MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Jan Schakowsky

Interview

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MELBER: We`re now joined by Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky coming straight from a leadership meeting with Speaker Pelosi today and a lot of big votes.

What, if anything, can you tell us about the meeting and the Biden economic agenda hitting the floor?

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL): You know, I have to tell you, Ari, this was one of the most inspiring meetings I have ever been at in my 22 years in the Congress.

What people were getting up and saying is that we have an opportunity at this moment to transform, for the American people, legislation that will provide them with the things that they`re asking, for child care, for long- term care for seniors, for a serious attack on the climate crisis, for workers that need help so badly.

It was -- it was an amazing conversation. It was just that we need to pass this legislation, that it`s a rule that will also give us the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, that will give us upcoming the infrastructure, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and an opportunity to deal with so many other things in a reconciliation bill, a bill that only needs 51 votes in the Senate.

It was amazing.

MELBER: Take a look at this ad from liberal group Justice Democrats. We will play a clip.

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NARRATOR: These nine conservative Democrats are sabotaging Biden`s agenda, because it would make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share.

Tell Representative Gottheimer, stop obstructing President Biden and start working for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MELBER: We hear about McConnell obstruction. This is the view of some progressives that the obstruction is coming from inside the caucus.

[18:50:06]

Walk us through this. And what`s your -- what`s your actual analysis? Is there concern that this affects the total vote tally?

SCHAKOWSKY: Oh, well, what we were saying is that what happens if this rule goes down is that it empowers the Republicans, who have a very different agenda.

And by passing the rule, we don`t fail to address the bipartisan infrastructure bill. That`s what some of our colleagues in the Democratic side are saying, we should do that first.

We can do it all. We can do Voting Rights Act, the John Lewis bill. We can do the infrastructure bill. And, by the way, the money for an infrastructure bill can`t happen until the next fiscal year anyway. And that`s the time that we will begin working on that, as well as a reconciliation and the Voting Rights Act.

So there`s no rush for us to do this before September. And that`s where we`re at right now. So, we are appealing to the Democrats not to turn over the gavel in many ways or the power to the Republicans. We will see.

I think we are beginning to make progress, and, hopefully, in a very short while. Rules is meeting right now, putting the bill on the floor. And there were just these amazing speeches, not only from the leadership, but from rank-and-file people and people who are called front-liners in very difficult districts, saying, we have to deliver for the American people.

MELBER: Yes.

All right, well, look, it`s good to get the update, as well as your view, as you said, one of the high points of decades in Congress.

Congresswoman Schakowsky, thank you so much.

SCHAKOWSKY: It`s been a pleasure. Thanks, Ari.

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