Interview With Rep. Elijah Cummings
BLITZER: Let's get back to our top story right now. Sources telling CNN there were red flags early on that the Obamacare Web site rollout could have some major problems. We're learning that no one person was really in charge of the entire operation. Here's a question. Should someone be held accountable for the failures? Let's discuss with Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland. He's the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.</s>REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D), MARYLAND: Good to be with you, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: I know you must be very frustrated. Were you surprised to learn that apparently no one was really in charge of this Web site rollout, even though they had a couple years to plan for it?</s>CUMMINGS: Yes, a bit surprised. But Wolf, what we've got to concentrate now on is making sure that the Web site works. And I'm hoping that Republicans and Democrats will see this not as a partisan issue, but as one that we have to make work for all the American people. Failure is just not an option.</s>BLITZER: Well, let me get to that point, because your responsibility is congressional oversight --</s>CUMMINGS: That's right.</s>BLITZER: -- and when there are mistakes in the executive branch of the government, your responsibility is to learn from those mistakes, report to the American people what happened, and then hopefully we won't repeat those mistakes down the road.</s>CUMMINGS: That's exactly right.</s>BLITZER: So, your committee has a legitimate oversight responsibility right now, you and Darrell Issa, the chairman of your committee.</s>CUMMINGS: That's right. We certainly do. And what we -- Chairman Issa has already said that he wants to look into this matter. But I want to make sure that this does not turn out to be one of those situations where the chairman makes these allegations, the press don't follow up on them to make sure they're true or false, and then later we find out that they are absolutely inaccurate. So we've got to do -- I've said to Chairman Issa over and over and over again, I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So we're going to be looking into it and trying to make sure that we make it work. Keep in mind, Republicans have spent the last few years trying to repeal it over 45 times, trying to defund it, trying to delay it. And so I have not seen a lot of effort on their part to make the law better but simply to destroy it. So that's the kind of issue that I'm working with, Wolf, on my committee. I've got to make sure that we all work together to make sure that the law works for millions upon millions of Americans who need health care.</s>BLITZER: I read that letter you wrote, Chairman Issa, today. I will read a line from it because it suggests to me, correct me if I'm wrong, you don't have a lot of confidence in the way he's going to conduct this investigation. "In the committee's past investigations, you write involving operation Fast and Furious, the attacks in Benghazi and the IRS review of applicants for tax exempt status, your approach has been to leap directly to accusations against the White House and top administration officials with no basis in fact." Here's the question. You have confidence that the chairman will be fair and responsible in this current oversight investigation?</s>CUMMINGS: You know, Wolf, I want to think that. I want to believe that. But you know, I think what I'm seeing now is the same play and the same scene all over again. We saw the chairman make strong allegations which were inaccurate with regard to Benghazi and Fast and Furious and IRS. And only to find out that those allegations were simply not accurate and had no basis of fact. So it makes my job a little tougher. While I want to make sure that government operates properly and I'm going to do that, I also have to make sure that we get all of the facts so that we can make proper decisions and so that we can truly bring about the reform that's necessary and do what you just said, be able to inform the American people of what happened. Not a little snippet here or snippet there, but the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth.</s>BLITZER: Should someone be held accountable for these failures?</s>CUMMINGS: I always believe that you've got to hold somebody accountable. And I think the president, that's his job. He will look into that. We don't know all the facts yet. But the president will determine that. But the more important thing is right now, we are in the midst of trying to make sure that all of these people who have gone to the Web site, over 19 million now, that they are able to get the information that they need so that they can access insurance information so that they can become insured. So I want to concentrate on that right now. And I believe that the president, knowing him as I do, he is one who pursues excellence in everything he does. I can imagine that he's a bit frustrated right now. But I'm sure he will address all of that, and I would imagine that he is spending night and day, day and night letting people know exactly how he feels. But let me tell you something, Wolf. I have absolutely, unequivocally no doubt, none, that we will have this matter resolved, that the Affordable Care Act will go forward, and the people who have been granted this wonderful opportunity to finally be able to get accessible and affordable health care will have that opportunity. This is so very important.</s>BLITZER: You know, a lot of us thought maybe there would be some problems with the Affordable Care Act down the road but very few -- I don't think anybody who is not on the inside -- thought that as far as a Web site, given the high-tech orientation of this president, this administration, that launching a Web site would be this humiliating and this embarrassing. I assume you didn't have a clue about that.</s>CUMMINGS: No, I did not expect this. But you know, Wolf, we've seen this before. You know, a lot of operations when they first come out, the technical people tell me they've have these kind of problems. But again, you know, we are -- the president I know is bringing in the very, very best people in our country to make sure they address this. As I said to my constituents over and over again -- let me tell you something, Wolf. If we can send somebody to the moon, we certainly should be able to deal with this. And so we will. I don't think people should panic. I don't think that the Republicans should go around looking for the doomsday. It's very interesting, you hear them over and over again, oh, we're in trouble. Oh, we won't be able to do this, we won't be able to do that. Please. We're better than that. We're a better country than that. And we will get this done.</s>BLITZER: Do you have confidence in Secretary Sebelius?</s>CUMMINGS: I have confidence in Secretary Sebelius, and I guarantee you by the time we get into December and the time the people -- in March when people have to have all this done, we will have the kind of results that we need. Believe me, sometimes you have a problem early in a situation, Wolf, and that allows you to make those corrections early so that it clears the path so that you can get to where you've got to go. I've lived long enough and seen enough to know that that's the case. So, it's going to be fine. It will be fine. Trust me.</s>BLITZER: Elijah Cummings, one of those hearings in your committee is supposed to start; we know that another House committee starts this Thursday, continues next week. Sebelius will testify next week. This week, some of the contractors will testify. When are you expecting your committee to launch hearings?</s>CUMMINGS: I would imagine sometime within the next two to three weeks. That is going to depend on Chairman Issa. He calls those balls and strikes. But again, you know, we'll have in the House the executives from CGI, the computer folk, they'll come in and they'll talk about the surges (ph). Of coruse, that's not our committee. But I think we'll learn a lot there. And so --</s>BLITZER: We'll learn a lot on Thursday during this initial hearing, and they're testifying, these contractors who created this Web site. We've got to run. Congressman, thanks as usual for joining us.</s>CUMMINGS: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: Elijah Cummings of Maryland, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Just ahead, efforts to legalize marijuana may have received a little bit of a boost today. We have new poll numbers. Stand by for that. And as CNN prepares to bring you an extraordinary documentary about killer whales this week, we are taking a closer look back at some of the most famous orca of them all.