* Debbie Dingell, U.S. Congresswoman (D) Ann Arbor

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Live across the Great Lake State. You're connected to Michigan's
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Show starring Michael Patrick Shields, presented by Blue Cross, Blue
Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network.

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I'm producer and creative director Tony Cuthberts.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Now in the shadow of the Capitol Dome and Lansing.
He's heard from the beaches of Lake Michigan, to the
halls of power and behind closed doors. Here's Michigan's Michael
Patrick Shields.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what
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Speaker 4 (00:43):
If we played them ten times, they might win nine,
but not the game.

Speaker 5 (00:47):
We stay with them and we shut them down because
we can't.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
This is your time.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Now go out there and ticket.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Michael Patrick Shields is on the air. Good Morning World.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Ironically, that was Kurt Russell, who I once covered for
a magazine article and played golf with playing Herb Brooks,
who was the coach of the US Olympic hockey team
when they beat the Russians and went on to beat
Finland and win the Olympic gold medal. And it was
a moment that Al Michaels, the broadcaster, are called on ABC.

(01:20):
Al michaelsvable. Al Michaels is eighty one. Today he can celebrate.
I don't know if Congresswoman Debbie Dingle is celebrating. We're
going to find out right now. The Democrat who's on
our AT and T line from southeast Michigan, thank you
for being here and welcome to the program on a

(01:41):
morning when I think you're going to be called to vote,
aren't you.

Speaker 4 (01:45):
Absolute good morning? Like Chucks, it's always good to be
with you. I flew back with a bipartisan playing a
number of my colleagues, and we are here. I've been here,
I've been ready to work for the last seven weeks.
So I come back and forth. But my Republican colleagues
are back, so we'll see what's going to happen today.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
When you say you flew back on a bipartisan plane,
what do you mean by that? And what was the
airport experience like?

Speaker 4 (02:14):
It was not it? Look, I want to say this
to you. I've been talking to the air traffic controllers
and to TSA workers from the beginning of this. My
plane were a plane was delayed, and there were several
Republicans and several Democrats on the plane. We I probably

(02:34):
shouldn't say this, but I will. I was going through
air traffic control and said, I know all the TSA
and I know them all. I talked to them. I
want to know if they've got problems, We're trying to
help them. We've been there. And I looked at one
of the guys and I said, look, he's going to

(02:56):
vote to reopen the government and I'm going to keep
fighting for healthcare. And they said, perfect. Someone really does
care about us and we'll start getting paid again.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
That's fair. What about the people who are depending on
the government to operate smoothly and maybe even the assistance
of the government and maybe even affordable healthcare? Are they
now in peril?

Speaker 4 (03:22):
People that I'm going to tell you something, I am
very worried. Affordable care has not been taken care of.
Now we are going to keep fighting this fight. The
senators have a promise of a vote that it's not
clear what the vote's going to be, what's going to
be negotiated. In the House side, we have no promises
of a vote, but we are working very hard in

(03:43):
a number of ways to ensure that that is going
to come up. And you know, one of the things
I want to say to you too, Michael, is that
it is not only the extension of the Affordable Care
Tax Credit, but the consequences of the big blank that
we considered earlier. This year, people's work sponsored health insurance

(04:08):
is skyrocketing. Blue Crossed Blu Shield asked for a twenty
four percent increase from the state insurance company. Yesterday, I
spoke with someone whose employer based insurance has increased twenty
six percent, and they looked me in the eye and said,
I can't afford it. I'm not going to have insurance
next year. And I don't want anybody to forget. I

(04:29):
want no one to forget. Then, what we had a
legal contingency fund, and people in our state and across
this country who voted for Donald Trump, working sometimes two
or three jobs but still living below the poverty line
needed SNAP and we all the governor prepared the funded

(04:51):
one hundred percent. This president wanted to take it to
the Supreme Court fight giving Snap benefits and let people
be hungry in this country. That is cruelty. I hope
nobody forgets.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Do you feel that the Senate standoff was the appropriate
way to try to make a deal.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
Look, I'm very worried about government workers. I have many
of them in my district who are not being paid.
But at some point you've got to put a line
in the sand and fight for the issues that really
matter to people every single day. And Michiganers and people
across this country are struggling to afford many things. I

(05:34):
go to Kroger every Sunday morning. People come up to me.
They know I'm going to be there and show me
what the cost is of something that they are buying.
They can't afford housing, they can't afford their health insurance,
the goods. We're getting ready to go into the holidays
in the good cost of everything is up. So you know,

(05:55):
I'm fighting for people that I represent. I listen to them,
you know I'm out and I hear it in so
many different ways, in so many different places. And you've
got to figure out how you're going to fight.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
So philosophically speaking, yes or no? And could that tool
be used again in the future to make a point?
And what point was made?

Speaker 4 (06:20):
Well, a lot of people are wondering. First of all,
everybody now understands why their healthcare benefits are going up,
and that Republicans do not want to address the issue.
Republicans don't like the Affordable Care Act, which is given
millions of people across this country access to healthcare over
the years. And I think many are understanding that the

(06:42):
big blank bill that was passed earlier this year has
got real consequences. I think we're all going to have
to have serious talks about how, you know. I introduced
a bill during this session to pay TSA workers because
they were struggling. I met with the Air Traffic Control
workers the first day destrike. I've got a lot of

(07:05):
people in Ann Albert, the EPA Lab, the Noah Lab,
the Great Legs Lab. They're hurting. They're absolutely hurting. And
we got to figure out a way where we can
fight for what people want us to fight for. But
is it What are the ways that are possible to

(07:25):
do it without their being you know what, we don't
see government workers as hurt as they have been the
last two times.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
So if we had it to do over, do you
wish maybe we hadn't. In the Senate, there enacted the
longest shutdown in government history.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
I wasn't part of that. So I voted no in
the House and I now again today you are.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay the last minute that we have a word about
the post Nancy Pelosi US.

Speaker 4 (07:58):
Congress post and Nancy Post. Look, here's what I believe
about representative government. Nancy was a very strong, iconic woman.
Hakeem has now been the Democratic leader. This is his

(08:20):
third will be four years when this is done. We
have a lot of new members that have served five
terms or less, who have a lot of different perspectives
to bring. And you know, you've seen a lot of people.
Just a number of people that are leaving the Congress

(08:40):
in the last forty eight hours is kind of disconcerting.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
You're not going anywhere, are you.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
I've gone nowhere and I mean nowhere because I'm not
afraid to fight.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Michael Patrick's bless you and thank you. Congresswoman Debbie Dingle,
the Democrat from Michigan.

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