's why I go on your show and other shows so that people know that this is what's at stake. Our health care is at stake.
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Here is a transcript of the September 22 show:
MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle
September 22, 2020
9:06 a.m. EasternSTEPHANIE RUHLE: Have you spoken to any of your Republican colleagues, and do you believe you can get two more of them to break ranks and vote with you?
SENATOR MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): I personally have not spoken to my Republican colleagues, but I know that other of my colleagues have. And all we need is for two more Republicans to grow a conscience, which have been -- actually has been sorely lacking for the last four years as far as I'm concerned. So what I’m doing, Stephanie, is going on your program to let the American people know what's at stake and it is their health care because notice that the Republicans don't care who the nominee is. It will be somebody that will strike down the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court will take up in November. So, in the middle of a pandemic, they are still trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, and they will do so with this nominee, and they will steal yet another Supreme Court seat to do that. Millions of people will not have health care. Millions of people with pre-existing conditions will be out in the cold when the Supreme Court makes the decision to strike down the Affordable Care Act. That's the clear and present danger.
RUHLE: Senator, with all due respect, I wish my program had that kind of influence. Do you really think Republicans in the Senate are going to watch you on television and say, ah, yes, time for me to not take Mitch McConnell's call. I'm guessing that is not going to work.
HIRONO: Of course not.
RUHLE: Given that, do you have another plan to stop or slow this process?
HIRONO: We can use every tool to slow things down, but as you all have been reporting, Mitch McConnell has the votes. That's why he's going to do this. And never mind that he is lying through his teeth about what he said in 2016. They don't care. So this is going to happen. But in the meantime, though, we have an election coming up. People of this country need to know what's at stake. Their health care is at stake. We've had over 200,000 Americans die. So their health care is at stake with this nominee. They don't -- Republicans don't care who this person is. He or she will vote against the Affordable Care Act and the next on the hit list is going to be a woman's right to choose. Abortion rights. So you can see that Roe v. Wade is going to be on the hit list. That's what's going to happen. And that's just for starters with whoever the president nominates for the Supreme Court.
(....)
RUHLE: And the thing is, they've been doing this for decades, and it's working. This would be the —
HIRONO: Yes.
RUHLE: — third supreme court justice seated, and we know federal judges, in record numbers, have taken seats on the bench in the last three years.
HIRONO: Yes.
RUHLE: You have said you'll use every tool at your disposal. What tool? What tool do you have that you can use to stop this?
HIRONO: We can try to slow things down, but the biggest tool we have is the awareness, the knowledge of the American people that they are about to get screwed. I'm very clear about what's going to happen. So when the Supreme Court takes up the affordable care act in November, whoever trump nominates will vote to strike down that law, so I'm very clear on that. And so the American public need to get clear on that. That is a tool. You know what? It is the American people who are not going to stand for this. That is my hope. That's why I go on your show and other shows so that people know that this is what's at stake. Our health care is at stake.
RUHLE: Thank you so much for bringing that up because I know you've got a lot on your plate. While the focus — while the Senate is focused on this, which is hugely important, you don't have, as your number one priority, figuring out the next round of stimulus to help people dealing with this pandemic.
HIRONO: Of course.
RUHLE: People out of work. People without health care.
HIRONO: Yeah.
