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Connect the World
Prince Philip Retires; Speaking to Macron Voters Ahead of Second Round; House Set to Vote For a Second Time On Obamacare Repeal Bill; Mark Zuckerberg Hits the Road. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired May 04, 2017 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:10] HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, HOST: Hello and welcome to a very special edition of Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones in, well you can
probably already tell where I am from this magnificent building behind me - yes, of course, it's Buckingham Palace here in the heart of London. And
we're following two huge stories for you today. One in the country, this place has a very special relationship with: America. There, right now,
Republicans are trying to prescribe changes to health care laws. It is perhaps the most important issue in perhaps the
world's most important country. Everything you need to know on that story in just a moment.
But first, the reason we are here outside Buckingham Palace, news from the royal family. The palace has announced that Prince Philip will retire from
his public duties. In a statement, the palace said The Duke of Edinburgh will continue his engagements until the end of August adding that he has
the full support of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II in taking this decision.
The Duke himself will turn 96 next month. After the announcement, he and the queen set out to attend a service at St. James' Palace. And just
yesterday, the duke was seen carrying out a solo event in London at (inaudible) cricket ground.
Well, the queen will continue with her full schedule along with support from other royals.
Well, Max Foster has been covering the royal family for many, many years and many, many hours today as well, Max.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But not Prince Philip anymore.
JONES: Not Prince Philip anymore.
I mean, when the call first went out this morning and lots of speculation, the rumor mill went into overdrive. I mean, he's 95, he's nearly 96. I
mean, he's expected to retire? Are you surprised?
It was one of the things we talked about before the announcement. I mean, basically what happened was they called a staff meeting here which they
tend to do. And in their world, this is a very big event, because one of their main principles they're not going to be working with in public any
more just behind the palace walls.
But it leaked, the information leaked and then there was this vacuum of information. I was told it wasn't the most serious, worst case scenario
which a lot of people were talking about but it was significant. And then we tried to figure it out.
So, Buckingham Palace is being refurbished. And then, yeah, then we talked about the Prince
Philip maybe stepping back, maybe the queen is stepping back. But she said she would never abdicate, so that's a natural conclusion, that's in fact,
you know, what transpired in the end as well.
So she's not going to abdicate, she's already said that. But you do get the impression that this is
the sort of the start of the transition of power to the younger generation.
FOSTER: If that was it, you can see a few things going on. So, someone is going to have to step in to Prince Philip's role on big state occasions,
for example, probably the most obvious person to do that is Prince Charles. So, if you imagine, then you got Prince Charles and the queen next to each other. As she steps back more, he steps
forward more. So, that helps with the transition whilst keeping the continuity.
We've also got Kate and William moving to London full-time now and taking up full-time responsibilities, so there is a transition, but they do things
at a glacial pace, because one of the most important things for the British monarchy is to represent continuity. And if there's a crisis in the
country, the people want to look to something that they know has been there and the great difficulty they have with the queen realistically is that
she's immensely popular, but we haven't known another monarch most of us, have we?
JONES: No. And she's 91 as well. So who knows how many more years she can go for.
But we saw the Duke of Edinburgh yesterday at Lord's Cricket Ground here in London. We've seen him today as well after that announcement. I'm
wondering, would this sort of announcement have been long in the planning or would it have been as a result of perhaps a change in his health?
FOSTER: I think it would have been in the planning and he wouldn't have been out and about today if it was his health, and yesterday. And, you
know, even over Christmas when he was ill playing down any concern about his health.
Obviously, he's older and he's more susceptible to becoming very ill. But they've never - certainly health is not the issue. This is Prince Philip
who, as you know, has got quite a character. He's very decisive. He says what he thinks just deciding he doesn't want to do it anymore. I think
that's what's happened.
And the queen after 70 years of marriage is accepting maybe he should be allowed to move on. So, I think it's as simple as that.
JONES: He does very much run the household behind us, though, we understand.
FOSTER: Yeah, that apparently is the deal that he'll stand behind her in public, but he runs things behind the scenes.
I know that, for example, he runs Windsor. He is the estate manager, effectively. And that's her and his, you know, treasured home. So he runs
things.
JONES: Max, thanks very much. We appreciate it.
Well, the British prime minister and Theresa May put out a statement reacting to the news. CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson
joins me now with more.
Nic, it's a busy time in British politics at the moment, and now it looks like we've got something of a royal shake-up with the British royal family.
Is this going to upset the apple cart somewhat?
[11:05:05] NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they're going to take it in their stride, although it does seem to have been
perhaps not that well choreographed between Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street.
