ICYMI: From the Bangor Waterfront, Senator Collins Discusses Health Care Reform, Opioid Crisis on MSNBC’s “Live With Hallie Jackson”

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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins appeared on MSNBC’s “Live With Hallie Jackson” today with host Hallie Jackson to discuss health care reform and the opioid crisis from the Bangor waterfront.

A transcript of the interview follows:

“Live With Hallie Jackson”

August 21, 2017

JACKSON: Republican senator Susan Collins of Maine may have some, as well, for the president. She’s joining us exclusively now. Senator, thank you for being with us here.

COLLINS: Well, welcome to Bangor, Maine.

JACKSON: I want to talk about what’s going on in Washington, but I have to start with the news of the day, which is what is happening in Afghanistan. You have watched this war play out for 16 years. Are you confident that the president can execute some kind of a successful strategy, if it means increasing the number of troops on the ground?

COLLINS: Well, we need to hear the strategy that the president is going to present tonight. I will say two things. And that is that in the past 16 years, our efforts in Afghanistan, which have cost the lives of so many troops, have lacked focus. There hasn't been a strategy. Second, we need a strategy that is going to deal with the influence of countries like Pakistan, like Iran, like Russia.

JACKSON: So, if the president decides to stay the course, as he may do, is that enough for you?

COLLINS: I’m worried about that, because if you look at a map of Afghanistan, the Taliban has made enormous gains in the last couple of years. I don't want Afghanistan to be a safe haven for terrorist attacks the way that it was prior to the attacks on our country on 9/11. But this is a very difficult issue. And I’m glad that there's been a detailed analysis of what to do. That’s what we needed.

JACKSON: I know you will be watching that address tonight as well as people across Maine. It will likely be in the front page tomorrow. What was in the front page today, I want to show you of the Bangor Daily News, and that is the protests over the weekend. Charlottesville and the aftermath of what happened there have been driving a lot of the conversation, and in the wake of that, your republican colleague, Senator Corker questioned President Trump's competency. Senator Tim Scott said the president had compromised his moral authority. What do you say about the president's response?

COLLINS: The president had an obligation, a moral obligation to speak with absolute clarity from the very beginning. And stick with that to denounce the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists, the anti-Semitism that we heard, and unfortunately he wavered back and forth. There are no good neo-Nazis.

JACKSON: What does that say to you about his leadership?

COLLINS: In this case, I think the president failed to meet the standard that we would have expected a president to do in a time like that. There should be no place for hatred, bigotry and racism in this country. And he should have said that very clearly. He did at times, but then he wavered back and forth.

JACKSON: Given your concerns about that, senator, at what point, though, given what we heard from your republican colleagues, does that talk turn into action? At what point, if any, do you not support his re-nomination?

COLLINS: Well, I didn't support the president when he was our party's nominee. That was a very difficult position for me to take. I’d never taken it before. Instead, I wrote in the name of Paul Ryan. And that was very hard to me to do as a lifelong republican.

JACKSON: So what happens, he is already running for re-election, what is happening next?

COLLINS: It is too early to tell now. There is a long ways between now and that point.

JACKSON: Do you think he will end up the party's nominee in 2020?

COLLINS: It’s too difficult to say.

JACKSON: Let me ask you about health care, because hat is something that was critical to the president on the campaign. You were one of the pivotal no votes on that. Let me ask you this, since there is still talk about this coming back up in the fall, is repeal and replace dead altogether?

COLLINS: Repeal without a replacement that is workable, that doesn't hurt vulnerable people, and destroy the ability to a health care in rural America, I hope it's behind us. That does not mean that our job is done. There are serious problems with the Affordable Care Act. High premiums, the insurers fleeing the markets, so that even if you have a subsidy there is no policy that you can buy. And we're starting hearings in the Senate Health Committee in September to address those issues.

JACKSON: So, to help stabilize the individual markets. Is that enough? Is that going to be the accomplishment you can point to when we talk on the December break?

COLLINS: It’s not enough. But it's an essential first step. I see a series of bills, where we address many of the problems that are associated with the ACA.

JACKSON: You have been trying to work to lower prescription drug pricing, for example, which is an example for a lot of folks here in Maine. Is that an area where you see bipartisan consensus?

COLLINS: I really hope so. I am so offended by an investigation that I conducted with Claire McCaskill last year on the Aging Committee, where we found that companies were buying these drugs from which the patent had expired and literally overnight hiking the cost of medicine by as much as 5,000%. We need to have a more competitive marketplace where generics are more readily available. And we're working with the FDA commissioner to do just that.

JACKSON: Two more very quick questions for you. Are you satisfied with Senator McConnell’s leadership on not just health care but and his response to President Trump and the way he's conducting his business?

COLLINS: I don't always agree with Senator McConnell, but I think he has been a good and effective leader.

JACKSON: You continue to back him as the leader of the Senate?

COLLINS: I do.

JACKSON: Opioid issues are, obviously, crucial here in Maine. If funding does come through for more prevention and help with people who are struggling with addiction, where does that go?

COLLINS: We need a three-prong approach, and we need to focus on prevention education and focus on treatment, and we need to focus on enforcement, we need to do all three. The most painful statistic in Maine is 1,000 babies were born last year to addicted mothers.

JACKSON: It’s a powerful statistic and one that is hard to hear. Before I let you go, there is obviously a lot of political discussion about your role, your future here in Maine. Are you going to run for governor?

COLLINS: I have not made a decision. On the one hand, a lot of seniority in the Senate, I’m 15th and I started out at 99th. And I serve on the Appropriations Committee which has allowed me to do a lot of good for the people of Maine. On the other hand, governor is more hands-on. You can do more to create good jobs. So, I’m weighing where I can do the most good for the people of Maine.

JACKSON: Does the person in the White House affect your decision all? Does the fact that it's President Trump, who you would be working with as a senator, who you clearly have disagreements with, play in with your decision?

COLLINS: No, not really. I want to evaluate where I can do the best for the people of Maine and I’m taking in a lot of advice from people.

JACKSON: Senator Collins I hope if and when you make that decision, you'll come back and share it with us. I appreciate you being here with us from Bangor, Maine, a place that you know well.