CYNTHIA: IT’S A RACE TO THE FINISH LINE. TONIGHT, CAUCUS-GOERS WILL GET ONE STEP CLOSER TO MAKING A DECISION AND GET TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS OF THE CANDIDATE. >> THIS IS A KCCI EIGHT NEWS SPECIAL PRESENTATION, COMMITMENT 20, THE UNDECIDEDS. CYNTHIA: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO A KCCI SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT WERE CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH UNDECIDED IOWA CAUCUS-GOERS AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. TONIGHT WERE TALKING WITH TOM STEYER, A BUSINESSMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST. FIRST, LET’S MEET OUR PANEL OF UNDECIDEDS. CASEY DAVIS IS A FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO THE UNDERINSURED AND UNINSURED. SHE WAS RAISED IN DES MOINES AND HAS DEGREES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA AND DEPAUL UNIVERSITY IN CHICAGO. ADAM KOCH IS STUDYING POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS SINCE THE 2016 ELECTION. IVETTE LIVES IN DES MOINES AND IS A MOTHER TO EIGHT CHILDREN. MIDGE SLATER HAS WORKED FOR THE IOWA FEDERATION OF LABOR AFL-CIO AND STUDIED AT PITTSBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND COMING INTO BE A PART OF THIS. WE KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING CLOSELY TO A LOT OF THE CANDIDATES AND WANT TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT TO THANK TOM STEYER FOR BEING HERE WITH US. LET’S MEET THE CANDIDATE, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. TOM: I’M MARRIED, I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE FOUR KIDS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 AND 31. I STARTED A BUSINESS IN ONE ROOM WITH NO EMPLOYEES AND THE ROOM DIDN’T EVEN HAVE ANY WINDOWS. I BUILT IT INTO A PRETTY BIG INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS. I TOOK THE GIVING PLEDGE TO GIVE AWAY THE BULK OF MY ASSETS TO GOOD CAUSES WHILE I’M ALIVE. I WALKED AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS AND I’VE SPENT THE LAST 10 YEARS BASICALLY BUILDING COALITIONS OF ORDINARY AMERICAN CITIZENS TO GO AGAINST UNCHECKED CORPORATE POWER AND TO SPREAD BROADER DEMOCRACY. DURING THAT TIME, ’VE GONE UP AGAINST AT THE BALLOT BOX OIL COMPANIES AND UTILITIES AND TOBACCO COMPANIES. I HAVE PUSHED LEGISLATIVELY FOR A VARIETY OF ISSUES, INCLUDING CLEAN ENERGY ISSUES AND JUSTICE ISSUES. I’VE ALSO STARTED ONE OF THE BIGGEST GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, NEXGEN AMERICA. NEXGEN AMERICA GOES DOOR-TO-DOOR WITH UNION PARTNERS TO KNOCK ON TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOORS AROUND THE UNITED STATES, BUT IN ADDITION WE HAVE ORGANIZED YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 35. IN 2018 WE HAD THE LARGEST YOUTH VOTER MOBILIZATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY. WE WERE ON 19 CAMPUSES IN IOWA. WHERE WE WERE, WE MORE THAN DOUBLED YOUTH TURNOUT IN THOSE PLACES AND ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THOSE SWING DISTRICTS FOR DEMOCRATS. SO I’M RUNNING FOR A VERY SIMPLE REASON, I THINK WE HAVE A BROKEN GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND I’M RUNNING TO RETURN TO A GOVERNMENT OF, BY, AND FOR THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED THAT BEFORE WE GET ANY OF THE POLICY ISSUES, HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION, CLIMATE, AND A LIVING WAGE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET THEM UNTIL WE BREAK THAT CORPORATE STRANGLEHOLD ON OUR GOVERNMENT. CYNTHIA: WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR ADS WHICH FOCUS ON THAT AND GIVING GOVERNMENT BACK TO THE PEOPLE. YOU MENTIONED HEALTH CARE, AND THAT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THIS RACE. YOU REFERENCED A PRETTY AMBITIOUS PLAN TO HAVE A FEDERAL OPTION THAT WOULD BE SO ENTICING THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO LEAVE THEIR PRIVATE INSURANCE IN FAVOR OF THIS FEDERAL OPTION. AND YOU PROVIDE SOME BULLET POINTS ON HOW TO ACCOMPLISH PROVIDING FEDERAL HEALTH CARE TO EVERYONE WITH PRIVATE COMPANY STILL INVOLVED? TOM: THE WAY IT WOULD WORK IS THIS. BASICALLY, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT EVERYBODY WANTS IN HEALTH CARE, WE WANT HEALTH CARE TO BE A RIGHT FOR EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN, AND WE WANT TO DRIVE DOWN THE COST OF HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE HAVE A HEALTH CARE COST CRISIS. THE IDEA OF A PUBLIC OPTION IS TO HAVE AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY TO JOIN MEDICARE. THAT MEANS EVERYBODY WOULD BE COVERED, BUT WE WOULD USE THE NEGOTIATING POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DRIVE DOWN THE COST OF DRUGS. WE WOULD GET RID OF THE HUGE OVERHEAD IN THE PRIVATE SYSTEM AND THE INSURANCE SYSTEM BECAUSE MEDICARE HAS A VERY LOW OVERHEAD RATE. AND WE WOULD USE THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DRIVE DOWN THE COST OF HOSPITALS AND TRYING GO AFTER FRAUD IN THE SYSTEM, WHICH IS HUGE. WHAT WE WOULDN’T DO IS REQUIRE EVERYBODY WHO HAS NEGOTIATED FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE TO BE PART OF THEIR WAGE AND BENEFITS PACKAGE TO CHOOSE IT. