Hoyer Discusses TrumpCare, Russia Sanctions, and Trump's Transgender Ban on CNN's At This Hour

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined CNN's At This Hour to discuss TrumpCare; Russia, Iran, and North Korea sanctions legislation; and Trump's ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. Below are excerpts from the interview and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

On TrumpCare

“…This is not a skinny repeal in terms of the adverse impact it's going to have on millions of Americans. CBO says immediately 16 million people are going to lose their insurance. But, millions and millions more are going to see their premiums substantially increase, even those that have employer-based insurance. So, the impact here is going to be very substantial. But what it indicates is it's certainly not repeal, either. It's what the Republicans, after seven years of trying to put something together, it’s the only thing they have been able to put together that may pass the Senate. I hope it doesn't pass the Senate, very frankly, I would be surprised if Rand Paul votes for this. He is for repeal, this is not repeal. I would be surprised if more moderate Senators, who are very worried about the impact in their states and their people, would vote for this. So, we'll see…. Nothing they have come up with has been appealing to the American public or not been harmful to millions and millions of people who need and want health care.”

On Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions Legisation

“We'll see whether he signs or doesn’t sign the bill, but, quite frankly, I think Congress will clearly and quickly override his veto. This bill is a result of the Congress' conviction that the sanctions leveed on the Russians and on the Iranians as well as the North Koreans are appropriate and should stay in place until a deal is made that has Putin back off from Crimea, from Ukraine, from Syria and the Iranians stop their human rights abuses, support of terrorism, stop pursuing nuclear weapons, and the ability to deliver those weapons. I think it’s very clear the Congress, in a very bipartisan fashion, 98-2 [in the Senate]… 419-3 in the House on the sanctions bill, that the Congress overwhelmingly is concerned that this President might lift sanctions, not make them tougher, lift sanctions and wants to make sure that is not done without the Congress' participation.”

On Trump's Transgender Ban

“The President, in putting out his tweets, which I think were to appeal to prejudice and division and not consistent with the Armed Forces asking for, nevertheless, that Generals ‘have told me.’ I don’t know what Generals he's talking about. When I hear the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff had no idea that he was going to do this, it's another indication that the only reason it was done was to appeal to some House Members and the Hartzlers of the Congress who wanted to and offered an amendment to discriminate against those transgender members of the Armed Forces, which was rejected by a bipartisan vote of the Congress. This was an effort to go around the Congress, not have the courage to face this one more time on the Floor of the House of Representatives, which that amendment would have lost and do indirectly what they couldn't do directly. It's a shame. It's wrong. It's shocking that this was not done in consultation with and with the agreement of the leaders of our Armed Forces.”