MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript
Interview
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Joining us now, Bernie Sanders, independent senator from Vermont.
Senator Sanders, let me ask you, Bernie, if you are the deciding vote in the Senate tomorrow, if it is all up to your one vote, will you vote for this bill?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Well, first of all, Al, I"m not the deciding vote. It will win with a whole lot of votes. I"m going to vote no.
I think this proposal is extraordinarily unfair. It"s going to make devastating cuts on programs that working families, low-income people desperately need. At the same time, it"s not going to ask the wealthiest people in this country or largest corporations to contribute one nickel to deficit reduction.
It is not only grotesquely immoral. It is very bad economic policy. It"s going to cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Now, Senate minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Boehner will pick six Republicans on this super committee.
This is what McConnell told FOX News earlier today.
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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-K), MINORITY LEADER: The chances of any tax increase passing with this--with the appointees that we"ll put on there are pretty low.
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SHARPTON: Now, do you think this super committee will ever raise taxes?
SANDERS: No, of course not. The Republicans have been very clear that their job is to protect large corporations who make billions of dollars in profits and in some cases don"t pay one penny in taxes. Millionaires doing phenomenally well experience the lowest effective tax rate in modern history.
Their job is to protect those guys, and they"re going to do it.
Now, the real question, Al, is whether the Democrats are going to appoint people to that committee who protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the needs of working families.
One of the issues that has not been discussed is that this super committee is going to have everything on the table including Social Security, including Medicare, including Medicaid. I worry very much that with all kinds of Republicans saying cut Social Security and Medicare, with the president talking about Social Security raising the eligibility age for Medicare, I worry what will happen.
SHARPTON: Well, the guy named Gene Sperling, the National Economic Council director, said this bill has everything you want this morning on MSNBC. Take a look at this.
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GENE SPERLING, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: All of the things that were in the House Republican budget that Democrats wanted this president to stand tough on, not allowing deep Medicaid cuts that hurt children with disabilities or seniors in nursing homes, not a penny. The president didn"t give one inch. In terms much of voucherizing Medicare, the president didn"t give an inch.
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SHARPTON: I mean, what"s your response? They"re saying Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid is not on the table.
SANDERS: That"s absolutely wrong. Look, this is a complicated bill with two steps. The first step will cut $900 billion in discretionary programs. That means Head Start, that means education, that means Pell grants, that means environmental protection. That means affordable housing. That"s the first $900 billion.
Then you go to the super committee that has to deal with $1.5 trillion. Let me be very clear. Everything is on the table. I"m not saying that they will necessarily cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. They may not.
They may go to the sequestration provision in which, by the way. Social Security is exempt and Medicare benefits are protected. That"s true.
SHARPTON: So, they"re not on the fable?
SANDERS: Al, they are on the table for the committee. If the committee does not reach a solution, which could call for cuts in Social Security and Medicaid, then through the sequestration process they will be protected.
Once again, Al, let me be very clear. The super-committee deals with everything. They have the power to cut Social Security and Medicare if the Democrats cave.
SHARPTON: All right. Thank you, Senator Sanders.
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