MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Climate Change

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was going to do things differently in this session of the Congress. McConnell promised to allow an open amendment process for the Keystone XL Pipeline. My next guest is putting McConnell pledge to the test.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the Chairman of the -- the ranking
member of the Senate Budget Committee plans to introduce an amendment
forcing Republicans to go on record with their views about the connection
between humans, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The Senator`s amendment will ask lawmakers if they believe "climate change is real, climate change is caused by human activities, climate change has already caused devastating problems in the United States and around the world. And it is imperative that the United States transform its energy system away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficient and sustainable energy."

It`s important to know where law makers stand, especially ahead of 2016.
However according to Politico, Republican Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois
declined to say how he would vote because he was told by the powers that be that Senator Sanders amendment would not get a vote on the floor. We`re just one weekend of the new legislative session, hopefully Senator
McConnell, the new Senate Majority Leader hasn`t already abandoned his
promise in an effort to protect the science deniers of his party.

Joining me tonight Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the ranking
Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. Senator, good to have you with us tonight. This is calling them out and making a few folks bring in their
markers I would say. Do you think Majority Leader McConnell is going to
actually allow your amendment to get a vote?

SANDERS: I surely hope that he does. Ed as you`ve indicated this is a
very foundational issue, very basic. Do members of the Republican Party
believe in science? Do they respect what the scientific community is
telling us in climate change? Are they going to learn from that or do they
choose to be deniers? We know that the Chairman of the environmental
committee believes that climate change is a hoax. He is prepared to reject
science. How do other Republicans feel?

So I hope very much that we get this amendment. We will see whether or not it can pass. I could tell you that on the energy committee when I authored a similar amendment all the Republicans voted to table it (ph).

SCHULTZ: Well, I read somewhere where 72 percent of Republicans in the
Senate are climate deniers. Is that an accurate number? Would you say
that they have...

SANDERS: I have -- no, well will Ed and, you know, I have heard numbers
like that as well. And if they are prepared to reject what the scientific
community tells us which is pretty straight forward. And that is that
climate change is real. It`s caused by human activity. It is already as
we all know causing devastating problems.

And if we don`t transform our energy system away from fossil fuel it`s only
going to get worse. That is not Bernie Sanders that is what the scientific
community is telling us. And if those guys are prepared to reject that let
go back to their constituents and explain why.

SCHULTZ: So, there`s no better way to kick off this debate or to get them
on record that they really do believe that climate change is not real or
they just don`t want to go in the record because they know they`re wrong on the issue.

So, there`s a real multiple choice here as to why Republicans would not
want to vote on this. Bottom line here, it really causes a problem for
them, doesn`t it?

SANDERS: I should think so, it really does. Look, you know, take a deep
breath and think what kind of world we are living and then by the way Ed,
you know, virtually every major scientific organization in the United
States is on record, in understanding that climate change is real.

There are 135 international economists and science all over the world
saying the same thing. And it really does become a frightening situation
when you have the dominant party on Capitol Hill controlling the House,
controlling the Senate saying, you know what? We reject science. We don`t
care what the scientific community is saying. We want more and more fossil
fuel in this country.

SCHULTZ: Why can`t we do this on other issues, Senator? I mean the
question begs, what about taxes? What about health care? What about
social security? I mean, the way you have worded this climate change is
real. Climate change is caused by human activities. Climate change is
already caused devastating problems. I mean, it would -- it`s forcing them
to deny the facts.

Well, I mean...

SANDERS: Well Ed, I think...

SCHULTZ: ... it seems to me that on minimum wage, it`s factual that our
economy is not hurt when minimum wage is raised which of course they are
against.

SANDERS: Look, I think you`re right and I think that is exactly what we
have to do. I think -- I am prepared and I think others are as well. For
example, in terms of social security, to bring forth a resolution which
says that the Congress will not cut social security benefits but rather
expand those benefits. They want to vote against that, let them vote
against it.

I think they will be very much in the minority in terms of how the American
people feel if they do.

SCHULTZ: And still on climate change and energy. Senator Ted Cruz is
pushing a measure to end the four-decade old ban on exporting U.S. oil.

Now, who would this -- who would benefit from that number one, and do you see any real support for ending the ban at this point?

SANDERS: Well, I think we all know who benefits from that. Obviously the
oil companies who can make -- who can earn higher profits by selling their
product abroad will be the people who gain, the people who lose will be the
American people back here in our country will be forced to pay higher
prices for gas and oil. And clearly, you know, that Cruz is saying that`s
he`s interested in protecting the oil industry and the profits of the oil
industry than ordinary Americans.

I hope very much and between you and me, I don`t think that a resolution or an amendment like that will succeed.

SCHULTZ: And Senator, do the Republicans realize that even if they vote
yes on Keystone and send it to the President, and even have a veto
overwrite that there`s still 100 land owners in Nebraska who were going to
go down the road of eminent domain and block this for at least another two
years. I mean there`s a lot of theater here on this Keystone issue at this
point.

There`s still a lot of legal Heathrow (ph) country to cut through on this.
Your thoughts.

SANDERS: Well, I think you`re right. I think they may not be aware of all
of that. I think that what they want to do is say, see that, the President
is vetoing legislation which creates jobs. And let`s be clear, the
Keystone pipeline creates 35 permanent jobs.

It creates some construction jobs but when we`re talking about an economy
which is creating 250,000-300,000 jobs a month, this is a minimal.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SANDERS: If you want a jobs program, let`s rebuild our crumbling
infrastructure and put millions of people back to work.

SCHULTZ: Senator Bernie Sanders here on the Ed Show. Sir, thank you so
much. I appreciate it, great amendment. We should call it the in off
amendment too by the way.

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