10 Downing Street got out their statement, the prime minister's statement, within 10 minutes or so of the public statement from Buckingham Palace, so
there was some sequencing there. Of course, Theresa May had met with the queen just yesterday as she was dissolving parliament, that official
process, because there is, as you say, there's a lot going on. There's a general election in a month's time, there are local elections today, and
of course Britain's future relationship with the European Union is all out there.
So, what has Theresa May said? Well, what she has done is to remind the nation of how much the Duke of Edinburgh has done and particularly the Duke
of Edinburgh award which is something that involves so many young children in this country, of this almost rite of passage of doing service for others
and also building their own confidence in spending nights away from home hiking, all these
sorts of things.
This is how Theresa May put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: On behalf of the whole country, I wanted to offer our deepest gratitude and good wishes to his royal
highness, the Duke of Edinburgh. Following today's announcement that he will stand down from public duties in the autumn. From his steadfast
support for her majesty the queen to his inspirational Duke of Edinburgh awards and his patronage of
hundreds of charities and good causes, his contribution to our United Kingdom, the commonwealth and
the wider world will be of huge benefit to us all for years to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: This was something also that the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, commented on today and as one would expect, he was very much
in lockstep with the prime minister praising the work of the Duke of Edinburgh.
He also added he's -- this is a well-earned retirement. And again that would be certainly a
sentiment that will be echoed across the country, Hannah.
JONES: Certainly will be. And not many people who get to wait for their retirement until they're in their mid-90s. NJic Robertson in our London
studio, thanks very much.
Now, in just a couple of hours time, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a critical issue that affects every single American and yet
bitterly divides Americans mostly down party lines.
Republicans have been campaigning for years now on a promise to repeal and replace so-called Obamacare, former president Barack Obama's signature
health care law.
Well, it's become a personal mission for President Donald Trump and he's been furiously working the phones trying to get his first major legislative
win since he took office.
Well, Republicans say costs spiraled out of control under Obamacare while Democrats say the replacement bill would leave millions uninsured and
others unable to afford treatment for preexisting conditions.
A late night talk show host got many Americans talking with this very emotional plea.
`(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY KIMMEL: Before 2014 if you were born with congenital heart disease, like my son was, there was a good
chance you'd never be able to get health insurance because you had a preexisting condition. You were born with a preexisting condition. If
your parents didn't have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a preexisting condition.
If your baby is going to die and it shouldn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make. I think that's something whether you're a
Republican or Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Well, not all republicans are on President Donald Trump's side and the vote could be a cliffhanger. But it's highly unlikely that Republican
leaders would even schedule a vote unless they felt confident they had the numbers.
CNN's Joe Johns has more now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thanks to President Trump's leadership, Congress is going to vote to repeal and replace
ObamaCare.
JOHNS (voice-over): The crucial House vote on the GOP's amended health care bill just hours away, after a last-minute breakthrough gave House
leadership confidence to bring a vote to the floor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to pass it. We're going to pass it. Let's be optimistic about life.
JOHNS (voice-over): President Trump brokering a deal with two Republican hold-outs on pre-existing conditions, a popular provision that is not
guaranteed in the Republican bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were both yeses on the bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I support the bill with this amendment that's going to be included.
JOHNS (voice-over): The amendment adds $8 billion over five years to an existing $130 billion fund to finance high-risk pools in states where
patients with pre-existing conditions could be charged higher rates.
Though experts say the new funding falls far short of the protections guaranteed under ObamaCare, the White House insisting otherwise.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Talking about the pre- existing condition under Trumpcare, they're going to be fine?
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON: Yes.
[011:10:01] REP. JIM MCGOVERN (D), MASS.: On behalf of Democrats, we are disgusted. This latest backroom deal is nothing more than a Band-aid on a
catastrophic injury.
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) CALIFORNIA: They had made it -- put this forth to make it look like, oh, we've improved the bill. No, it doesn't improve the
bill. This is an insult to the intelligence of the American people.
JOHNS (voice-over): Democrats denouncing the vote without an updated cost and impact analysis from the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO's last
estimate projected 24 million people losing coverage by 2026 under the last GOP bill.
Prominent groups like AARP and the American Medical Association also fiercely lobbying lawmakers to oppose the bill. Republicans looking for a
win after failing to secure funding for the president's border wall and the spending bill passed by the White House on Wednesday.
Despite this, White House trying to spin the appropriations bill as a win. Press secretary Sean Spicer bringing images of a border fence already under
construction as evidence that funding was secured, even though the bill expressly restricts border security money being used to construct a wall.
SPICER: There are various types of walls that can be built. Under the legislation that was just passed, it allows us to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that's not a wall. It's a levee wall?
