MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Current Environment in Washington, DC

Interview

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MATTHEWS: Let`s bring in U.S. Congressman -- Congresswoman Donna
Edwards. She`s a Maryland Democrat. Congresswoman, thank you for joining
us. This is a bizarre night. Explain to the people out there, not just
your constituents but all the people in this country who are Democrats or
whatever, what in the world is going on in the Republican-led House of
Representatives this Friday night?

REP. DONNA EDWARDS (D), MARYLAND: Well, I wish I could explain what
was going on. What I will tell you is that House Republicans have decided
to do the most inhumane and really the most inefficient thing ever, not
really dealing with the difficulty of unaccompanied minor children, not
affording them due process, and then saying to 700,000 or so young people
that we said, You`ve lived here, you`re going to school, we want you to
stay, that, We`re going to come after you and really encourage deportations
and the most harsh treatment for our immigrants, for our children.

And think it`s really unfortunate. There has been a complete
breakdown in the Republican Party. We thought that what they put -- tried
to put on the floor yesterday was bad, but what they have done today, what
they`re doing today is even worse.

MATTHEWS: Will any Democrats vote for this thing tonight when it
comes to a vote?

EDWARDS: Well, I think our Democratic Party really has been for the
most part unified, frankly, on the humane treatment of children, of making
sure that our borders are secure, and really calling for a comprehensive
solution, and that means a comprehensive solution for immigration reform.

I mean, the fact is that Republicans have left on the table for more
than a year now a bipartisan bill that passed out of the Senate, bipartisan
support in the House, and they refuse to do it. And then they want to
blame the president for their failure. This is a classic, colossal GOP,
Republican failure, and I think the American people are going to hold the
Republican Party responsible.

MATTHEWS: Well, after yesterday`s vote, Congresswoman, failed, the
Republican leadership put out a head-scratcher of a statement. In it, they
had this message for the president. Quote, "There are numerous steps the
president can and should be taking right now without the need for
congressional action to secure our borders and ensure these children are
returned swiftly and safely to their countries."

Remember, by the way, this is the same House leadership,
Congresswoman, as you know, that voted to sue the president the day before
for his unilateral action on health care. Certainly, an irony here, isn`t
it, that the conservatives seem to want the president to make decisions,
even though they`re telling him, We`ll get you if you do.

Here`s, by the way, Oklahoma congressman Tom Cole pointing to the
absurdity of this situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM COLE (R), OKLAHOMA: Look, you can`t say, on the one hand,
that the president`s overreaching by acting without legislative authority
and direction, and then refuse to give him legislative authority and
direction in another area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Well, damned if you don`t, damned if you do, apparently.
Even conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer yesterday point out this
absurdity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, FOX CONTRIBUTOR: It is ridiculous to sue the
president on a Wednesday because he oversteps the law, as he has done a
dozen times illegally and unconstitutionally, and then on a Thursday, say
that he should overstep the law, contradict the law that passed in 2008 and
deal with this himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Well, the president today also hammered out that point. He
hammered it home. Let`s watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Yesterday, even though they`ve been sitting on a bipartisan
immigration bill for over a year, House Republicans suggested that since
they don`t expect to actually pass a bill that I can sign, that I actually
should go ahead and act on my own to solve the problem. Keep in mind that
just a few days earlier, they voted to sue me for acting on my own. And
then when they couldn`t pass a bill yesterday, they put out a statement
suggesting I should act on my own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Congresswoman, sometimes I wonder about the president being
a bit too aloof, and then when I watch him today, say maybe aloof is the
only way to behave when you`re against these caged animals, these
Republicans, on this issue, because they`re basically telling him, Go break
the law, then we`ll grab you. I mean, it`s so absurd, what they`re doing
now. They want him to make the decision about those 58,000 kids, and we
all know that whatever he decides, if it`s lenient in any way, they`ll be
talking impeachment again.

EDWARDS: I don`t think the president is aloof, I think he`s baffled
by the ridiculousness of the Republicans` position, suing him -- voting to
sue him a couple of days ago, now saying he needs to act without their
authority. They can`t figure out what they want to do. And as a result,
they`ve left the American people sitting, waiting -- waiting in the
balance.

It really is incredibly irresponsible, and I hope the American people
are going to take note. This is the same party that shut down the
government. This is the same party that refuses to fund transportation.
And this is the same party...

MATTHEWS: Right.

EDWARDS: ... that refuses to deal with immigration. They are a
colossal failure, hashtag #colossalfailure.

MATTHEWS: Tell me if I`m wrong, but this basically means, the passage
of this measure tonight, which nobody`s going to vote for who`s a Democrat
-- it`s not going to go to the Senate, there`s not going to be any
compromise, there`s not going to be any bill -- the president will be left
this weekend and the weeks ahead with dealing with this crisis at the
border single-handedly? Isn`t that the basis of (INAUDIBLE) decision-
making?

EDWARDS: Well, that`s right. And we`re going to be here probably
until 10:00 o`clock tonight, wasting the time of the American people,
wasting taxpayers` money, and with Republicans knowing that they`re voting
on something that they want to have a message on, but the fact is, they
don`t have any message because they really failed the American people.

I think the president needs to go out and tell the American people
exactly what a failure these Republicans are that they aren`t dealing with
this. I mean, they`re going to blame him for it and then fail to act.

MATTHEWS: Thank you so much, Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland.
Thank you for joining us this Friday night.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

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