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Interview with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Obamacare Could Cause Tough Elections for Democrats; NSA Tracking Billions of Cell Phones; Researchers Work to Keep Drowsy Drivers from Causing Accidents; Prosecutor Announces Decision on FSU Quarterback
Aired December 05, 2013 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama trying to fire up the Democratic Party base. He's shifting focus back to the economy and the middle class and he's trying to move past the problems with the Obamacare website. Those problems, however, could make things tough for some Democrats up for re-election in the coming year.
Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the author of the new book "For the Next Generation: A Wake-up Call to Solving Our Nation's Problems." She's also chair of the Democratic National Committee. And she's joining us today.
Congressman, thanks very much for coming in.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D), FLORIDA & DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN: Thank you. Good to be here.
BLITZER: You argue the Democrats should not run away from the Affordable Care Act, in fact, they should be proud of the Affordable Care Act. But plenty of Democrats who are pretty nervous about the Obamacare website, and the problems that have been caused by it, could hurt their chances of re-election or election?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: More than just arguing that they shouldn't run away, I'm arguing, and believe, that Democrats through next year's election will be able to run on the Affordable Care Act and its benefits as an advantage.
BLITZER: What if it's not working? What if the website really isn't working and --
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: But is it working.
BLITZER: But what if the numbers aren't there, the million healthy young people who need to get insurance in order to subsidize older, sicker, poorer people who are going to be getting a lot of insurance?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: What we're focused on is making sure people know about the benefits, have an opportunity to go on the website, like they have been since Monday, where over two million in people in the last three days, Wolf, have been able to get on healthcare.gov, shop around, compare plans. And tens of thousands signed up in the last few days. Making sure people who have a preexisting condition, like I do as a breast cancer survivor, can't be dropped or denied coverage for that preexisting condition, making sure people have life-saving access to preventive care so that they can stay healthy instead of only getting access when they're sick. Those are critical benefits, when cared to what Republicans want do, which is repeal or sabotage the Affordable Care Act or shut down the government and hold the economy hostage in order to do it, that's the choice voters will have. And I think voters will choose our candidates who have been trying to give them quality, affordable health care.
BLITZER: You're a breast cancer survivor.
(CROSSTALK)
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: In fact, my six-year anniversary's this weekend.
BLITZER: Everything's OK?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes, thank god.
BLITZER: It's good to know that.
So you have to switch insurance, right?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: Because you're a member of Congress. You have to go to the healthcare.gov website. Have you done all that already?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes. I'm in the middle of comparing plans for my own family right now.
BLITZER: Why are you waiting so long? It started October 1st. It's December.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I'm a little busy, so --
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: How long does it take to get -- I mean, you have to --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: You want to have the same doctors, the same hospitals, the same access as you -- you look your medical treatment that you received over the years?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: Will you be able to have that?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes, absolutely. I --
BLITZER: Are you sure?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I'm 100 percent sure. I've already found -- (CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Though you haven't signed up yet?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Right. I've found plans on the D.C. shop that members of Congress are eligible for and our staff, that have my doctors, that have the benefits that are essential for my family.
BLITZER: So what --
(CROSSTALK)
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: In fact, actually, with dental care -- I'm a mom. I have three kids. Two of my kids are going to need orthodontia next year. I have a plan that has better coverage for their orthodontia and their dental plan than the plan that we have now.
BLITZER: What about cost? Will you be paying more, will you be paying less? How is that working out?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: It's really a choice. The choice I have is to pay a higher deductible -- we don't have a deductible on our plan now that we use -- and have lower premiums or pay higher premiums and have a lower deductible. I'm kind of actually in the midst of trying to figure that out.
BLITZER: But you have access to the same companies, whether Blue Cross, United Healthcare?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: All right. The same -- who did you used to use?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Blue Cross Blue Shield.
BLITZER: Will you continue with Blue Cross Blue Shield?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I can, if I want to, still use Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida or --
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: So basically the same policy?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: -- or Aetna or United Healthcare. There's 112 choices.
BLITZER: You'll basically have the same -- you'll have the same policy, basically?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: At the same cost or more?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: No, I can -- I will either have the same cost or little bit less. I can pay more if I want a totally zero deductible plan.
BLITZER: Your staff can continue as it used to continue?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Most of the staff are paying less.
BLITZER: Are they going to the Affordable Care Act, too?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes. They're all going to be. My staff is all going on the exchange.
BLITZER: You told them that you want them to go the Affordable Care Act?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: You saw the controversy with Harry Reid?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Yeah.
BLITZER: That his staff --
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: My staff is all going.
(CROSSTALK)
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: All of my eligible staff is going on the exchange.
BLITZER: Is that a political problem for the Democrats? The Democratic leader in the Senate decided he would do what Mitch McConnell didn't do, what the other leaders -- Nancy Pelosi didn't do, what the speaker didn't do. Is that a problem?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: The Affordable Care Act is about choice, making sure everybody has access to the quality affordable health care and can make their own choices, and each member has to make their decision.