SPICER: That's what it's actually called. That's the name of it. It is called --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the fencing --
SPICER: No, no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Let's bring in our White House correspondent Athena Jones now for the very latest. And, Athena, before we talk about what's happening on The
Hill at the moment, let's talk about the significance of yet another executive order that we understand the president is signing right now at
the White House. What is it? And why is it significant?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hannah. Well, this is - you're right. He signed a lot of executive orders, more than 30. And he's set to
sign one in just a few minutes surrounded by religious leaders from around the country as part of a national day of prayer event. Right now he's
meeting with Catholic cardinals.
What this order does ultimately is that it could allow churches and religious organizations to become more politically active, that's because
it allows the Internal Revenue Service, the tax collection service here in the United States to exercise discretion in enforcing a 1954 measure known
as the Johnson amendment that said that tax-exempt organizations like churches could lose that tax-exempt status if they endorse or actively
promote a political candidate.
Now churches will be able to do that without having to fear that they'll lose that status.
I should tell you, though, that this is largely symbolic because the IRS is only enforced that provision once in all these years since 1954. Only one
organization has lost its tax exempt status.
But it is clearly a nod to conservatives and to the religious right that were an important part of the president's base. Of course, it stopped
short of an act of congress. The president talked on the campaign trail about getting rid of this amendment entirely. That will
take an act of congress. And we've seen how difficult it is to get things through this congress even with Republicans in control.
One last thing I should mention, not all religious organizations are in favor of this. The president of the Interfaith Alliance here in America,
Rabbi Jack Moline expressed concern that not having this amendment will mean that churches could be turned into political tools. Going further he
said churches could become conduits for unregulated contributions to political campaigns, which would not be a good thing - Hannah.
JONES: Well, Athena, aside from executive orders and what's happening right now in the White House behind you, let's talk about what's happening
on the Hill and President Trump still looking for that first big legislative win. It's on health care. Is he
going to get it through?
A. JONES: While the White House is optimistic, the House leadership is optimistic. We've had a bunch of our reporters up on Capitol Hill talking
to members they're encountering in the hallways ahead of this vote. And we know that House majority leader Kevin McCarthy
said that they absolutely have the votes. So they expect to get this through.
But it's important that -- and we're still going to have to watch the vote, because it could still be close. And even if it does pass this big
important hurdle in the House that will certainly be a win for the White House, but it's in many ways a partial win because of course the bill also
has to go to the Senate where it's going to face many of the same challenges it faced here in the house with divisions between conservative
Republicans and moderate Republicans concerned about whether or not enough people are going to be covered. So if it does pass, it will be an
important first step but, by far, not the end of this process - Hannah.
JONES: Athena, thanks very much. Athena is live for us there in Washington. And let's get you up to speed now on some other stories that
are on our radar right now on Connect the World.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi is meet with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi right now, a leading commander of the armed forces in the United Arab
Emirates. The president and they talked about challenges facing the region, including, of course, the crisis in Syria.
An explosion at a coal mine in northeastern Iran has killed at least 35 miners. Dozens were trapped after parts of the mine collapsed. Officials
say a build-up of methane gas caused the blast. Many rescuers who went into the mine to help had to be treated later for gas inhalation.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is always ready for, quote, genuine peace. It comes just a day after the Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas visited the White House. Both he and U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of a
new push for peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to create peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We will get it done.
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): Mr. President, we believe that we are capable and able to bring about
success to our efforts because, Mr. President, you have the determination and the desire to see it come to fruition and be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Well, we are here outside Buckingham Palace in London. We'll have plenty more from here throughout the program on Connect the World. We're
here because Prince Philip, Duke of Edinbugh, has announced that he is going to be stepping back from his public duties, retiring at the
grand old age of 95. Plenty more with me after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Hello and welcome back. You're watching CNN's Connect the World with me, Hannah Vaughan Jones. I'm here at Buckingham Palace. It's just
coming up to 20 past 4:00 this Thursday afternoon. And the reason we're here, of course, is because Prince Philip, the queen's
husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has announced this morning via a message from Buckingham Palace just behind me that he is indeed going to be
stepping aside from his public duties, stepping down and retiring if you like, from public life.
So that is our main story.
But we are also covering the world's other stories as well. And there are just three days to go, France goes to the polls, yes, on Sunday. And the
last debate of the campaign turned into quite a fierce battle. The far right leader, Marine Le Pen, and the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron
aggressively argued over radically different solutions on key issues like immigration, stagnant economy and terrorism. And one accusation brought up
by Marine Le Pen has even led to a complaint being filed.
