CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell

Interview

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KING: Yes, well put. And I'm not a doctor or lawyer, but I think Obamacare without the individual mandate, it's kind of like a car without gas. You still got a car, but you're not going anywhere. Phil Mattingly, appreciate that up on Capitol Hill.

Let's move to another big issue on the Hill. The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi getting new pressure from fellow Democrats that over efforts to try to get a deal done on a coronavirus stimulus package, an issue, of course, the upcoming election and the differences between the $2.2 trillion House plan and a $1.8 trillion White House proposal. Speaker Pelosi says the White House plan falls far short not just in money, but in policy. Listen here, she says tells our friend Wolf Blitzer pressure from other Democrats, the speaker says is misguided.

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday I spoke to Andrew Yang, who says the same thing. It's not everything you want. But there's a lot there.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Honest to God, you really, I can't get over it. Because Andrew Yang, he's lovely. Ro Khanna, he's lovely. They are not negotiating this situation. They have no idea of the particulars. They have no idea of what the language is here.

BLITZER: Madam Speaker, I certainly respect you. But I also respect Ro Khanna. I respect Andrew Yang. I respect members of the Democrats who are members of the problem solvers. They want to deal because so many people right now --

PELOSI: Well, the problem solvers, by the way, don't have any earned income tax credit or child tax credit in their proposal either. But let's not go into that.

BLITZER: But does it --

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KING: Joining us now Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, she's a member of the House Democratic leadership, a senior whip but also a member of the bipartisan problem solvers caucus. Congresswoman, it's good to see you. Forgive me, but it seems to me like the Democrats are selling -- celebrating Thanksgiving a little early here, getting together at the family table and throwing things at each other. What is the pressure on the Speaker at this moment?

She says, leave me alone. I will figure this out. Let me negotiate. But as you know, yourself included, a lot of members think 20 days of the election, let's get something done. Let's not wait to see if Joe Biden wins. Let's not wait to see if we can get a bigger deal in January. What's going to happen?

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): So first of all, it's not just Democrats at the Thanksgiving table kind of sounds like America right now, John. We've all having dinner, Thanksgiving dinner. And I don't think she's saying, leave me alone. I'm the one at the table. She -- I just finished a leadership meeting with her. She is very determined to try to get a package that she knows.

I mean, I've been one of the people that has been adamant need a package because I hear from people every single day. And by the way, I hear from one of my restaurant owners and one of the leaders of needing help for independent restaurants across the country and wouldn't be helped by what's been put forward right now. So we need to get to the table. We all need to stay at the table. We need consistency on the side like not -- I'm telling everybody not to negotiate. Oh, let's go big. You know, within a few hours, it's very disconcerting.

American people are tired of our fighting and bickering at the Thanksgiving table. They're scared. They need something and they want to get it done. And I think the Speaker is trying to deliver something that's actually going to deliver to the working men and women that are counting on all of us.

KING: Well, you heard her. Wolf was trying to ask her yesterday about Ro Khanna who was trying to say Madam Speaker cut a deal. He comes from one of those affluent districts in the country in Silicon Valley. And he says even there, he sees people in lines at a food bank. He says small businesses are facing shutdowns. Listen to him just earlier today with my colleague Poppy Harlow saying, I get it Madam Speaker. I support you if it takes a couple days, great. But we need a deal. Listen.

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REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): I believe our House plans are better than what the White House is proposing. But the point is I'm one of 435 members of Congress. There are two chambers of Congress. The Republicans control the Senate. Trump is in the White House. And the point is I could say, well, let's have a con Orion plan or nothing or I can say constituents of mine are hurting. We have to compromise. We have to get something done.

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KING: You know, the Speaker very well, Congresswoman. At what point would she maybe give in? I get it. She's going to hold out. She thinks she's got leverage over the White House. But as you know, Senate Republicans have also mocked the President's plan. She needs to get the President to say deal and pressure the Senate Republicans. At what point does she maybe need to give a little?

DINGELL: You know, John, I've been saying from the beginning of the person that can bring us all to the table and get a deal is the President. He has to decide that he wants it and then he needs to tell the Republicans that they need it.

And, you know, I should -- I know what Ro was saying, we're all seeing people in our district suffering. They are really desperate. But we're going to make sure we're delivering something for them. And not just for corporations. And I think she, you know, first of all, everybody is short, everybody is tired, everybody is 20 or we may even be down to 19 days now until the election. And if it's only 20, it seems like forever.

People are tired, people are short, people are, in our districts, are desperate. But they're not desperate for nothing. So the Speaker is our leader. We've got to support her right now at the table. And she's not a stupid woman. She's one of the smartest woman's I know. She knows that people need something to help them. So she knows what her members want. She's listening to her members. The members want help for the people in their district. But we got to deliver for the people. And you know, last night, everybody's, I mean, the one thing I'm going to tell you, everybody is short, everybody is tired. And we got to be very careful to not let people pit us against each other. That's what people have been trying to do to this country for four years. And we cannot let ourselves be pitted against each other. We owe it to the American people to work for them, period, not against each other.

KING: You often find yourself in the middle of these internal call and family discussion. Sometimes they become family feuds. Both parties have them. They're not unique to the Democrats by any means. Congressman Dingell, appreciate your time and insights today. We'll see 20 days until Election Day, we'll see if we can figure this one out. A lot of people are counting on some help. It would be nice if they could figure it out. I get that it's complicated. Congresswoman, thank you for your time.

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