MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Katie Porter

Interview

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Congresswoman Katie Porter, Democrat of California is knee-deep in the negotiations for the budget reconciliation bill and she joins me now. Good to have you, Congresswoman. First of all, you`re in a district -- redistricting is happening so you have a different district presumably. It might change. But the districts you`re in is a -- is a pretty split district, a lot of swing voters in that district.

Do you feel confident going back to your district and saying look, I`m proud to have voted for the -- for the Build Back Better Bill in full and be able to convince your constituents that`s a good vote?

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REP. KATIE PORTER (D-CA): Absolutely. Look, my constituents know that what`s in the Build Back Better agenda is what they need. And they know that because they voted for President Biden. This is the president`s agenda that we`re supporting right now. And that agenda deals with real problems that families are facing in my district and across the country.

Difficulties in affording child care, the cost of college, difficulties in finding care to take care of seniors, climate action, that`s what`s in the Build Back Better budget bill, and that`s why it`s widely supported. The polling on this, Democrats, Republicans, Independence is very, very strong.

What they want us to do is to get it over the finish line and that`s exactly what I`m here in Washington to do.

HAYES: So, how much opposition has there been from corporate America on this? The Business Roundtable back in August said if this massive new spending contemplated in the proposed budget resolution were to materialize -- this is when they pass a resolution -- inflation risks would increase dramatically, undermining recovery. You`re seeing lots of activity on K Street to go against this bill. How much do you feel that as a member?

PORTER: Well, I don`t take corporate PAC money and I didn`t come to congress to fight for big corporations. I came to fight for a strong stable economy for all Americans. So, I personally am going to vote for a bill that`s going to put the American people first. And I think it`s important that the American people are the voices that we`re listening to as we`re making sure that we leave nobody behind in this economic recovery.

HAYES: So, many of the things that you just mentioned are in the Build Back Better Bill, but they`re not in the bipartisan physical infrastructure bill that`s passed. So, when you talk about child care and community college, and elder care, and real big climate stuff, that`s not in that bipartisan bill to pass the Senate.

So, there`s a fight right now brewing. Nancy Pelosi says they`re going to be a vote on Thursday on that bipartisan bill. The House Progressive Caucus says they are not going to vote for it because it`s a package deal. They`re going to vote for both when they can vote for both, but they`re afraid of getting hung out to dry if they vote to pass it. Where are you on that?

PORTER: Well, I plan to vote no on the Infrastructure Bill until we have an assurance to the American people that the Build Back Better plan will pass. Like I said, we can`t leave anybody behind. The American people work in lots of different industries and lots of different kinds of occupations, they face lots of different challenges not just roads and bridges and airport and transit, but they face challenges regarding child care, challenges regarding the greening of our -- the need to green our economy, challenges regarding college costs.

So, we need to see an assurance from the Senate that we`re going to be able to pass President Biden`s agenda. And that means all of the different pieces that the American people elected him and us to do.

HAYES: Some of the most ferocious lobbying, and I think some of it has been successful if you look at some of what`s happened in the Ways and Means Committee and other places have been on things that a certain small group of corporate interests really care about.

So, the corporate tax rate, right? Not making sure the corporate tax rate goes up. The estate tax, a very tiny small group of very, very wealthy heirs, how much they`re going to get taxed. Prescription drug benefit, letting Medicare negotiate, right, for prescription drugs. Are you confident you can override those special -- that special interest opposition?

PORTER: I`m absolutely confident that we can because the American people across the ideological spectrum support these things. They want to have a fair tax system in which everybody pays their fair share including the largest corporations and the most wealthy Americans, and they want us to enforce our tax code fairly.

They want us to close loopholes and they want to make sure that everybody in America including the most wealthy and the most powerful have to do what the rest of us every day Americans do which is pay our fair share. And if you look at the polling on things, like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, this is one of the best polling issues. In fact, President Trump supported doing this when he ran his campaign. He did not deliver which is why it`s up to President Biden and us to do so.

That`s a very, very good point. I had forgotten -- I had forgotten that detail. Congresswoman Katie Porter of Orange County, California, thank you very much.

PORTER: Thank you.

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