MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ayanna Pressley

Interview

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O`DONNELL: Joining us now is Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. She`s a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

We have reports indicating that the president said today in that discussion that the target is going to end up being $1.9 trillion to $2.2 trillion. That would be compromised down from the Biden $3.5 trillion.

What is your reaction to that?

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): Well, Lawrence, I think it`s important to note that that is not an arbitrary number. That number is in line with the priorities that the president laid out before Congress, and it`s really responsive to the needs of the people and meeting the moment.

I remain focused on what I`ve always been, and that is substance and impact and making sure that we leave no one behind. I simply reject these often unjust binary false choices that are foisted upon us.

I won`t choose between a union worker who lays that road or the child care worker who takes care of our babies so that that union worker can do that. We know that we need these robust investments when it comes to housing.

I have a large public housing footprint in my district. Much of that housing has not seen any upgrades or repair, some of them since the 1930s. People living in sub par conditions, contributing to poor public health outcomes.

We know these investments in child care are critical, also in home and community based services, and paid leave and certainly in climate justice. So although there might be movement in terms of number of years, ultimately what I`m focused on is substance and impact and leaving no one behind.

O`DONNELL: And how do you propose getting to an agreement with basically as the president said today, it`s 48-2 in the senate among the Democrats. If you get those two senators, it seems the moderates in the House would then fold into that agreement.

What is the latest thinking on how you get those two senators?

PRESSLEY: Well, you know, my thinking remains the same and that is that I seek to advance progress and justice in every iteration for the people. And it is deeply disturbing that anyone would seek to obstruct these robust investments and this relief for the people.

When you do that, it seems that there`s a deficit of compassion. You might even have contempt for working families and everyone who calls this country home.

So what I`m going to continue to do is just lift up the stories of my district. I`m focused on the father in my district who`s a TPS holder, who was a transit worker who risked his health to keep our community going during the COVID crisis. He deserves a pathway to citizenship.

I`m focused on the grandmother who`s raising their grandchild working a third shift job and desperately needs child care. I`m focused on the daughter who`s a caregiver to her parent who needs paid leave to stand in the gap but also needs home and community-based services so that they`ll have the supports that they need at home instead of having to go into a nursing home.

That`s what the Build Back Better act is about. It is ensuring that we do more than just recover to a pre-COVID unjust status or normal. But that we are making robust investments that meet the moment and churn a different path forward.

O`DONNELL: What about the infrastructure side of the legislation? You`re a former city counselor, no one knows infrastructure needs of a city like Boston like you do. What about that piece of the legislation?

[22:44:53]

PRESSLEY: Well, again, we need both bills, and I think it`s important to highlight as one of your previous panelist did, that these investments and these policies like paid leave and child care are popular because they`re sorely needed.

We don`t have to make a choice between physical infrastructure and social infrastructure. Of course we have to make those investments in more traditional infrastructure like highways, roads, and bridges, and I would add also public transit.

But you need both. We need both, and we will pass both, and we will meet the moment.

O`DONNELL: Once there`s an agreement in principle, is there an estimate about how quickly the legislation could actually be written so that it can be voted on?

PRESSLEY: Well, you know, I won`t speak to that. I`ll just simply say that, you know, the people certainly don`t have time to concern themselves with Washington process. They`re just desperately in need of impact. And so we want to get this right, so we want to move, you know, thoughtfully and deliberately, but also with urgency.

These investments are popular. These policies are popular because they`re sorely needed by the people. And we have to meet the needs of the people and meet this moment. Being in the majority, having the House, the Senate and the White House must mean more than a talking point. And that`s about delivering to the people.

O`DONNELL: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

PRESSLEY: Thank you, Lawrence. Good to see you.

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