Well, CNN's Jim Bittermann is live in Paris. Jim, they are into the final countdown now. The vote is on Sunday. It was a bitter on-screen battle
last night. Who won?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question. But I think most of the polls and (inaudible) would say this
morning that it was Emmanuel Macron. In fact, one snap poll right afterwards suggested that 63 percent of the French gave him more confidence
and had confidence in what he was saying as opposed to what Marine Le Pen was saying. It was a really raucous kind of fight last night, a very
bitter battle and the kind of thing that I think has left a bad taste and a lot of voters mouths just because of the way it was conducted.
One analyst said this morning it was the worst debate that he has ever seen.
Now Macron got a surprise endorsement today from former President Barack Obama who said
that he's not going to get involved in too many election campaigns, but, in fact, this was an important one. So he wanted to endorse Emmanuel Macron
because he was a person that appeals to people's hopes and not their fears. And I'm sure one of the things that people hope for is the end of this
campaign. It's been a long and very bitter campaign. There is just 24 hours of campaigning left before a pause and then the vote on Sunday.
And as a consequence when he talked to people on the streets you find it kind of a relief that we're coming to the end of this.
I went out and searched for some candidates, some voters who may be working and supporting the candidate Emmanuel Macron and here's the kind of
reactions I got from people.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BITTERMANN: So, time to hit the road again in our finally tuned electric machine here. Rene Renault we're going to be out on a hunt this time around
for voters for the centrist candidate in the presidential elections. Emmanuel Macron.
And they are not hard to find since he is leading in the polls. We found four willing to go for a car pool confab. A retired school teacher, an
international business consultant, a philosophy professor, and a municipal police officer.
But Macron was the first choice of only one of the four. D says he has been with Macron from the start.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I like the way he sees things. His optimism, his main concern is not where we come from, but where we are
going, what we can do together.
BITTERMANN: Michelle had hopes for an extreme left candidate. But when he was eliminated in the first round of voting she decided to, quote, "avoid
the worst," meaning extreme right wing candidate Marine Le Pen. So, she will reluctantly vote Macron.
MICHELLE DESLANDES, RETIRED TEACHER (through translator): I hope he won't forget that many people voted for him by default.
BITTERMANN: And she worries ha his economic reforms will go too far. Olivier is concerned about that, too, but will also vote for Macron.
OLIVIER DHILLY, PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR: Marine Le Pen was on the second round. I decided to vote for Macron.
BITTERMANN: That's who Jean Francois will vote for, too, even though he's skeptical about how Macron will handle security and a terrorism problem.
JEAN-FRANCOIS COURT, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONSULTANT: I think he's been soft on some of the issues and some mechanism and things like that. That's
what bothers me.
BITTERMANN: But the police officer disagrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): What Macron has said so far goes in the direction of a strengthened security, stronger police, so he can ensure
the safety of the French.
BITTERMANN: Unlike some critics, they believe Macron's view is a positive thing as does Jean Francois and the others.
COURT: We have a lot of officers in the French, you know that. It's about time.
BITTERMANN: Time for them to retire?
COURT: Yes.
BITTERMANN: And I'll also agree it would be a disaster if Le Pen were to be elected.
DHILLY: I will be panic stricken for sure. If Le Pen is elected, I'll leave the country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BITTERMANN: And so, Hannah, I think that there will be a number of people who will look at the way things are stacked up in France and on Sunday when
they go to vote, will be voting against something rather than for something - Hannah.
JONES: Jim Bittermann live in Paris. The coundown - and the final countdown really is on now for the French voters to make up their minds.
Jim, thank you very much indeed.
Venezuela's jailed opposition leader says he is alive and well. Leopoldo Lopez appeared on state television to dispel rumors that he'd been rushed
to the hospital. In the video, Lopez tells his wife, Lillian, that he is doing well, but his wife who says she hasn't been able to see her husband
in more than a month rejected the video.
She tweeted, quote, the dictatorship's video is false. The only proof of life that we will accept is to see Leopoldo. And she tweeted photos of her
and Lopez's mother facing national guard troops in front of the prison where her husband is being held.
Well, the speculation about the opposition leader's health comes as Venezuela is rocked by more deadly protests and it confronts political and
ongoing economic turmoil.
The freelance journalist Stefano Pozzebon joins me now live via Skype from the Venezuelan capital Caracas. Stefano, good to talk to you a gain.
First of all, tell us what we know so far about the well-being of the opposition leader. His wife obviously says he's not well, but the
government there saying that he's in good health.
