“MEET THE PRESS” EXCLUSIVE: JOHNSON ON HEALTHCARE VOTE: ‘DELAY THE THING,’ SANDERS: ‘NO WAY ON GOD’S EARTH THAT THIS BILL SHOULD BE PASSED THIS WEEK’

Wis. Sen. Ron Johnson (R): “These bills aren’t going to fix the problem”

Vt. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I): “There has not been one public hearing” on healthcare bill

Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D) on party’s Pelosi criticism: “This is not about us having a family fight publicly” 

JUNE 25, 2017 – In an exclusive interview this morning, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd that, when it comes to the Senate healthcare bill vote slated for this Thursday, he “would like to delay the thing.” “There’s no way we should be voting on this next week. No way,” he said.

“What I find so disappointing is these bills aren’t going to fix the problem. They’re not addressing the root cause. They’re doing the same old Washington thing, throwing more money at the problem,” the senator added. Watch the full interview.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) exclusively agreed with Johnson on this morning’s broadcast to delay the Senate healthcare vote: “Sen. Johnson is right. There is no way on God’s earth that this bill should be passed this week.”

Sanders, who argued that “we need a serious discussion” and that “there has not been one public hearing” on health care, also addressed the week’s special GA-06 election: “There is a massive amount of demoralization on the part of the American people with the Democratic Party, with the Republican Party.” Watch the full interview.

Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) exclusively joined “Meet the Press” to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s leadership. “This is not about us having a family fight publicly,” said Ryan. In reference to this week’s special GA-06 election: “It would be hard for us to say that after five million being spent tying that candidate to her [Pelosi], that it didn’t have some effect. The Republicans wouldn’t still be using this if it didn’t have some effect. And so it’s still being used for a reason.” Dingell noted: “If you’d get pragmatic, we always attack the leader. I don’t care who it is.” Watch the discussion.

This morning’s roundtable, which discussed the week in politics, including the Better Care Reconciliation Act and Rep. Pelosi’s leadership, was comprised of The New York Times’ Helene Cooper, NBC News’ Hallie Jackson, The New York Times Magazine’s Mark Leibovich and syndicated columnist George F. Will.

Read the full transcript of this morning’s “Meet the Press” on MeetThePress.com.

For more from moderator Chuck Todd throughout the week, sign up for the “First Read” newsletter, and subscribe to the “1947: The Meet The Press Podcast” for on-demand interviews.

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