MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Jim Clyburn

Interview

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MELBER: Joining me now is Congressman Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat, the powerful majority whip and other than Joe Biden`s parents, the man many say is most responsible for President Biden with that iconic endorsement that really pushed the Biden campaign along and he remains a power player in the Congress and of course in the Biden White House.

Thanks for being here.

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Thank you very much for having me.

MELBER: What is this breakthrough on the infrastructure bill mean and what are its prospects in the House, sir?

CLYBURN: It is a great, great day for the American people. We have been talking about infrastructure now for five years. And we finally got infrastructure day here in the United States. And I applaud the Senate for taking a significant step. But a first step. I call this the first leg on the three-legged stool which cannot be balanced until we get the second leg that they began discussion today, and the third leg is got to be voting rights.

So those three things to me will help to make focused where we ought to be. And I am hopeful that the Senate will not leave until all three legs of the stool are in place.

MELBER: Yes. You mentioned voting rights. We`re talking about the economic support for Americans during this tough time. And you`re talking about the democracy, the civic life, these are issues that you have led on really your whole career. I think viewers who follow it know how important it is to you. And yet I would have to point out as a journalist there might be some daylight here between you and this president that I know you`re quite supportive and loyal of.

We put this together for context. Let`s take a look at this on the issue of the filibuster which has become essential to getting some of these voting rights bills through the Senate. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why not abolish it if it`s a relic of the Jim Crow era?

BIDEN: Successful electoral politics is the art of the possible.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It`s been used to fight against civil rights legislation historically. Why protect it?

BIDEN: There is no reason to protect it other than you`re going to throw the entire congressmen into chaos and nothing will get done.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MELBER: We remind viewers you`ve been clear which is to say at least an exception for voting rights, for this cherished right, as we try to finally overcome voter suppression and racism in this country. But he recently doubling down on different positions, so is he wrong? Can you and your colleagues move him?

CLYBURN: No, I don`t think he`s wrong. I just think that he applies it legislatively, and I`m saying that we have made an exception for the budget. We do not allow a filibuster to threaten the full faith and credit of the United States of America. And I don`t think we ought to allow a filibuster to threaten my or anybody else`s constitutional rights.

So when it comes to voting and other constitutional issues, I do not believe that you should apply the filibuster. Legislative issues? Fine. But on the Constitution, I do not think that it ought to be applied. And I will continue to fight under these issues and I would hope that the other members of the Sente as well as the president will see it that way.

MELBER: Understood. And finally before we lose you, Congressman, the George Floyd Act passed the House. You and others, and Speaker Pelosi, got that done. This is a breakthrough day. But there`s a lot of important stuff. Is it appropriate, is it right for the Senate to leave town without acting on that? What should happen there on the Senate side?

CLYBURN: Well, I have been working very closely with Senators Booker and Scott, and with Representative Karen Bass.

[18:50:07]

And as Senator Scott has said over and over again, we are close. I do believe, however, that we aren`t there yet. I think I know that we have to have that before the August break but I certainly would hope that we will have that done before the end of the legislative sessions, sometime in October when that ends or maybe November. I don`t know if maybe around December. Whatever it is, I think we ought to do it even if we`re going to get it done in August.

MELBER: Yes. Well, on those timelines you just mentioned, or soon as well, we`ve been tracking the issue including the debates over police immunity reform in there. So we`ll stay on that.

And Congressman Clyburn, thank you for your perspective from the inside tonight, sir.

CLYBURN: Thank you very much for having me.

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