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, exactly. Yesterday, Hannah, the vice president of the Socialist Party (inaudible) who has a daily program on
state TV dismissed any rumor about any illness or medical complication for the health of Leopoldo Lopez saying
that Leopoldo Lopez is serving what (inaudible) is accusing him for the death of 43 people in riots in 2014.
And he said, quote, he is fine. He has done terrible things to the country and he's actually
fine.
Of course, the family of Leopoldo Lopez and the political party that Lopez, (inaudible) are demanding proof of life. And the only proof of life that
they say is valid is that they will be able to see Leopoldo once again.
Already last week, (inaudible) and the rest of the opposition groups here in Caracas organized a march towards the military jail where Leopoldo Lopez
is currently imprisoned. But again, they didn't manage to go through and they didn't manage to see Leopoldo and his face, Hannah.
JONES: What about these attempts by the president, Nicholas Maduro, for constitutional reform. Is any reform going to be possible when you have a
leading opposition member behind bars?
POZZEBON: It's really, Hannah, difficult to understand any forecast about how these new attempt by, as you said, President Nicholas Maduro to change
the constitution and to try to reform and to bring forward a series of reform is going to play out, because we at the moment are not exactly clear
how the new national constitutional assembly that is soon to be called will exactly have been drafted.
We know that there will be called - the delegates will be called by city council rather than by direct vote, a place for what President Maduro has
been saying on state TV. But the actual specifics of how delegate to redraft the constitution will be drafted, will be elected are not exactly
clear.
Of course, the opposition have already sent out total rejection toward this new course, these new reforms of constitution, and they say that the only
reason why President Maduro wants to change the constitution is that he has broken it time and time again by repressing protesters and breaking human
rights.
So, the situation here is still - it's very tense, Hannah. There are (inaudible) by the day and it's very difficult to forecast how this new
proposal by President Maduro will play out - Hannah.
JONES: Stefano, you've been keeping us all up to date with what's going on in and around the capital and wider Venezuela as well. Stefano Pozzebon,
thank you.
Do stay with us here on CNN Connect the World, the world news headlines are coming up next.
Plus, it's taken seven years, but Republicans finally may have the votes to overturn Obamacare, at least in one House of congress anyway. We'll tell
you about the showdown currently going on on Capitol Hill just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[11:32:33] JONES: We return to one of our top stories, the Republican effort on Capitol
Hill to repeal and replace so-called Obamacare.
Lawmakers are gathered right now in the House and they are expected to vote in less than two hours time. Republicans already tried once to push
through a replacement bill, but had to put off a vote because of rebellion within their own ranks.
Well, this time around, we understand that they are feeling confident that they do have the numbers, hence why we are expecting a vote to go ahead.
Well, our next guest has some serious concerns with the bill under consideration. Dick Woodruff is senior vice president for federal affairs
for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Thank you very much for joining us, sir. Not many people, as I understand it, have had a
chance to see the detail of this bill. Have you? And what are you concerns with it?
DICK WOODRUFF, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CANCER ACTION NETWORK: Well, thank you, Hannah. I'm glad to be with you today.
We have seen the bill, but only in the last few hours, at least the latest version of it. And we have great concerns that it will lead to many, many
patients with preexisting conditions, including cancer patients, not being able to afford insurance or even to get insurance.
JONES: From the outside looking in, from me here in the UK where you do have a national health service and we have since the end of the Second
World War, many people will be curious as to why Americans are so divided over this issue of health care. Is it a general understanding that health
care should not be a universal right within the country?
WOODRUFF: I don't believe that's the case. I think there is a lack of consensus, really, about how to get people health insurance. There are
conservatives who believe that it's not appropriate for the government to be involved, but the experience here has shown that if there is isn't at
least some partnership between the private market and government with some rules
established, that sick people can't get insurance.
And if you look at the history before the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, you had a private insurance market that was selling a product that
could not be accessed by the people who needed it the most - people who were sick, people who had preexisting conditions simply couldn't buy
insurance. They were either priced out of the market or those plans weren't available to them or the only plans they could buy didn't cover
their preexisting condition.
And so the current law, which is now being repealed by the House put in place some government controls to make sure that people would have
insurance that covered their needs and would have subsidies that enabled them to buy the insurance.
[11:35:10] JONES: And that is the key phrase, isn't, the preexisting conditions This is what scuttled the Republicans' last attempt to get a
bill through congress. And from what I think you just said just then, and correct me if I'm wrong, this new bill does cover
people with preexisting conditions, people like -- who suffer from cancer, of course, who you represent in your organization.
