CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Steven Horsford

Interview

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OUT FRONT now, Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford of Nevada, a member of the House Budget Committee. And I know, of course, you were one of the moderates who met with Biden today. So I appreciate your time, Congressman.

So you know, in your meeting and President Biden, obviously, as you know, we are talking about five hours of these meetings back to back, met with moderates, like yourself, wrapped up a final meeting with progressive lawmakers tonight who at this point appear to be holding firm against voting for that bipartisan infrastructure bill that is set for a vote on Monday, unless they get their much bigger spending package first. What did President Biden say to you?

REP. STEVEN HORSFORD (D-NV): Well, thank you, Erin for having me on. And you know, what I will first say is this Congress with the leadership of President Biden is committed to delivering for the American people.

We delivered with the American Rescue Plan. These have been unprecedented times with the pandemic and a recession that has disproportionately hit every community, but states like mine in Nevada, where we saw high unemployment back in July of 2020 and we are as committed now to passing the President's Build Back Better agenda, as well as the bipartisan infrastructure deal.

The President, as you said, said that we can get this done and we will work together. I don't think that there's as much disagreement as people want to frame because what we are in agreement on is delivering for the American people, the American family, the American worker, and American small businesses who desperately need an economic recovery plan, because this is a once in a generational opportunity for us to really move our country forward and to build back better, as the President says.

BURNETT: So I want to play for you, Congressman, what the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said right after her meeting with President Biden today. Listen to this.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I will not be talking about that right now. We don't -- we are on schedule. That's all I will say. And we're calm and everybody is good and our work is almost done. So, we're in good shape.

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BURNETT: So you know, this is this promise, right, that there's going to be this vote on the package that I know, you support the bipartisan deal that passed the Senate as well. Should the Speaker move the vote, even if progressives are going to vote against it and shoot it down? Fifty of them, of course, are threatening to vote no.

HORSFORD: Well, I think ongoing conversations are happening through today and over the course of the next few days. But that's a false choice. We need to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better agenda. This is part of what I shared with the President. Why? Because I support the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but it does not include investment in workforce development and skills training. It doesn't include childcare funding, one of the barriers that working families, particularly women, experience in being able to return to the workforce.

It doesn't include the extension of the child tax credit, which is a cut for the majority of middle class families. In my district, 97 percent of families with children receive that child tax cut, which is about $3,000.00 per child per family, and it doesn't include paid leave and so many other elements.

And so, yes, we need the bipartisan infrastructure deal, but we also need to pass human infrastructure that invest in our people, and we can do both.

BURNETT: All right, I appreciate your time, Congressman. Thank you very much.

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