MSNBC "Michael Eric Dyson" Transcript: Ted Cruz and Tea Party Want to Take Us Back to the Middle Ages
Interview
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"We just had another tragic shooting in the United States today. But instead of dealing with the pressing issues of gun violence, which Congress should be doing something about right now -- in fact, a long time ago -- we have people like Senator Cruz, who is actually threatening to shut down the United States government if he doesn't get his way on defunding Planned Parenthood and harming women's health."
"The real problem is he may have enough other Republican Senators, who are using the Senate as a stage to run their presidential campaigns, to actually make good on this threat. After all, two years ago, Senator Cruz and others shut the government down for 16 days. So we should all be on high alert and make sure we do everything possible to prevent it this time."
"We have a Congress right now that's coming back in September, only about nine legislative days to go before we have to fund the next year of the U.S. government. And so if Senator Cruz and the Tea Party succeed in shutting it down, you're going to see the kind of multibillion dollar losses you saw last time. You're going to have places like the Veterans Benefits Administration that won't be able to process educational benefits
National parks will close. Support for women, infants, and children will dry up
These guys want to take us back to the middle ages -- no government and no women's health."
"The uncertainty generated when the U.S. government shuts down creates bad ripple effects for American families across the country
. For a highly ideological cause, he's willing to shut down the government. Last time he wanted to shut down Obamacare. He wanted to deny the 16 million Americans who now have more affordable coverage that kind of coverage. This time he wants to deny women who depend on Planned Parenthood for health care."
"So we have a big fight on our hands. We didn't let them shut down the Affordable Care Act last time. We're not going to let them shut down Planned Parenthood this time. But we have a fight on our hands."
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