MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Maggie Hassan

Interview

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Joining us is the senator who Chris Sununu chose not to challenge, Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. She`s a member of the Senate Finance Committee.

Senator, thank you very much for joining us tonight and I feel like saying congratulations as if there has been something like a primary win at this stage.

[22:25:05]

But this is a very important message it seems about both Washington politics and New Hampshire politics.

SEN. MAGGIE HASSAN (D-NH): Well, thanks for having me on, Lawrence. Good to be with you.

Look, my job is to listen to the people of New Hampshire and deliver for them on the issues they say matter, and I focus on supporting small innovative businesses on keeping our state and our country safe. I want to make sure that we`re expanding New Hampshire`s economy and lowering costs for families, and that work doesn`t change depending on whom my opponent is. And whoever my opponent is, this is going to be a tough race pause we`re an independent place and a purple place.

O`DONNELL: I want to look at a recent poll that shows what this race might have looked like if Chris Sununu got it in. He won by 22 points in the last election, he didn`t have that lead over you. It shows Chris Sununu at 46 percent and you`re at 41 percent and then, you know, the unknown factors for other voters. So that`s not much of a lead and certainly it`s within the margin of error. So, that is a functionally a tie.

So this was as you say, even if Chris Sununu was in it, it would be a tough race.

What do you think New Hampshire voter as year from now will be concentrating on in terms of evaluating whether to send you back to Washington?

HASSAN: Well, you know, the job is always to be out engaging with voters, talking to them about what`s important. Today, I was in Manchester standing in front of a river next to a highway interchange with a dam down stream and a bridge right behind us.

And that really was a way to focus on how important the infrastructure package, the bipartisan package that we just passed into law is going to be. It`s a game changer for New Hampshire. It`s a game changer for our country. It`s going to let us move forward and create jobs and grow our economy and compete in the 21st century.

My constituents are looking for people coming together, getting things done and delivering. It`s important for our economy. It`s important for our quality of life. It`s really important to show people democracy can deliver and that`s what this is about.

Now, I have a strong record of reaching across the aisle, getting things done and that`s the case I`ll be making to New Hampshire voters. The really important thing is to continue to engage with people and listen to what`s on their mind, and let them know that you`ll always stand up for them and be an independent voice for them.

O`DONNELL: What did Chuck Schumer say to you today about Chris Sununu deciding not to run?

HASSAN: I think Senator Schumer knows as we all do that New Hampshire is always a really competitive state. Again, our job is to work together, reach across party lines and focus on what matters to our constituents.

We`ve done the bipartisan infrastructure package. We got the bipartisan endless frontiers act that focuses on American innovation and manufacturing, addressing our supply chain issues and competing with China. We got that done in the spring.

The American rescue plan cut taxes for working families. We want to continue that. We have more work to do.

At the end of the day that`s the focus, how can we make a difference for the American people? How can I make a difference for Granite Staters that want to get back to work, see their kids back full-time in school and really have the opportunity to work hard, get ahead and stay ahead. That`s what we talk about.

O`DONNELL: There is a lot of polling data that shows people don`t -- on something like the infrastructure bill, the average voter does not know who voted for it, who voted against it. They don`t know the reason that road is being repaved over there is because of the vote that you cast. How do you communicate all of that in New Hampshire?

HASSAN: You go out into the state and talk to people about what the infrastructure needs they experience. You know, this infrastructure bill not only fixes highways, roads, bridges, dams as I referenced before, but this is about getting high speed Internet to every corner of New Hampshire, a state that is really struggled to get the kind of overall internet service that it would allow a small business to start up just anywhere, right?

[22:29:41]

HASSAN: And so you go out. You engage with people. I did that before we passed the infrastructure package. I was in New Hampshire talking with people about the difference it could make and what they needed.

We know that climate change continues to be a major threat, something we have to address. We`ve addressed some issues related to climate change in the infrastructure package, coastal resiliency, strong and resilient clean energy grid.

These are all things that you just have to go out and talk to people. They`re tangible for people and at the end of the day, this is again just being engaged with voters and listening to them as well as talking with them about what you`ve done and what you hope to be able to do to help them build the life they want for themselves and their kids.

LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, MSNBC HOST: New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan, congratulations on still not having a Republican opponent in your reelection campaign. Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

HASSAN: Thanks so much Lawrence for having me.

O`DONNELL: Thank you.

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