MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: 2014 Election

Interview

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For more, let me bring in Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.

Congresswoman, great to have you with us tonight. Congratulations on your reelection. Good to have you with us. Thank you.

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, (D) ILLIONIS: Thank you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Yeah. Is this the biggest GOP priority, to keep power not to work with the President? And do you believe, and maybe I`m wrong but I don`t think I am. Do you believe that they think in generational terms of the power grab and then to hold it?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well they got to worry about the next two years because there`s going to be a battle within the Republican Party. Are they going to decide to govern or is the Tea Party going to continue to obstruct?

And what I heard -- the clip you played from John Boehner, they`re going to go again for a repeal of Obamacare. Here`s what they said, McConnell and Boehner in their op-ed today. Health cost, they continue to rise under a hopelessly flawed law that Americans have never supported. Oh really?

That is the big lie. Health care costs have finally been under control. Medicare is costing less than it ever has before. 10 million Americans have health care, many for the first time in their lives.

Let them try to tell Americans, we`re going to take that health care away from you now. I mean, that will be disaster. You talked about immigration.

If the Republicans don`t get right on immigration, they will never elect a President of the United States again. But the right, can they really do it given their caucus in the House and in the Senate.

So I think that the Republicans, now that they`re in charge, the Democrats have to be ready to stand tall and push an agenda that we know the American people like. Look at what happened on the referenda around the country.People want to raise the minimum wage. They want background checks for guns. They want a progressive economic agenda. And frankly, the President has actually given them one, even Forbes said in September that this maybe -- this is the best economic President in recent history.

SCHULTZ: Yeah. Do you think the Republicans are susceptible to do in the overreach that they would be -- so in loved with their legislative power that they might just go too far and have a backlash from the public?

SCHAKOWSKY: I don`t think they can help themselves. They talked about needing tax code reform. You know, I mean, really. Can they help themselves not to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans? I doubt it very much.

And that`s what the American people are really against. The syphoning off of wealth in this country, meaning that, most Americans haven`t had a raise in their generation. And if they don`t get it, the Republicans are going to be doomed in two years.

Forget about 100 years.

SCHULTZ: So do you think that Democrats should go down the road of the Filibusterers in the Senate, over on the Senate side and go against as much partisan rejection over on the House? Do you think that they should take a page out of the Republican playbook or is this going to be everybody loving up one another and, "Oh let`s get together because you guys won this election." What do you think is going to happen?

SCHAKOWSKY: I don`t see that. I mean, you`ve still got Ted Cruz and that Tea Party crowd over there. It will be very -- I mean, look -- I mean, it would be great if the Republicans decided actually to sit down and get a few things done. But I think when they don`t and when they try to stick it to the middle class once again in favor of the rich corporations and tax breaks for CEOs and for big companies who shift jobs overseas and for the oil companies...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SCHAKOWSKY: Then I think, absolutely they have to stand up and do the filibuster. And say, look, it took 60 votes to do anything under their, you know, when the Democrats were in charge. I can`t see why we won`t stand up for the middle class.

SCHULTZ: And do you think they`ll get anything done on immigration or am I wrong on that? I could be but I just don`t think they`re serious about it, not now. I don`t think they have to. Your thoughts?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I think the President -- he promised that before the end of the year that he would do something on immigration.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SCHAKOWSKY: What`s going to be the retaliation? Now, we`re not going to hear the impeachment talk -- I mean, none of that is going to do them any good over the next two years.

SCHULTZ: OK. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, great to have you with us tonight. Thank you so much.

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