WOODRUFF: Well, that's a debatable point. The Republicans say it do and the Democrats say it don't - it doesn't. And you know what they are doing
in this bill actually is setting up a potential patchwork where certain states can get a waiver to opt out of requiring insurers to cover people
with all preexisting conditions.
So we are really returning to a situation that existed prior to 2010 where if you live in one state you might be covered but if you live in another,
you may not. You know, really it shouldn't depend on where you live as to whether or not you're able to get the health care you need.
JONES: Are you alarmed at all about how this bill has come about? We've been waiting for some sort of repeal and replacement of Obamacare for some
time, of course, and expecting that, but this particular bill does seem to have crept up congress and not that many people have been privy to
the detail of it. Is that breaking with protocol?
WOODRUFF: Well, I think this is the way congress works sometimes when they have a hard time finding an agreement. And the real issue here is that the
folks who are out of power during President Obama's administration have promised their base that they would repeal Obamacare the minute they got
power and now they feel compelled to do it.
The problem is they've been saying that for six or seven years and never really came to any agreement among themselves on what the alternative would
be. So, for the past three months they've been struggling and debating and negotiating with themselves about how to come up with a plan.
There are a substantial number of moderate Republicans who are deeply concerned about the
preexisting conditions issue and the affordability issues. But now it seems that in the last few days, a number of amendments have been created
and developed and negotiated behind the scenes that peeled off enough votes for them to be able to get to the House floor and likely get it passed
through the House today.
That bill will go to the Senate where it's going to be practically dead on arrival and renegotiated before there's a final product.
And that's just sort of the way things work here in the United States. There are a lot of people
involved. And eventually, hopefully, we get to a consensus product that from our perspective...
JONES: Hopefully we do.
WOODRUFF: Pardon me?
JONES: we're looking at live pictures from the House at the moment. That debate is still ongoing. We are expecting, of course, a vote in the next
couple of hours. The latest we're hearing, Dick, is they think - the Republicans think they have got this vote through by around two votes. So
we'll keep covering that. Dick Woodruff is with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Thank you very much indeed for joining
having us.
WOODRUFF: Thank you for having, Hannah.
JONES: Now - pleasure.
Now, Russia, Turkey and Iran have agreed to create what they call deescalation zones in
Syria. This is according to media reports in Russia and also in Turkey. The agreement itself sets up four security areas and is to determine
boundaries of disarmament.
The Syrian opposition delegation walked out of the talks during the signing of this agreement.
Let's go to Moscow now for more on this with CNN's Matthew Chance. Matthew, these are safe zones that have been touted by all sides in this
ongoing Syrian conflict, and perhaps something that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may have even discussed when they spoke on
the phone earlier this week.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I think the timing of this announcement in that sense is pretty significant. And there
has been a flurry of activity with Vladimir Putin at the center of that activity speaking with Donald Trump, and Angela Merkel, the German
chancellor and President Erdogan of Turkey as well in the past 24 hours. And this initiative has effectively come out of that or least has been in
parallel to those meetings taking place.
You're right, it's just a proposal at the moment. Nothing has been agreed, but it talks about the establishment of four security zones or deescalation
zones as they're termed, which would have the first and foremost, you know, purpose of providing security to the hundreds of thousands of civilians
inside Syria that have -- are trapped in the crossfire in this devastating
conflict, an attempt, of course, to bring the main fighting, at least, to an end to the civil war which has ravaged Syria for the past seven years
and led to the deaths of more than 500,000 people.
There's also problems associated with this idea of course, but it seems to be something that there is broad agreement on in the sense that not just
the Russians, but the Turks and the Iranians have also signed up to the this, the Americans have spoken positively about these deescalation zones
as well.
The big question, I think probably at the moment, is will the Syrian government sign up to this. There have been mixed messages out of
Damascus, which we're trying to clarify. And will the rebels themselves be willing to sign up to a process like this that effectively would confine
their space into these four zones?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back to Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones. I'm live here outside Buckingham Palace in the heart of London where it's not
quite raining, although now we've said that, the heavens will probably open.
It does certainly seem like the end of an era with Britain's Prince Philip deciding to step out of the public spotlight. You'd be hard-pressed to
recall a time when the 95-year-old Prince Philip wasn't beside his wife the queen a constant pillar of support through endless engagements, thousands
over the last six decades. And and he's earned the hearts of many and the criticism of many others, particularly for his occasional gaffes in full
view of the public eye.
Well with me now is CNN world commentator Kate Williams. Kate, good to have you here. Like him or loathe him, he's been a presence for most of us,
as long as most of us can remember. So, it's going to be a big change, isn't it, on what's going on behind us at Buckingham Palace.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN WORLD COMMENTATOR: It is a big change. And we have seen change in the palace since 2012, since the queen began to give - she
gave her overseas engagements to the younger royals. We've seen increasing handover, we might say, to the younger royals.