BLITZER: I want to get your quick reaction. We're now hearing from "Politico," other sources -- Dana Bash just interviewed Eric Cantor -- that Republicans are now tutoring some Republicans --
(LAUGHTER)
-- are not dealing with women's issues because of some of the Todd Akin gaffes and other problems in the last -- you're smiling, you're laughing. Why is that so funny?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: It's a riot that Republicans feel, if they just give their candidates sensitivity training, that this is going to clear up all of the problems that they have with women voters. What they need to do is have some sessions on the issues that are important to women and how bad their policies are for women. They oppose Equal Pay for Equal Work legislation. They oppose -- they've tried to defund Planned Parenthood repeatedly, cut out Title X funding, which is family planning. They've consistently tried to have bosses be able to make decisions for women's health care choices. They are totally wrong on the issues that matter to women and that's why they keep losing the women's vote, and they will continue to.
BLITZER: So the schooling, the tutoring, you don't think will make much of a difference?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Learning how to be touchy-feely is not going to be the key to their success.
BLITZER: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee. She's smiling, laughing.
(LAUGHTER)
She likes that story obviously.
Congresswoman from south Florida.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thanks very much for coming in.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Happy holidays.
BLITZER: Thank you. You, too.
Just ahead, new revelations from Edward Snowden on the global reach of the National Security Agency. The number of cell phones it's tracking around the world might, probably will, astound you.
Also, what if you were convicted of a crime you did not commit? This is an incredible story, an innocent man sent to prison for 25 years for killing his wife and his fight to clear his name. Watch CNN Films' "An Unreal Dream," tonight, 9:00 p.m. eastern.
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BLITZER: The super secret National Security Agency actively monitoring hundreds of millions of cell phones around the world. That, according to today's "The Washington Post" based on top secret documents divulged by Edward Snowden. They reveal the spy agency's gathering five billion cell phone records every 24 hours.
Brian Todd is looking into the story.
Brian, cell phones belonging to American as well, are they part of this?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inadvertently sometimes, Wolf, yes. According to the "Post" report, according to what we're told by an intelligence official, the NSA, as you know, not allowed to spy on Americans. And senior U.S. intelligence official tells our Evan Perez the location program, the one reported on, is focused on foreign targets. And the NSA says it does not intentionally target American but the whereabouts of the phones of some Americans overseas and some in the U.S. could be collected inadvertently in these operations. A senior U.S. official tells Evan Perez they try to minimize that. When an innocent American's cell phone's location is collected, they try to remove that from the database as soon as collected, Wolf. So they're trying to minimize and avoid targeting innocent American's cell phones.
BLITZER: What does the NSA do with all that information?
TODD: It's really intended to find what they call co-travelers, people who might be traveling with or meeting up with people they're surveilling. Possible targets of their surveillance. These are unknown associates, not known at the time, but they target -- the way they do it is they target the person who they are surveilling, they follow that person's cell phone, the location of that cell phone. Because the cell phone towers where that target is -- in the area where that target is moving around in give them that information, shows where the target is located. Then to track associates of that person, they follow signals that may be moving alongside the target signal, or signals that may be arriving at the same location at the same time, indicating a possible meeting.
It's fascinating the way they do it. It's through tracking the signals that the cell phone towers send about the locations of the cell phones being used by those targets.
BLITZER: Fascinating stuff.
TODD: It is.
BLITZER: Amazing when you think about the numbers, five billion.
TODD: Five billion a day.
BLITZER: Amazing.
TODD: That's records, not cell phones, but records.
BLITZER: Who can go through all of the material, yes?
(CROSSTALK)
TODD: It's complicated.
BLITZER: Thanks, Brian. Thanks very much.
The investigation into a deadly train cash focusing in on whether the engineer was asleep at the switch. But what about drivers who fall asleep behind the wheel?
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BLITZER: We're looking at what researchers are doing to combat drowsy driving, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Funeral services are taking place for some of the victims of Sunday's train derailment in New York. Four people died in the crash, 67 others injured. Two survivors already filed notices they plan to sue for negligence. One is seeking $10 million in punitive damages because of his injuries.
Another train accident today shut down part of the New Jersey Turnpike. Authorities tell our affiliate, News 12 New Jersey, that two tanker cars carrying a flammable liquid derailed. Officials say there was no leak and no evacuations were necessary. But Interchange 12 on the turnpike was shutdown temporarily as a precaution.
The investigation into Sunday's deadly crash has focused in on the engineer. A union representative said William Rockefeller nodded off at the controls. His attorney blamed it on what he called highway hypnosis. Whatever the case, the accident raises serious concerns of the dangers of drowsiness while operating any vehicle, including cars.
Our Rene Marsh takes a closer look at what researchers are doing to try to prevent people from falling asleep at the wheel.
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RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dramatic dashboard video captured a 71-year-old woman asleep at the wheel.
(SHOUTING)
MARSH: Her car crashes through the windshield of an oncoming car. Everyone survives.
And in Florida, police officers' dash cam captures a reported drowsy driver smashing into his cruiser -- both lived.
