MSNBC "The Ed Show"- Transcript: Infrastructure

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight is Congressman John Larson he`s the House
Democratic Caucus chair. Congressman, good to have you with us.

REP. JOHN LARSON, (D) CONNECTICUT: Good to be with you Ed, always.

SCHULTZ: You bet. This $8 billion package that passed the House, does
that do it -- I mean, till December or does that just kick the can down the
road?

LARSON: Ed, I think it`s emblematic of the frustration you just heard from
the mayor. And that`s once again that we kicked the can down the road when
so many people, especially the construction industry and a lot of our trade
associations, are all dependent upon the certainty of this work and all
they get from Congress is to continue to kick the can down the road.

Listen, we have Bill Shuster the chairman, Republican chairman of
transportation up to our district yesterday. I applaud him. He gets it.
And he said, and I think this is true. Look, infrastructure is neither
Democrat or Republican. This is about America.

SCHULTZ: Well, it seems like it`s a big political football now,
Congressman. Because is McConnell trying to control how this goes to help
Senate Republicans in swing states?

LARSON: I believe that that is true, Ed. I also believe that what they`re
aiming for here is to move this, as you saw, the legislation that was
passed in the house expires in December. They were trying to get a longer
term deal in the Senate. What that bodes for is a conference, I believe,
in that conference, which you`re going to see come the end of this year is
a major omnibus bill because that`s the only way things have passed here in
the United States Congress, much to the chagrin of the public and my own,
but in 17 years here Ed, we either do a continuing resolution or an omnibus
bill. And it looks like we`re headed toward an omnibus bill for exactly
the political reasons that you raise. Let`s hope that good policy becomes
part of good politics.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

LARSON: It should when it comes to the infrastructure, but that hasn`t
been the case thus far.

SCHULTZ: So, Congressman, I guess what I`m hearing you say is that it`s
going to take some real political power in Washington for us to make a real
concerted effort and commitment to rebuilding our infrastructure in this
country. That`s what I`m hearing.

LARSON: Yes, that`s right. And what`s intuitively obvious to every
American -- we were at chairman Shuster at Augie & Ray`s in East Hartford.
Everybody at Augie & Ray`s knows that this jobs bill for this country is
the infrastructure bill. That`s what going to move the country, that`s
what moves our commerce and that`s what puts people back to work. You know
that better than anybody, Ed. And that`s what`s going to be required here.
But Congress has got to come together, put the politics aside and make sure
that, if not now, that clearly, in November or December, that we have a
long-term...

SCHULTZ: Yeah

LARSON: ... infrastructure plan for the nation.

SCHULTZ: I mean, this affects everybody`s backyard. I don`t see either...

LARSON: It does.

SCHULTZ: ... Republicans can`t view this as a political winner. It`s
amazing.

LARSON: I agree. And that`s why I think they`ll do it.

SCHULTZ: Congressman John Larson. Always, great to have you with us
tonight sir. Thank you.

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