Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) appeared on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell to debate the effects of the government shutdown. In a tense interview, Mitchell prods Duffy about the specific effects on military veterans’ families. Duffy counters and argues that it’s wrong for government officials to exempt themselves from the coverage they are forcing on the rest of us. Mitchell claims that is non-negotiable and he shouldn’t even bring that issue up. Then things get even more intense.
Duffy brought up an interview with the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, where she was famously destroyed by John Stewart, who mocked the failure of the technical systems that sign people up for Obamacare. Mitchell defended Sebelius, positing that Sebelius might say that the systems were failing due to the fact that they really wanted a single payer system.
Duffy immediately tore into Mitchell, “You say ‘I think this is what they’ll say’ but you don’t KNOW what they would say because YOU HAVEN’T ASKED!” Mitchell then tried to deflect by painting Duffy into a corner over death benefits for the military, bemoaning the fate of military families. She keeps trying to pass the blame for their suffering to Republicans like the Wisconsin congressman, but he brushes that right off and claims he will pass any bill in the short-term to get veterans the benefits they need. The full interview is below.
