MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Debt Ceiling
Interview
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REP. JAMES CLYBURN, (D) SOUTH CAROLINA: Thanks you much for having me, Ed.
SCHULTZ: What do you make of this more recent 24 hours? You have Boehner come out and throwing out a lame proposal actually about keeping the debt ceiling go open for another six weeks to allow some negotiations but doing nothing about what the American people to concern about and that is opening back up the government. I mean it`s clear that the Americans blame republicans for the shutdown. Where are we at this hour in your opinion?
CLYBURN: Well, I don`t know exactly know. I do know this. They are talking and that`s good. But I do believe as you do that we are to give relief to the American people over this weekend. We`re going to be here in the morning and I would hope that we will go to the floor at 9 o`clock in the morning and then we would put the continuing resolution on the floor, let`s reopen government and let`s pass that resolution so that people can have a reluctant weekend, a holiday on Monday, and maybe (ph) they go to work on Tuesday.
We ought to not keep people in limbo during this long weekend and the desire (ph) to this billing in these households is just absolutely unfortunate. We are to pass this continued resolution. And I don`t care if it`s six weeks. I don`t care if it is at the current 986 level that Republicans want, and we`ll take that six weeks to work out the budget.
So my advice to Mr. Boehner, bring your CR to the floor, make a six- week CR, let us stay at your own 986 level and attached that CR a debate or a conference on the budget.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, you know, 47 percent of American say they want a democratically controlled congress. Now, I know that`s not really what this all about right now. I mean, that is a number but that, you know, that`s going to play out a year from now.
This is -- I think the democrats are in now business right now. I mean, you`re in the now (ph) and something has to be done now. And if the democrats give any ground to these zealots, and that`s exactly what they are, anybody that wants to keep the government shutdown, anybody that wants to not pay the bills to the American people is clearly a zealot.
If the democrats give ground what is that do? You`re thoughts on that. I mean, aren`t you in a -- aren`t all in a real severe position of strength right now?
CLYBURN: Sure. No question about that. But I don`t think it`s a question of giving ground. It`s a year and three weeks from the next election. Now, if we were only three weeks from the next election, I would have one suggestion. But I do believe that since we`ve got a year in three weeks the American people cannot wait on the next election for us to do something about this.
Now, I just said, I think the democrats gave all the ground that we should give when we accept the .
SCHULTZ: Exactly.
CLYBURN: . 986 number. That`s all we have (ph) to be given. What we already doing now is passing a continued resolution and go to a conference on the budget. The senate has the budget. And I think that budget number is 1058. The House passed the budget at 986. Let`s go to conference on that budget. Let`s let our conferees and the Senate conferees, negotiate something between 986 and 1058. Let`s get rid of this sequester.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLYBURN: I think that both of us also (ph) want to do that, and let`s get the American people back to work. Get this anxiety out of the households and then we got until next Thursday to deal with the debt ceiling.
SCHULTZ: Well, they`re losing all (inaudible). President Obama is going up and favorability. ObamaCare is getting more popular with the American people. The republicans have never had numbers like this. Do you think this latest survey is going to move them at all, or do you think they`re stuck in their ideology and they`re all about taking out in the president?
CLYBURN: Well, there`s a certain portion that they will never move. About 42 to 50 people on the other side won`t move. But I can tell you, I talked to enough republicans today, interacted with them. I can tell you, a majority of the republicans in the Republican Conference want to move off with the dime on this issue. But the Speaker has to bring the issue to the floor. We`ve got .
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLYBURN: . enough votes outside to join with 40 or 50 of his people. If he can`t give them more than that, I think he will get much more than that to get this thing move. So I don`t believe this is an issue that the speaker ought to be sweating over.
What the speaking ought to be doing I think is making sure that the American people are responded to over 70 percent of the American people do not want us to be put in politics in front of a country and 87 percent and 72 percent. So that`s what republicans are doing.
So get rid of the politics. Forget about the Tea Party Republicans. Let`s bring this issue to the floor. Let`s bring some .
SCHULTZ: OK.
CLYBURN: . real happiness to family all across this country.
SCHULTZ: Congressman James Clyburn, great to have you with us on the Ed Show Tonight. I appreciate your time so much. One thing John Boehner could do is demonstrates some character. That`s what it`s going to take.
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