MSNBC "NewsNation" - Transcript

Interview

THOMAS ROBERTS, HOST: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is talking tough in negotiations, putting a priority on protecting Medicare and Social Security from any major cuts. Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen was at the table during the Biden-led negotiations and he joins me now. It's nice to see you again. I want to go in straight about the rhetoric that you're hearing from Republicans before and after these meetings. You have the President publically open to compromise, 24 hours ago he was talking about that. So how confident do you think the President can be that any deal he makes that will probably have pain for Democrats, as well, as he pointed out, will have the support from House Democrats?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: I think the House Democrats are willing to give the President quite a bit of space to try and negotiate something that would be very important to get the economy going again, including some payroll tax relief, combined with long-term deficit reduction that's meaningful but also balanced. What you're hearing again from the Republicans, they are not willing to move one inch when it comes to closing some of these corporate loopholes, whether it's private jets, oil and gas companies. Thomas, I need to emphasize one point: The President said that in the near term we are actually going to provide the great majority of the American people with additional payroll tax relief. Beginning in the year 2013, you could close these loopholes and begin to ask the folks at the very top simply to go back to the same rates they were at during the Clinton Administration when the economy was booming, added 20 million jobs.

ROBERTS: Sir, I want to put up a new poll about the debt ceiling. More Americans are worried about what happens if we raise the debt limit. What does that say about faith in Washington to you, and the Republican strength when it comes to the message about more? A lot of them had no problem raising the debt limit in the previous decade. It was always done.

VAN HOLLEN: That's exactly right. When Ronald Reagan was president, the debt limit was lifted multiple times. More telling is the Republican budget, the one that passed the House would require us to lift the debt ceiling into the future. They all voted on a budget just a few months ago that will require debt ceiling increases. So all of a sudden they are getting sanctimonious about something that will be required if they budget they passed takes effect. It will have a huge impact on every family if the United States, for the first time in its history, defaults on debt payments. Republicans are saying let's pay China and our foreign creditors first. Let's not pay Social Security beneficiaries, let's not pay doctors who provide Medicare services. That is the wrong priority and it will send a terrible message to the credit markets we will not make good on the full faith and credit of the United States and we won't pay our bills.

ROBERTS: Congressman Chris Van Hollen. We'll let you get back to work. Thank you, sir.

VAN HOLLEN: Thank you, Thomas.

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