CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Mazie Hirono

Interview

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Just a short time ago, I spoke to one of those Democrats we mentioned ready for her party to go it alone on the President's agenda.

Hawaii's Mazie Hirono.

Senator, even before the talks broke down between President Biden and Senator Capito, you said you were ready to move on from bipartisanship. What did you mean?

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Meaning, that I completely believe Mitch McConnell when he says that his goal is to make sure that President Biden doesn't achieve any of his major goals, one of which would be these bills, the infrastructure bill, et cetera, although I have to say that perhaps on infrastructure, there can be some sort of a bipartisan agreement.

BERMAN: Although, how do you feel about the fact that the talks between senator Capito and the President didn't get to the finish line?

HIRONO: Well, apparently there are other people having these kinds of talks. So, it's not over yet for some kind of a bipartisan infrastructure bill to emerge.

BERMAN: So just to be clear, the Capito talks did break down, but there is another group of senators, bipartisan group still meeting. You do not think that's a waste of time. You still hold out some hope.

[15:20:10]

HIRONO: This is a new group of senators, perhaps, but I'm saying that I am prepared already that we should go ahead using reconciliation for the two bills, the Build Back Better bills. But you know, if other people aren't there yet, I think that time is running out where we say, we, Democrats say, okay, that's enough. It is a fissure cut bait time.

BERMAN: You say, we, Democrats, and you mentioned Mitch McConnell, but you have a problem with some Democrats, which is that Senator Joe Manchin, I don't think is ready to move on.

HIRONO: I think Joe may be part of this group that is having these further discussions.

BERMAN: Beyond infrastructure, you know, that certainly on nonfinancial bills, you need 60 votes to get anything passed. So, don't you by definition, need bipartisanship?

HIRONO: Yes. We have 50/50 and Vice President Harris breaks the tie. But we certainly need to have at least 50 in order to get things passed using reconciliation.

BERMAN: Using reconciliation, but on bills that aren't subject to reconciliation -- police reform, voting rights, and others.

HIRONO: Yes, we are going to need 60 votes.

BERMAN: How are you going to get it? How are you going to get them without bipartisanship?

HIRONO: You have to get rid of the filibuster, which I am also ready to do.

BERMAN: I was talking to progressive Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman yesterday about Joe Manchin's opposition to the voting rights bill, also Joe Manchin's opposition to getting rid of the filibuster and he told me that Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell. Do you think that's fair?

HIRONO: I'm not going to start calling my colleague names. I was more than disappointed on Joe's position on S.1. But at the same time, I, you know, I think that we might be able to get some of the provisions in S.1 through, provided that Joe tells us what he is concerned about with regarding this 800-page bill.

BERMAN: Let me just ask you, in general, broadly speaking, President Biden, the Democrat is trying to get an agenda through. Do you believe that if he continues to push for bipartisanship that that agenda is in jeopardy?

HIRONO: Yes. As I said, I believe Mitch McConnell, when he says that his goal is to make sure that Joe Biden doesn't accomplish his major goals so that Mitch McConnell can take back the Senate, I believe him when he says that. And so while we can get bipartisan support on some discreet bills such as the COVID-19 Hate Crimes bill that we passed in a bipartisan way on some of the big agenda items. I believe, Mitch, when he says that he is not going to participate.

At the same time, if Mitch McConnell were to say tomorrow that we're going to work with Democrats to get the infrastructure bill through, that we're going to get the American Families Act through, then, we can get it done, but he won't go there. And therefore, I think that we should move to reconciliation to get these kinds of agenda items through. The people of our country need it, want it and are hoping for it.

BERMAN: Senator Mazie Hirono, thank you so much for joining us.

HIRONO: Aloha.

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