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN IS FOR THEM TO CHOOSE IT ON THEIR OWN, TO GO TO THEIR EMPLOYERS AND SAY GIVE ME THE MONEY YOU ARE PAYING INTO THE SYSTEM, I’M GOING TO BUY MY OWN HEALTH CARE. FIRST OF ALL, I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO. IT’S STILL A FREE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO MY HEALTH, MY FAMILY’S HEALTH, OUR LIVES. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME CONTROL AND MAKE THE DECISION, AND I WANT EVERYONE ELSE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SAME CHOICE. CYNTHIA: YOU MENTIONED DRIVING DOWN THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, AND I KNOW YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. >> I CERTAINLY AM, PARTICULARLY AS A RETIREE YOU NOW. I’M WELL AWARE THAT AMERICANS ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE IN A NEGOTIATED HEALTH CARE PLAN, WHICH I LIVED WITH FOR A LONG TIME AS A UNION REPRESENTATIVE, OR WHETHER WE HAVE MEDICARE AS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE. PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS, INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND CO-PAYS ARE INCREASING FASTER THAN THE RATE OF INFLATION. CO-PAYS ESPECIALLY ARE BECOMING UNBEARABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PAYING FOR SUPPLEMENTAL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU WILL REFORM THE SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT ALL AMERICANS HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, AND THAT DEFINITELY INCLUDES PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. TOM: I THINK YOU HAVE PUT YOUR FINGER RIGHT ON THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS WE HAVE A COMPOUNDING AND EXPLODING HEALTH CARE CALLS CRISIS, AND IT’S HITTING EVERYONE IN AMERICA, AND IT IS REALLY EATING UP ANY RACIST PEOPLE GET AT WORK. THEY GO RIGHT TO THE INCREASING COST OF PAYING INTO THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS TRUE ABOUT THE WAY UNITED STATES RUNS OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT NEGOTIATE AGAINST THE DRUG COMPANIES. EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD NEGOTIATES DRUG PRICES. FOR INSTANCE, INSULIN COSTS 10 TIMES MORE IN THEUNITED STATES THAN IT DOES IN CANADA. BECAUSE WE DON’T NEGOTIATE, BUT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DOES. THE DRUG COMPANIES GOT THE GOVERNMENT TO WRITE A LAW THAT YOU CANNOT DRIVE TO CANADA TO BUY YOUR DRUGS. I SAID I AM RUNNING BECAUSE THESE CORPORATIONS HAVE BOUGHT THE GOVERNMENT. THERE IS NO EXAMPLE WHERE IT IS MORE CLEAR THEN WITH THE DRUG COMPANIES, WHERE THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE AND CHARGE US MORE THAN THEY CHARGE ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD FOR THE EXACT SAME DRUGS. IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IT’S REALLY TRUE. SO WHEN I SAY THAT WE NEED TO BREAK THIS CORPORATE STRANGLEHOLD ON HER GOVERNMENT, HEALTH CARE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE , BECAUSE THEY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF US, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS LETTING THEM DO IT BECAUSE THEY OF THE GOVERNMENT. IT’S LIKE THE DRUG COMPANIES OR NEGOTIATING WITH THEMSELVES TO WRITE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS LAWS IN THEIR OWN FAVOR. THE RESULT IS IT JUST CHEWS UP EVERYBODY’I WAS A BUSINESSMAN FO DECADES. I UNDERSTAND NEGOTIATION. I PROMISE YOU, WE ARE GOING TO GO AFTER THESE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN RIPPING OFF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN AN OUTRAGEOUS FASHION FOR DECADES. IN THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN CONNIVING WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY GIVE A LOT OF MONEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF LOBBYISTS. IT’S REALLY NOT RIGHT. A LOT OF THESE ARE JUST ACADEMIC WORDS, BUT WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO SOMEONE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THEIR DRUGS, WHO’S GETTING SQUEEZED IN EVERY PART OF THEIR LIFE, IT’S JUST NOT RIGHT. SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO STAND UP FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND I PROMISE I WILL DO THAT. >> I THINK IT IS NOT RIGHT THAT SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND THE FOOD THAT MIGHT KEEP THEM HEALTHY AND NOT SO MUCH NEED THAT PRESCRIPTION DRUG. TOM: WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE HUMAN LEVEL, YOU SEE THOSE CHOICES. I HAD A MOM IN SOUTH CAROLINA SAY TO ME, TOM, I CAN EITHER TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO THE DOCTOR WHEN SHE HAD A LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS, OR I CAN PAY THE RENT. WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO? I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE DOCTOR. SHE SAID OF COURSE I AM, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHERE I WILL BE LIVING THE FIRST OF NEXTMONTH. THAT’S NOT RIGHT. CYNTHIA: AND IT’S NOT JUST RETIREES, EVEN YOUNG PEPLE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES HAVE CONCERNS. I KNOW YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. >> HOW WOULD YOU INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AS PRESIDENT? TOM: ADAM, I THINK THAT MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN AN UNRECOGNIZED ISSUE, TO A GREAT EXTENT, ACROSS SOCIETY. THINK WE ARE SEEING IT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, BUT ALL ACROSS IOWA. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN CLOSING MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES. I HAVE SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED $100 BILLION TO MENTAL HEALTH. YOU GOT TO TREAT MENTAL HEALTH LIKE HEALTH. IF YOU ARE SICK, YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, YOU NEED CARE, YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL CARE. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE A LOT OF TIMES, PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO ADMIT TO THE PROBLEM, FOR STARTERS. SO THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT CARE AND THEN THERE IS AN ABILITY TO GET CARE. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT, FOR WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN SOCIETY , AND IS NOT JUST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, BUT IT DOES GO ACROSS SOCIETY. THERE IS AN UNMET NEED HERE, AND PARTICULARLY IN IOWA. I WAS TRAVELING AROUND HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, TALKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE. WE ORGANIZE PEOPLE UNDER 35 AND I TALKED TO SOMEONE I THOUGHT WAS VERY SMART WHO HAD WORKED WITH THE GOVERNMENT FOR FOUR DECADES. I SAID, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN IOWA? HE SAID TO ME, MENTAL HEALTH. HE WAS BASICALLY SAYING UNCHECKED DEPRESSION, THAT BASICALLY THAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE WHOLE STATE, AND IT IS UNDERRECOGNIZED AND UNDERSERVED. CYNTHIA: SOME PEOPLE IN THE STATE ARE USING CBD WHICH IS ONLY PRESCRIBED FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS. THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT THE USE OF MARIJUANA. WITH ALL THE MEDICAL BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH MARIJUANA USE, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, AND IF NOT, HOW WILL YOU HOLD STATES ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW? IF YOU ARE FAR -- IF YOU ARE FOR LEGISLATION LEGALIZING MARIJUANA, WOULD YOU WRITE AN ORDER TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA ON A FEDERAL LEVEL? TOM: I AM FROM CALIFORNIA PV DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION -- CALIFORNIA. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? [LAUGHTER] CALIFORNIA HAS LEGALIZED MARIJUANA. I THINK WE HAVE ALLOWED DRUG POSSESSION TO PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL, OFTEN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND I DON’T SEE HOW THAT IS HELPFUL AT ALL. I’M STRAIGHTFORWARDLY FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. I THINK IT WOULD SOLVE A LOT OF ISSUES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. I THINK THAT IT WOULD UNCLOG OUR COURTS. THERE’S A WHOLE BUNCH OF REASONS WHY I AM FOR IT. I’M DEFINITELY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY IT ISN’T LEGAL EVERYWHERE. I HAVE NEVER USED IT, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, IT IS EFFECTIVE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE SAID IT HAS WORKED VERY WELL PERSONALLY FOR THEM. WHEN I ASKED WHY IT WASN’T LEGAL EVERYWHERE, I SAID, WHO OPPOSES THIS? I WAS TOLD DRUG COMPANIES, BECAUSE IT IS TOO CHEAP AND IT IS BETTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE OFFERING. THAT IS A BAD REASON, RIGHT? >> SO WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IF YOU CAN’T GET THE VOTES? TO I DON’T KNOW IF A PRESIDENT CAN SIGN AND EXECUTIVE ORDER TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA. I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW THE LEGALITY OF THAT. BUT I WILL WORK FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, FOR SURE. I DEFINITELY BELIEVE IT AND I’M NOT EQUIVOCAL ON THAT. CYNTHIA: YOU GOT YOUR ANSWER THERE.