But think I think is a first real big formal change that from now on we won't expect to see Prince Philip always at the queen's side as we have
done before. And as you say, they've been married for 70 years. This year it's their wedding anniversary. 70 years of marriage. The amazing,
amazing milestone -- this great wedding just after World War II, a splash of color on the hard road we have to travel, said Winston Churchill so that
the country has known him as her consort for so long. And we have certainly relied on him being there. And the few times in which due to
illness he hasn't been at her majesty's side, people have found that surprising.
But that is the new reality now. She'll be accompanied by Prince Charles or perhaps on her own.
JONES: Yeah, because when we have state visits, for example, the queen just can't be there on
her own walking around with, say, a leader of a head of state and his or her partner. She will need to be accompanied. So step forward Charles,
this is -- he's nearly 70 as well, so this is his sort of grooming I suppose for the throne.
WILLIAMS: Yes, we have a state visit coming that Prince Philip will still be doing the engagements for. We have the king and queen of Spain are
coming in a three day visit. So Charles will be -- that will be the last consort that Charles will conduct in the official sense. From then
onwards, it may be William conducting the consort, it may be, of course, Prince Harry, it may be the Duchess of Cambridge, but certainly if Mr.
Trump comes to visit the United Kingdom...
JONES: Which he is expected to do.
WILLIAMS: We think he will in October, it probably will be the case that Mrs. Trump will be
escorted by Prince Charles or possibly Prince William. Prince Philip will no longer be always there by the queen's side.
He is going to be there as an informal, who sometimes come. We will be seeing him around. We can't expect it.
[11:45:49] JONES: What does it mean for the queen's future? Is there any plan in place for her to perhaps hand over the throne to her son or will
she just keep going to the bitter end?
WILLIAMS: Well, the queen has said I will never abdicate. She siad it's a job for life, I am never stopping. For her, it's a job given to her by
god. Many of the European royals have abdicated for their sons just as you might retire from a job and hand over to the next CEO coming up. But she
says it's a job for life. She's keeping it, as you say, to the bitter end. And certainly her Uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson
and that - she saw as a dereliction of duty. She will never do it.
What we will see is a gradual handing over. We've seen the foreign travel handing over short and long haul. And we will increasingly see more of the
British duties. But at the moment, the duties that she really wants to conserve for herself include meeting the prime minister. She met the prime
minister yesterday to dissolve parliament, opening parliament and going through the red boxes.
So, those will be the last duties she will hand over: the prime ministerial meetings and going through the official red boxes and official British
papers, those will be the last to go.
JONES: Prince Philip himself, he is the patron ambassador of hundreds and hundreds of organizations, not just here in the UK but around the world as
well. If he's stepping back from public life and stepping back from his official duties, does that mean he's stepping aside from all
those organizations which so rely on him?
WILLIAMS: He is a patron, as you say, to about 800 organizations. It's a baffling amount for so many of us. He is actually going to continue as
patron to these organizations, but he will not be always present at their receptions and their meetings, but his role as patron will be continued.
And when you look at what he'll be doing over the few months before he does take his well-earned retirement, it's an amazing amount of things he's
doing as he calls himself the most experienced plaque unveiler in the world.
He's also the Duke of Edinburgh Award, an award for young people in Britain in which they can engage in sport and craft and community service. He's
already having a dinner for one of those.
He will continue with the Duke of Edinburgh Award, it bears his name. He'll continue with his charities, but it will be stepping back and
certainly these charities will hope to see other royals coming at times to see them.
JONES: Never explain, never complain, one of the things that many of the royals have stood by.
Prince Philip not necessarily one of them who has stood by that over the years. He's known for several of his gaffes. You mentioned one of them
just then. He's going to be sorely missed.
WILLIAMS: He does say - he does call the spade a spade, like (inaudible) say. And he - some of his gaffes have been seen over the years as verging
on the offensive, and some have been harmless and funny, but certainly what we do know of Prince Philip is that he's a man who is devoted to the queen.
He's devoted to duty. But sometimes the formality, the very slowness of royal duties can make him impatient.
One of my favorite gaffes is in 2000 when he said - he was in Canada and he said, "I declare this thing open, whatever it is." He was so used to
opening things he had no idea what it was.
