MSNBC Interview - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL)

SUBJECT: SENATOR ROLAND BURRIS INTERVIEWER: NORAH O'DONNELL

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MS. O'DONNELL: Illinois Senator Roland Burris is back at work today following a less than warm reception at last night's president address. Senator Burris will appear on the Senate floor to give a speech on the Washington, DC voting rights bill in just about 30 minutes from now.

The reason we say he got a cold reception last night because you usually walk in with another senator and he walked in by himself. Well, among those calling for Burris to step down is Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Thank you for joining us, Congresswoman.

REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you, Norah.

MS. O'DONNELL: As you know, Senator Dick Durbin met with Senator Roland Burris yesterday. Dick Durbin said to him, if I were you, I would resign. Burris said, I'm not going to resign and Senator Durbin said, I can't force him.

What should be done with Roland Burris? Should the Senate censure him?

REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Well, look, Roland Burris is needed right now -- Illinois needs two senators. Roland Burris really is having a hard time functioning as a Senator. Here's what I think ought to be done. My reading of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution is that the governor may appoint a temporary Senator until such time as the legislature sets the next election.

So my reading is that the state legislature in Illinois actually could call for a special election, and the reason I say that is that we've got the Senate Ethics Committee, we've got a court in Sangamon County, Illinois, looking at whether there was perjury committed and this is an ongoing drama every week, a new episode.

MS. O'DONNELL: No doubt, but it's your party that's in control of the legislature, that failed in the first place to call for a special election. So why are they now not picking up and getting the special election underway?

REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I can't explain that. I think that, you know, there are certainly a lot of things on the plate of the Illinois legislature, but in the meantime, I do believe that the state of Illinois is at a decided disadvantage by having only one really functioning Senator and here is the other thing. Every time something comes up about Senator Burris then the President of the United States whose seat it was gets dragged into it. It's a real distraction, maybe small in some cases, but really not one that the state needs.

MS. O'DONNELL: I guess, Congresswoman, there is growing consensus with your point of view; people agree with you, I mean, Dick Durbin, the senior Senator from Illinois, the number two Democrat in the Senate agrees with you. The point is, what is anybody doing about it? Burris says I'm sticking around, I'm not going anywhere.

So what's going to change in the next two years? Are the Democrats in the state legislature going to pony up and get a special election underway? Is the Senate going to censure him? Or is Governor Quinn going to do something? It doesn't seem like anybody is willing to act.

REP. SCHAKOWSKY: The governor actually has made it very clear that he would like Senator Burris to resign. Yes, I think that the Senate needs to move forward. I think, don't forget he's also part of this criminal investigation involving the governor of the state of Illinois.

So I think that the drumbeat really is growing for the Senator to resign unless he's completely immune from all of the pressure. My hope is that he will see it in the best interests of the people of Illinois to finally make that decision or that the legislature decides they've had enough and will act.

MS. O'DONNELL: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky who someday may run for that Senate seat.

Thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate your time.

REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Appreciate it, Norah.

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