CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Mike Thompson

Interview

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BLACKWELL: My next guest is one of the moderate Democrats who met with the president Wednesday to try to bridge the gap in their party.

Congressman Mike Thompson of California is with me now.

Congressman, thanks for your time.

Let me start here. Bridging the gap, how broad is it now? How close, how far apart are the moderates, are the progressives on that top number of this reconciliation bill?

REP. MIKE THOMPSON (D-CA): Well, Victor, thanks for having me on.

I don't see it as disastrous as some are making it out to be. As you point out, I was in that meeting in the Oval Office earlier this week with a group of my colleagues from both the Senate and the House.

And my read was, everybody wants to get this done. Everyone's looking for solutions. I don't think this is any different than any other major piece of legislation. There's a lot of negotiation that goes on. There's different people who have different priorities. And we're trying to work through all of that.

This particular bill is monumental. It's transformational. It's one of the biggest pieces of legislation that I have ever worked on and will be one of the most important pieces of legislation to pass the conference in a long time.

BLACKWELL: It certainly will be.

M. THOMPSON: So it's understandable...

BLACKWELL: Congressman...

M. THOMPSON: ... that it's going to take a while to get to an end product.

BLACKWELL: Understood.

So what's your ceiling? If $3.5 trillion is too high, what's your ceiling?

M. THOMPSON: Well, I don't know that I want to state a number. I think we need to recognize that, first of all, all of the programs that are in the bill currently are all good. They all help the American people.

I think what we're trying to figure out now is, which one of them deliver the most bang for the buck the quickest?

BLACKWELL: OK.

M. THOMPSON: And I think that that will drive the number, rather than chasing a number.

BLACKWELL: So you say don't chase a number.

You tweeted out, for people who are trying to understand the meaning that you had with the president, read this piece by "The Wall Street Journal." Sources inside that meeting said that the moderates wanted it below $3 trillion. Is that an accurate number, that it just has to come below $3 trillion? Does that represent your position?

M. THOMPSON: I believe that everybody in that meeting -- I don't think a number -- as a matter of fact, I know no one stated their number.

[14:25:00]

Folks talked about their priorities. Folks talked about the need to include provisions that can get put into place and address the needs of the American people quickly. But there were there no numbers that were mentioned.

BLACKWELL: OK.

So, Speaker Pelosi has also said, let's not focus on the number. Let's focus on the content of the bill.

You were quoted as saying, everybody wants this to happen. We have all got priorities.

What doesn't make your list? What are you willing to say, this has got to come out? I see the smile, because you know what I'm trying to get to. If you're trying to pare this bill down, something has to come out. What should come out, Congressman Thompson?

M. THOMPSON: Well, Victor, I would prefer to state it in a different way.

BLACKWELL: OK.

M. THOMPSON: I want to make sure that we do a number of things well.

And if we do that, and we deliver for the American people, I think that this is going to be a great success. Now, I have my priorities.

BLACKWELL: But, Congressman -- Congressman, that is, respectfully, very vague.

What specifically -- to say that you want to do a number of things and do them well. What specifically? Because the dollar number, the dollar amount is connected to a program. It's connected to universal pre-K. It's connected to many of the social structure programs that we have discussed.

Which ones have to come out to get you below $3.5 trillion?

M. THOMPSON: I will tell you the ones that need to stay in.

We need to have universal paid medical leave, and we need to have child care. We need to make sure that we continue with our tax cut to families with -- working families with children. The child tax credit has been extremely successful. It's helping people right now.

We need to make sure the GREEN Act the legislation that I wrote that focuses on renewable energy, that needs to stay in, yes.

BLACKWELL: Congressman, I get that, but nobody's arguing over what needs to stay. This isn't a fight of what can we all agree upon? It's about, what can we decide can come out to make sure it gets passed?

Last thing. Do you believe that Speaker Pelosi will keep her promise and there will be a vote on Monday for that infrastructure bill? And if there is not a vote on Monday, will you still support moving forward on the talks on the $3.5 trillion bill?

M. THOMPSON: I have every confidence that we're going to pass both bills.

As far...

BLACKWELL: Will there be a vote on, though, is the question?

M. THOMPSON: I don't know. I don't run the floor. That's the majority leader that runs the floor.

But I'm less concerned as to when we vote and more concerned about passing both of these bills, which I believe will do.

BLACKWELL: All right, Congressman Mike Thompson, Democrat from California, thank you, sir. M. THOMPSON: Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right.

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