CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Jared Huffman

Interview

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COOPER: Phil Mattingly, I appreciate it.

Joining us now is Congressman Jared Huffman, Democrat of California, member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Congressman, I appreciate you being with us. So, are these votes happening tonight?

REP. JARED HUFFMAN (D-CA): Well, it's good to see you, Anderson. I think there's a good chance that we could get two votes tonight. Of course, we began this day, not only expecting to put up all three votes, the rule, the Build Back Better Act, and the bipartisan Senate bill, but we were enthusiastic and the goalposts moved.

So what we've been spending the last few hours on is trying to get it back on track with the help of the President.

COOPER: So when you say the goalposts moved, you're saying, what -- from moderate Democrats who wanted more financial figures? HUFFMAN: Yes, a small cohort of our caucus, a cohort that had been eager for us to cast a final vote on the piece of this package that actually does add to the deficit surprised us, blindsided us, frankly, by demanding the CBO score before they would put up their votes today, and we've been trying to come up with something that can provide everyone the assurance and the certainty they need to still move forward as the President has asked us to do.

COOPER: Just to be clear, are you willing to sink the bipartisan infrastructure vote if that happens first? I mean, will you only vote yes if these bills are together.

HUFFMAN: Many of my colleagues and I agree with them have been unwilling to put up a vote for that Senate Bill in the absence of more than just that, because it's a final vote, it becomes law at that point. That's why we've asked that both bills move together.

Now, what we're exploring tonight is something -- whether something short of an actual final vote on the Build Back Better Act can give us the certainty and the assurance we need to go ahead and put up that difficult vote and move forward.

COOPER: I mean, just for those of us who are watching this from the outside, is it that you -- I mean, do you just not trust your own moderate Democrats to do what they say they'll do?

HUFFMAN: Well, I think you're casting a little too broad a brush there, 96 percent of Democrats are in complete sync in both the House and the Senate on what needs to happen and how it needs to happen frankly. A very small cohort of our colleagues went off, frankly, on a tangent, demanding the CBO score on a bill that has been thoroughly scrutinized and assessed for fiscal concerns.

And again, I say that they were willing and eager to put up a vote on a bill that actually does induce the deficit, the Senate bipartisan bill. So, if it's fiscal concern, it's kind of hard to understand, it is kind of hard to square that circle. But we need to work it out. We've got to get there because we all want to put up a win tonight for the country and for the President.

COOPER: When you look at what happened on Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey, there is certainly some warning signs I would imagine for your party. I would imagine, you probably agree with that. A lot of people are saying Democrats are more concerned with infighting right now than getting things done. How critical is this for your party?

HUFFMAN: We desperately want to get things done, Anderson. Again, we began this day enthusiastic about delivering a win for the Congress, for the President, and for the country. We were thrown a curveball today and we were trying to regroup and at the urging of the President, with the help of the President, get this back on track and still get it done.

COOPER: When he called into the Progressive Caucus meeting tonight, what was his message to you and your fellow caucus members?

HUFFMAN: Well, his message is that he is determined to bring everyone together on something we can all count on, and move forward together on that basis. And he urged us to work with him in good faith, not to trust him blindly, but to give him a chance to deliver that deal, frankly, between the two sides who were disagreeing on this.

COOPER: Congressman Huffman, I really appreciate your time. Thank you.

HUFFMAN: Thanks for having me.

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