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

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Joining us now are two of the house Democrats co-sponsoring that censure of Paul Gosar, Democratic Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence of Michigan and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida.

Representative Lawrence, let me begin with you. What brought you to the point of demanding censure?

REP. BRENDA LAWREWNCE (D-MI): It was clear that this rhetoric and this push for violence, this is not having an opposition or opposing view. This is about inflicting harm on human beings.

I was one of those members on the floor January 6th where it was the most bipartisan day in Congress because Republicans were running side by side with Democrats for safety, for their lives. And here we are in continuation of that, a member inciting violence, and in the most immature way, a cartoon.

And to say that the resources that taxpayers paid for, for us to do our work in Congress, is being used to incite violence is unacceptable. It crosses the line. And the fact that women are being depicted as the victims of violence -- I'm the co-chair of the women's caucus. We must stand up against that.

Violence against women is real in America, and here we are again confronted with the fact. It is not funny. It wasn't humorous. It was an insult, and we need to address it in congress.

O'DONNELL: Congressman Gosar's sister Jennifer appeared on this program Monday night. She called for censure then. Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GOSAR, REP. PAUL GOSAR'S SISTER: He has not been held accountable in any way shape or form. He's not been censured. He's not been expelled. And he's not had his seat forfeited by any of the leadership.

I am absolutely beyond aghast at how much this man has gotten away with. I don't know what he would need to do for any one of those people in a, quote, "leadership position" to hold him accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE O'DONNELL, MSNBC HOST: And Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, two days later you are doing what Jennifer Gosar has been hoping for, for a very long time.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ (D-FL): Lawrence, I will take you back to when my dear friend Gabby Giffords was shot at a constituent meeting. Her staffer was killed.

We had Steve Scalise, the Republican whip, who was shot at a baseball game down the street from the Capitol. I had a pipe bomb delivered to my district office that had to be blown up in the stairwell next to my office front door.

What Gosar is doing, his spokesperson said that we have no joy, those of us that are making a big deal out of this, but he is dropping a lighted match on a tinderbox of extremism that can get real people hurt or even actually killed.

And so if there isn't an example of what should -- of what kind of conduct should be censured, then I don't know what is.

Let me also just take you back to Gosar speaking at the rally that whipped that crowd into a frenzy on January 6th. And then they charged the Capitol and attacked our Capitol police officers, tried to overturn a legitimate election.

This is dangerous stuff. While Democrats are trying to make sure that we can improve people's lives, Republicans have become led by guys like Gosar, a morally-bankrupt group of extremists. And they need to be held accountable.

Representative Lawrence, your resolution does include the fact that he used government resources for this. He publicly congratulated his staff, his congressional staff, paid for by taxpayer money, for being so creative in helping him put this video together.

REP. BRENDA LAWRENCE, (D-MI): Lawrence, one of the things I want to bring up a clear point. We just passed the most transformational transportation investment in infrastructure that we've had since the new deal.

And guess what? The response of the Republican Party was to censure or to punish the members of the Republican party that voted to invest in infrastructure in America. But silence on this issue when we know clearly that the sense of permission for violence to be compelled upon those who serve in elected office, whether you are Democrat or Republican, is unacceptable.

O'DONNELL: Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, thank you very much for joining us tonight. We really appreciate it.

LAWRENCE: Thank you.

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: Thank you, Lawrence. Be well.

O'DONNELL: Thank you.

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