MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Our National Security

Interview

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SCHULTZ: For more, let me bring in Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of
Florida who is the Chair of the DNC.

Congresswoman, why do these two have to be connected to get -- to protect
the country? Where is it at this hour now that the Senate has moved a
little bit on this with the vote to move forward?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D) FLORIDA, DNC CHAIR: Well and of course,
they don`t have to be connected and thankfully the Senate has taken action
to disconnect them. The House Republicans and quite frankly a number of
Republicans who are saying they want to run for President are playing a
dangerous game of chicken here with our national security.

On Friday, as you noted, this funding runs out and putting our national
security in jeopardy. I mean, you have potential candidates for President
like Jeb Bush who has been definitely silent, refuses to say what he
thinks. I mean, if you`re running for President you should have an opinion
on whether the Department of Homeland Security should be shutdown over a
fight on immigration reform.

I mean, it`s just outrageous whether it`s Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bobby
Jindal, Mike Pence. They have all actually said in one form or another
that it`s OK and this is an appropriate action to take.

It`s just unbelievable, outrageous, unacceptable and the (inaudible) the
Republicans court in the House.

SCHULTZ: Well, it is. And do you think that the Tea Party Republicans are
going to warm up to just a single bill that is not connected to
immigration? I mean, where is this going to go? And I said in the last
segment, I believe this is a product of gerrymandering.

I mean these guys know that they`re not going to lose, that they have
socially engineered the House. It emboldens them to do stuff like this and
they`re going to take it right in the firewall to try to get what they want
to see who blinks first. So, how does this play out in the House on the
Republican side?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: You know, when you`re not dealing with people who are
being rationale, and when making rationale, does not making rationale
decisions. It`s pretty tough to predict. So (inaudible) to me to predict
what the -- Republican caucus will do.

SCHULTZ: So you don`t think this brings the House any closer to a
conclusion on this, what the Senate did?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: You know, I`ve tried to apply logic to Republican
decision-making in the House of Representatives in the past, and then
pretty stunned that they`re lack of it.

So I mean, that this is playing a dangerous game where we`re not just
talking about -- I mean -- they already shut the whole government down and
cost us $24 billion. And that was over healthcare reform and denying
people healthcare.

Now, they`re willing to compromise our national security, shut the
Department of Homeland Security down and ensure that they can continue
their -- really religious -- almost religious adherence to ensuring that we
can deport as many undocumented immigrants as we can and not just...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: ... sad and unacceptable and dangerous and frightening.

SCHULTZ: Do you ...

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: And hopefully cooler heads will prevail.

SCHULTZ: Well, I hope so too. We certainly need among the job and we need
to have it funded.

Do you think that Speaker Boehner`s position as speaker is going to be
jeopardized because of this?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: You know, I certainly think his leadership is being
called into question again and again. I mean, what he needs to do is
carouse (ph) his caucus if he believes and making sure that we can protect
our national security interest.

Surely, he and other candidate -- other Republicans like Jeb Bush should
unequivocally state that we shouldn`t shutdown the Department of Homeland
Security over the President`s immigration policy. I want to hear from Jeb
Bush. Someone should ask him. And they have asked him and he refuses to
say and yet he wants to be president. That`s not leadership. John Boehner
hasn`t exercise leadership and then the process of pursuing their own
ambition of either staying in power or gaining more power...

SCHULTZ: Yes.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: ... they`re willing to compromise our national
security, it`s unacceptable.

SCHULTZ: And finally, Congresswoman, the news late this afternoon, three
New York men were accused of plotting to aid ISIS today. Will this
influence the DHS funding negotiations at all?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, I certainly hope that all of the considerations
that we have to take into account when it comes to our national security
whether it`s ISIS or, you know, other threats around the world...

SCHULTZ: So probably won`t.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: It doesn`t look good. I`ll tell you that and it`s
disturbing.

SCHULTZ: Debbie ...

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I know...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: ... I`m going to stand up for my constituents.

SCHULTZ: I know you will. And Rubio has got an interesting take on all of
these. I mean, I think it`s interesting strategically that the President
is in Florida doing this, showing a clear division between where the
Democrats are and where, you know, these Florida guys are, Scott, Rubio and
Bush and you`re pointing out that hey haven`t said anything about it. And
of course Rubio is certainly (inaudible) to race.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Exactly. Rubio has suggested that it`s just fine.
This is the appropriate direction to go. And, I mean, these are people who
are actually saying that they want to be president of the United States.

I don`t know how anybody would expect Americans to vote for them when
they`re willing to compromise our national security.

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman, thanks to your time tonight. I appreciate it.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Thank you. Thanks, Ed.

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