Drowsy drivers cause an estimated 40,000 injuries and more than 1500 deaths annually. Being awake for more than 20 hours can cause impairment equal to a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, the legal limit.
DR. GHOLAM MOTAMEDI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Similar to alcohol intoxication, your reflexes and responses and data processing speed would be slower.
MARSH: 20 percent of accidents include drowsy drivers. That's according to researchers here at Virginia Tech.
(on camera): And no sleep means bad moves on the road.
(voice-over): Awake for 21 hours, I got behind the wheel. I drove the 2.2 mile test track at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Nearly an hour later, cameras installed inside the car captured my eye movements. Slow blinking, one indication of a drowsy driver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's turn, put your turn signal on, that you're going to pass them.
MARSH: Oh. Wrong thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you start making errors. Now you're drifting outside the lane a little bit.
BRIAN LEESON, VITI RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: If I'm starting to kind of nod off, it follows my face down.
MARSH (voice-over): Virginia Tech researchers are developing facial tracking software that could one day be installed in vehicles.
(on camera): How did I do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was good. I mean, there was certainly, you had some effects of fatigue. I saw a lot of slow eyelid closure. I could definitely tell you were fatigued, but we made it back in one piece.
MARSH (voice-over): One sleep expert said a 10-minute nap can restore the body somewhat, but the more the better.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
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BLITZER: Americans could be hit with sticker shock at the grocery store. Milk for $7 a gallon? Yes, it could happen. We'll tell you why. That's next.
WILLIE MEGGS, FLORIDA STATE ATTORNEY: Geez.
(LAUGHTER)
Thank you all for coming today, and being here.
I'm going to read a statement, and then I'll try to entertain any questions you may have.
I know there's been a lot of concern about the length of time that we've taken to complete our investigation. But I want to assure you that our timing should not and has not been driven by any Heisman demands or football schedule. As we do with every case that comes before us, we wanted to be confident in the decision we make and make sure we make the right decision.
I have been in law enforcement nearly 50 years. And prosecution -- my prosecution experience has taught me that we need to handle each case equally and fairly. And it's a search for the truth. We did so in this case.
Our city has two universities, major universities here. And we've dealt with athletes on prior occasions and made decisions at some time to prosecute them if the facts merited it.
We're carefully examined all of the evidence in this case, and have concluded that no charges will be filed against anyone in this case. A public record of our investigation will be made available to anyone who wants it, and you'll be able to see the evidence that should lead you to us making the decision. That we have made.
I do want to commend Jason Newland (ph), here in the blue shirt. Jason was our investigator who has worked tirelessly for the last 13 working days to get us to this position we're in today, and I do want to commend him. This is Georgia Cappelman (ph), our chief assistant. She's worked hand-in-hand in the case, and so I want to commend her for the job she's done. And all of the law enforcement work that's been done in the case to arrive at this decision.
So at this point, I'll be happy to attempt to answer any questions that you may have.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Meggs, can you say if this -- is this vindication for Jameis Winston or not enough information to file the charges?
MEGGS: I'll let you all determine that when you review the facts.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The search warrant, it was clear that there was some accusation that there was a third person in the room. Can you explain how that third person was involved and were there any other people questioned as possibly responsible?
MEGGS: Start the first of your question again.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The search warrant indicated there was a third person in the room.
MEGGS: There were several people in the room when this event occurred.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And did you question --
MEGGS: They have all been questioned. And that's details in the reports you'll be able to look at.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How did you arrive at your conclusion that Jameis Winston should not be charged? Was there not enough information --
(CROSSTALK)
MEGGS: We have a duty as prosecutors to only file those charges if we have a reasonable likelihood of a conviction. After reviewing all of the evidence in the case, we did not feel that we could meet that burden. And therefore, we do not file a charge if we do not feel like we have sufficient evidence to make the charge.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Meggs, people are bound --
BLITZER: There's the lead county state attorney, Willie Meggs, making the announcement. No charges filed against Jameis Winston, the star quarterback for Florida University. He's a front runner for the Heisman Trophy. Florida State, the number-one college team in the country right now.
Martin Savidge has been following this story for us.
Martin, for viewers who are not necessarily familiar with the background, give us a little background. No charges now, we've learned, will be filed.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. This was a case that began almost a year ago, December 7th of 2012, when a young woman at Florida State University made the allegation to authorities that she had been raped. And that it was several days later, actually in January, when she then made the connection that it was Jameis Winston, who was the one who was responsible for that assault. An investigation began, but it seemed to also come quickly to an end in February when the Tallahassee police said the victim was no longer really communicating with the police department and wanted the charges or the investigation stopped. And that's where everything did seem to stop until last month when apparently news of this investigation was leaked to the media, and they began reporting it. And that's when the prosecutor's office said, wait a minute, how come we've never heard of this allegation? That's what sparked the state attorney's office investigating, which brings us to the announcement you just heard, which is that no charges will be filed.
BLITZER: No charges filed.
All right, Martin, thanks very much.
That's it for me this hour. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."
NEWSROOM will continue after a short break, with Brooke Baldwin.
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