This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 28, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ERIC CANTOR, R-VA., HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: ObamaCare will preclude people from having the health care that they like. We have seen this law increase costs, and we are committed to changing that. We are committed to making sure that we can return to patient-based health care in this country, where we can keep costs low, and we can increase access. And that's why when we return the week of July 9th, I have scheduled a vote for total repeal of the ObamaCare bill to occur on Wednesday, July 11th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And that was House Majority Leader Eric Cantor who moments after the Supreme Court upheld the so-called affordable care act announced that the House would waste no time and hold a vote to fully repeal the law on July the 11th.
Joining me now in a prime-time exclusive with a preview of that vote is the man himself, the House Majority Leader, Congressman Eric Cantor. Congressman, good to see you. Welcome back.
CANTOR: Sean, good evening.
HANNITY: All right. Let's talk a little bit about how this now, you will again vote to repeal in the House, correct? Tell us what's going to happen.
CANTOR: No, that is correct. And really if you take a step back and look at the court's ruling today, it really underscores the choice that the American people have before them this election. You know, today's ruling indicated the direction that Barack Obama is going to take this country certainly as far as health care is concerned, and that is a vision that involves governmental intrusion into one's health care decisions unlike ever before. It is the law of the land now, the court has opined. The only way to change that is to make sure that in November, Barack Obama loses the election. It's that simple. If we want to return to a patient-centered health care future.
HANNITY: Yes. You know, it seems that it's pretty basic to me, and on top of this tax, a lot of people forget what they call taxmageddon, the Bush tax cuts schedule to expire which the president has said he's supported. What type of burden are we talking about on the American people if in fact both of those taxes are applied to them and to their families?
CANTOR: If you just look at, you know, an America, let's say, a senior citizen living off perhaps a stock portfolio with dividends, heavily relying upon those dividends and the kinds of stocks, maybe utility stocks that he or she would be invested in. Dividend taxes, if all these taxes go up, including the surtax on the ObamaCare now, you are talking about just the tax piece, and that's not including now that the interpretation of the courts mandate, you are talking about tax on a dividend going from fifteen to 43 percent.
You know, you are talking thousands of dollars for American families. And it is a serious, serious blow I think to people who are looking for a better economy. But even more than that, Americans who want to deal with the most personal decision of health care, now, the future holds if ObamaCare holds a health care future of government intrusion, Washington-based care, not patient-centered care the way most Americans want.
HANNITY: You know, it's amazing how strong the dissent was today. The tax argument, quote, "makes no sense." There's a mountain of evidence against the tax argument. More on the feeble tax argument. The court cannot rewrite ObamaCare to make the tax argument work. What do you make of the chief justice here? And I don't like to go after the court, they all have their reasons, but certainly the big surprise of the day was the Chief Justice John Roberts, siding with the liberal members of the court. But he didn't use their language because their argument was, and the president went out there and said, quote, "It's absolutely not a tax." What do you make of him actually, you know, rewriting the statute basically?
CANTOR: You know, obviously I respect the court. I disagree with this opinion. I disagree that we ought to have ObamaCare as the law of the land at this point. But really that's what elections are for. You know, by the Supreme Court's ruling, that court said that the law is legal. But it doesn't mean that it is just or it is the right policy, and that's what this election is going to be about. Again, the only way to stop this trajectory in terms of ObamaCare, and Lord knows a lot other, we are going to have to win this election. In order to repeal ObamaCare, we are going to have to vote out Barack Obama.
HANNITY: Yes. You know, even though it might be constitutional in the minds of five men in black robes and not constitutional in the minds of four men in black robes as Mitt Romney said, as Marco Rubio said and others today, it doesn't necessarily mean it's good for the American people, it's good for the economy, that it's good law.
All right. Let's go to the contempt vote that took place in Congress today against the attorney general, unprecedented, if never happened before. Tell us what happened today and where does the Congress go from here?
CANTOR: Well, you know, suffice it to say, Sean, you know, this is a very sad day when the attorney general of the United States is held in contempt by Congress. But if you look at the entire progression of this issue, with Chairman Darrell Issa and the conduct of his oversight and his committee, it was always the case that we were willing to act within reason, to ask this administration to come forward, to be transparent, to offer up the information that Congress was seeking, frankly, so that not only the family of the border agent could have the information, but really, so that the American people could realize the right to know and the right to know what happened and that it would not happen again.
And even as late as last week, Sean, what we had said to the administration and the attorney general was, if you come forward with the information we are asking, we would postpone the hearing to take a look at the information that you brought forward and then make the decision.
But even with that reasonable offer, this administration refused to act, and as we know, the president asserted executive privilege, cutting off the ability for us or the American people to realize the right to know.
So now with the Congress finding the attorney general in contempt, we also have to assume that this administration will not pursue that, which is why we also passed a contempt resolution authorizing its pursuit in civil court.
HANNITY: Let me ask you one question, going back to ObamaCare for just a minute. You know, if my kids get in trouble, and I expect every kid is going to make mistakes in life, that's fine, but they know that the worst thing that they can do is be deceptive or lie.
Do you think the president was purposely deceptive on the issue of this is not a tax? When questioned about it he used the words "this is absolutely not a tax."
That was the -- do you think the president and the Democrats were dishonest in that argument that they were making to the American people?
CANTOR: I think there are two cases in which representations were made, at least representations were made during the debate of that bill, and the reality now has turned out a lot different.
Well, I would say even more than two, Sean. But first is, you are right. Throughout the debate of this bill on the House floor and then some, representations were made to say, no, this is not a tax. This is not a tax.
We insisted this is a tax on the American people if you do not comply with the mandate of what Washington says health care coverage ought to be. And, of course, the court hung its opinion on the issue of that.
In fact, the administration's lawyers even asserted that as their theory for upholding the law. So the American people were told one thing and now realize the other.
Sean, the other issue that is of such import is most people who have their insurance today, they actually like their health care. They don't approve of the status quo because they think it's too expensive.
But the president, when we started this discussion, insisted that those who have their health care and like it can keep it. Well, as we know now, ObamaCare is going to produce a situation in which costs are going to going to escalate so high.
Employers and others are not going to be able to maintain this health care, and what will happen is they will gravitate into the state exchanges that will be under the Washington mandate that will actually not be the kind of health care that people know and like. And that, I think, is ultimately the personal misfortune that will beset the patients of this country.
HANNITY: The government will break their promises, sort of like the lock box for Social Security that doesn't exist?
Congressman, appreciate it. We will be looking forward to the vote coming on July 11th, and we appreciate you being here.
CANTOR: Thank you, Sean.
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