MSNBC "Martin Bashir" - Transcript: Government Shutdown

Interview

MARTIN BASHIR, MSNBC: Just 12 percent now approve of Congress's job performance. I guess that's mostly friends, family and comedy writers. And I'm sure the approval numbers include the many supporters of Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, who I'm delighted to say joins us. Good afternoon, sir.

REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Martin, it's great to be with you. We may even be losing our family's support at this point in time.

BASHIR: This is true, and I fear for you. But the leader of your opponents in Congress, Speaker John Boehner, says his job, and I'm quoting him, "is not to legislate, but to repeal legislation.' He also says he's ready, once again, to use the debt ceiling as a hostage. I assume, I guess, we should appreciate Mr. Boehner's honesty. Because basically, what he's saying is that his caucus doesn't care if their actions damage the country. The only thing they care about -- their singular priority for this nation -- is obstructing this particular President. Isn't it?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, that's exactly right. As the President said today, we should be building up our economy. We should not be tearing things down. Unfortunately, we have a Republican majority -- especially in the House of Representatives -- where if the President were to adopt the Republican platform tomorrow and say, yes, I agree with you, they would all say we don't agree with our own position anymore. And that is exactly what's happened in the House, Martin. The President has put forward what used to be very bipartisan ideas, right? Let's invest in our infrastructure. Let's make sure we invest in our kids' education. These used to be issues that people would come together on.

BASHIR: These are all sacrilegious, now -- these are all sacrilegious issues for the Republicans. Why do you want to do that?

VAN HOLLEN: Right, but all of a sudden because the President says that's a good idea, they decide to say it's a bad idea, and try and tear things down. Look, you mentioned, and the President said, that when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, health care, they used to say they were going to repeal and replace. Well, they voted 37 times, at least, to repeal. Never in the last four years have they come up with any idea to replace it. So they obviously want to go back to the days where the insurance industry gets to deny people health coverage based on pre-existing conditions. So, they don't have, unfortunately, any constructive ideas. Which is why I'm glad the President challenged them, and why I think the American people, regardless of your political affiliation, should judge ideas on their merits. The President's put forward a challenge -- what's their answer?

BASHIR: Congressman, can you explain what the poor have done to offend Republicans? We've had a sequester in which millions of elderly people no longer receive Meals on Wheels. We had a farm bill that literally cancelled the provision of food stamps altogether. There's a House transportation and housing bill that cuts community development block grants in half. These are the social programs that help the poor. Why do they target the poor with such enthusiasm and zeal? What is behind that?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, look. We got a glimpse of this, of course, in the last presidential election, when, you know, Mitt Romney said he doesn't care about the 47 percent -- which included the poor, and also a lot of middle income Americans, by the way. That's why they're so focused on trying to protect the tax breaks for the very wealthy and special interests. And what really worries me, Martin, is that what they're positioning themselves to do is to take us to this crisis, this artificial crisis this fall. And their position will be unless you agree with our, sort of, radical and extreme vision for the country, unless you support the Republican Ryan budget -- which crushes support for food stamps, which devastates our investment in education. Unless you support that, we, the Republicans, are going to allow the United States of America to default on its full faith and credit. In other words, they're threatening to tank the entire economy if the Congress doesn't adopt their version of the budget.

BASHIR: Congratulations.

VAN HOLLEN: No one's -- that's not going to happen. And the Republicans need to realize that and get together today in a budget conference. You remember, they complained forever the Senate didn't have a budget. Now, they have absolutely refused not only to negotiate, but they refuse to even go to the table to negotiate. And so I'm very nervous about the fall. I'm afraid that they're positioning themselves for threats of a government shutdown and another manufactured crisis which will only hurt the country.

BASHIR: Congratulations to Speaker John Boehner and the House Republicans. Congressman Chris Van Hollen, thank you sir.

VAN HOLLEN: I hope we can have better news next time. Thank you, Martin.

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