So, he does get a little impatient and has been impatient with photographers, with reporters in
the past. But certainly, under his gaffes is his attempt, although he says I'm a rather rude person, he has admitted it, it's an attempt to put people
at ease, because when people meet the queen they panic, they freeze. I've seen it happen. They just can't think of anything to say. It's like
something out of Frozen, everyone is so nervous. But he wants to try and put people at
their ease. Normally his jokes are so funny they immediately lighten the mood, but sometimes they can be a bit off color.
JONES: A phenomenal amount of service, though, six decades, 65 years. And as you said earlier, Kate, 70 years of marriage in November, I think.
Kate, thanks very much. We appreciate it.
You are watching Connect the World live from London, live from Buckingham Palace. Coming up still this hour on the program, Mark Zuckerberg takes a
road trip. He's meeting Facebookers across the United States on a personal quest to visit all 50 states.
Some pundits, though, are speculating it's because the Facebook CEO could be plotting quite a big career move.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:51:29] JONES: Hello again. You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones. Welcome back.
News just in to us here at CNN, a White House official is giving us details of President Donald
Trump's first foreign trip since he took the Oval Office. The stops later this month will include visits to the Vatican, Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia.
It also includes a NATO meeting in Brussels and also a G7 meeting in Italy. So we'll bring you plenty more details on this as the
details become available, but something of a surprise because Donald Trump hasn't actually gone on any foreign trips since he won the presidency and
was inaugurated back in January. Now he's taking on quite a few countries in the space of the next month.
Now, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company is adding thousands of staffers to review reports of violent content and hate speech on the social
media site. The CEO is also getting in touch with users directly on a cross-country tour.
As Clare Sebastian now reports, some pundits speculate that Zuckerberg could be pondering a
major career change. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Any politician would be proud of these optics. In the last 10 days, Mark Zuckerberg visited a Ford
plant in Michigan, dropped in for dinner with this Ohio family of Trump voters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did give him crystal wine glasses.
MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO, FACEBOOK: I'm here with my friend Pete Buttigieg.
SEBASTIAN: And hosted a live car chat with the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA MAYOR: This is a city when I was growing up was really struggling.
SEBASTIAN: Zuckerberg says this is part of a personal challenge to visit all 50 states. Others have speculated he's test driving a new career.
STEVEN LEVY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BACKCHANNEL: It is strikingly similar to what a politician might do on a listening tour.
SEBASTIAN: Steven Levy is writing a book about Facebook and has met Mark Zuckerberg multiple times. He said this probably isn't what it looks like.
LEVY: If you're a billionaire running arguably the most powerful company in the world, you think you're on a mission that's good for the world, really
what would you have to gain by being in a position that even Donald Trump finds difficult?
SEBASTIAN: And as Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office, Mark Zuckerberg was in Dayton, Ohio meeting those affected by the areas opioid
crisis. Lori Erion was sitting next to him.
LORI ERION, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, FOA: I think he got emotional and was touched by what he was hearing and really just got up and walked around for
a little bit and then came back and sat down. And then he was fine.
SEBASTIAN: A day earlier, Fiona Arbab (Ph) a Muslim student had also sat next to Mark Zuckerberg in Dearborn, Michigan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My friend, she had to run to a final exam and once Zuckerberg found out, she was like, no, no, stop everything. I'll call you
later. And literally called her, asked her how her final went and they finished up their conversation.
ZUCKERBERG: Last month I wrote a letter on building community. I have it here.
SEBASTIAN: If Zuckerberg were to serve in government, an ambition he has denied, it would trigger a conflict of interest.
In a regulatory filing last year Facebook said if he left the company, he would lose his majority control, except if he was leaving to serve in
government. Still, for the 32-year-old, that decision may be some way down the road.
Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: We've been bringing you this special edition of CNN's Connect the World from outside Buckingham Palace here in the heart of London. Before
we go this hour, a look back now at the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip's incredibly long service which has taken him right around the world several
times over.
Since 1952, he's completed more than 600 overseas trips and more than 5,000 speeches and, and get this, more than 22,000 solo engagements.
The Duke himself is known for his big personality and a mischievous style where he always speaks his mind - a spade is a spade, if you like.
Sometimes he delights people with his off the cuff humor, other times, though, he has offended people with his decidedly non-politically correct
statements.
Among the memorable lines, this clangor coming during an economic recession in the UK. He said, quote, everybody was saying we must have more leisure.
Now they are complaining they are unemployed.
And more recently, the prince joked that he is, quote, the world's most experienced plaque unveiler. A very royal title indeed.
Well, that is it from all of us on Connect the World. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones outside Buckingham Palace from the team in Abu Dhabi, in Atlanta, and
of course here in London, thanks so much for joining us. See you soon.
END
