MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript

Interview

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TODD: Welcome back to HARDBALL. That was President Obama this morning with the reigning Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints. And he gave a shout-out to Democratic senator Mary Landrieu and Republican congressman Steve Scalise, who was there in the audience. He"ll be here in a few minutes to talk about tomorrow"s House vote on a $26 billion bill to aid states and school districts. Democrats say it saves jobs. Republican says it"s just spending more money and a gift to labor unions.
Let"s first go to Maryland congressman Chris Van Hollen, who"s the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. So Congressman, what do you say to these conservative Blue Dog Democrats, who are--I take it on some of--on this issue, they may still be undecided? What do you say? They"re getting pressure. They"re being told by their opponent, You"re spending more money we don"t have. And you"re telling them, No, no, no, trust us, this is going to save the jobs of teachers that could get laid off in three months.
REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD), DCCC CHAIRMAN: Well, first, Chuck, let me say the Redskins are going to have a big year this year.
TODD: Yes, OK!
VAN HOLLEN: But when it comes to this bill...
TODD: I"ll hold you to that one!
VAN HOLLEN: OK. When it comes to this bill, what"s very important for everybody to understand is that it is entirely paid for...
TODD: OK.
VAN HOLLEN: ... and it"s paid for in large part by shutting down a big loophole in the current law that creates a perverse incentive to ship American jobs--not products, not goods, but American jobs--overseas. And that"s why the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office--not me, not the Republicans--have looked at this and they said it"s entirely paid for.
So what is it paying for? It"s paying to keep teachers in the classroom so that when all our kids go back to school later this month and early next month, there will be teachers there and they won"t be swamped with large class sizes. And it will keep more cops on the beat. So it"s pretty straightforward.
This bill helps preserve the jobs of teachers. We think it"s better that they be in the classroom than on the unemployment line. And it is entirely paid for. It doesn"t cost the American individual taxpayer a dime. It does shut down on these loopholes that big corporations have used, where they get subsidized...
TODD: Right.
VAN HOLLEN: ... for shipping American jobs overseas.
TODD: Now, what do you say to this criticism that, hey, you know what, you guys are only responding to two groups of government employees who have representation in labor unions, teachers unions--and you talked about cops on the beat and some of these other government unions.
What do you say to that, that...
VAN HOLLEN: Right.
TODD: ... is this going to create any jobs or save any jobs of non-union employees?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, as--and I heard the Republican leader, John Boehner, the other day refer to teachers and cops on the beat as the so-called special interests.
I think we all have a very special interest in making sure kids have a teacher in the classroom. I think we all have an interest in making sure that cops are there so that when we have a problem in the neighborhood, there is someone is there to respond.
TODD: Right.
VAN HOLLEN: So, I--this kind of game about disparaging cops and teachers, as if they"re some kind of pawns in a game, rather than people who teach our kids and keep our neighborhoods safe, is, frankly, outrageous. But we will leave that question to the American people.
TODD: Right.
VAN HOLLEN: Again, this is to help make sure we have jobs here at home...
TODD: OK.
VAN HOLLEN: ... so teachers for our kids and cops on the beat, and pay for it by cutting down on these loopholes for shipping jobs overseas.
(CROSSTALK)
TODD: Very quickly, let"s move ahead to September.
Are you guys going to introduce some sort of mini-second stimulus? I have heard some rumblings about this--one in four of the long-term unemployed are construction workers. Some sort of stimulus money for new infrastructure, roads, bridges, et cetera?
VAN HOLLEN: Look, you"re talking about in the next month or two?
Because there have been various discussions, but there"s no plan to do that.
TODD: No plan, OK.
VAN HOLLEN: The major piece of legislation--the major piece of legislation, Chuck, we"re trying to get out of the Senate is the bill that would provide credit to small businesses...
TODD: Right.
VAN HOLLEN: ... so that people can get their loans. That"s been held up by the Republicans in the Senate for a long time. That would be a great boost to small businesses. That"s--that"s a priority when we get back.
TODD: Very quickly, today, the House Ethics Committee released details of its charges that they"re bringing in against Democratic Congresswoman from California Maxine Waters, pretty damning charges. This is pretty serious stuff, in many ways, more serious of a violation of the public trust than maybe what Charlie Rangel did, using her influence to go to the treasure secretary to try to save a bank that her husband had dealings with.
At this point, should she somehow--would you like to see her take this to trial or possibly simply resign, or what?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, Chuck, as you said, these are very serious allegations. And that"s why we have to make sure the process works, to make sure that we protect the public interest. And that is what we"re seeing right now.
The reason we"re talking about these cases is because the Ethics Committee is doing its job. And, you know, you do have to go back not too long ago.
TODD: Right.
VAN HOLLEN: When Tom DeLay faced these kind of charges, our Republican colleagues actually weakened the ethics law in order to protect him. They said, if you get indicted, you can still be our Republican leader. We--we have made changes to hold members accountable.
TODD: OK.
VAN HOLLEN: And, you know, Maxine Waters and others will have to decide for themselves whether to face these charges or reach an agreement with the members of the Ethics Committee or--or however they want to move forward.
TODD: All right.
Congressman Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, guaranteeing, apparently, a winning season of the Redskins.
Good luck with that.
(LAUGHTER)
VAN HOLLEN: Thanks, Chuck.
TODD: Thanks very much.

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