MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ro Khanna

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

HAYES: Just moments ago, the House voted on a bill that keeps highway funds flowing, and then they left town. So, where are we at? Congressman Ro Khanna of California, one of the progressives who was at today`s meeting with President Biden. And he joins me now.

Congressman, what would --take me through the meeting.

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, Chris, the president came in and I actually vindicated what progressives have been saying. We`ve been saying we actually are doing what the President wants. The president said we`re not going to pass infrastructure until we get an agreement on reconciliation. He was very candid. He said he spent hours and hours and hours with two senators.

He`s been trying to convince them. He hasn`t succeeded yet but he`s making progress. And he said he`s told the senators don`t give me a number. Tell me what you`re for, and then let`s figure it out. And the range, you report it, obviously, is one possibility. But the main thing he emphasized is, let`s come to a consensus of what we`re for.

[20:25:19]

HAYES: So, yes. Two things here. One is him saying, I like that approach, frankly, because I think the numbers -- you know, we`ve done this poll stick about the price is right. Like, the number doesn`t tell you anything. The number of a thing doesn`t tell you the value of the thing, the price of a thing. Like, it could be overpriced, it could be under the price. There`s ways to spend money that are bad, there`s ways to spend money that are good.

Like -- so what he`s saying is, we want to negotiate on programmatically what are we trying to do, and then that -- and then reach an agreement across the entire caucus, all 50 senators are in. And at that point, you in the Progressive Caucus feel like you can go ahead and pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Is that right?

KHANNA: Exactly. That`s what the progressives have been saying. The president basically came in and said, that`s what we need to do, because there were several, you know, about a handful of House members that were insisting on a vote so much of the epic of this creative fiction that today was still the September 30. Only in the House of Representatives, they dream up that stuff. The President basically came and said, look, we have to get a reconciliation agreement.

And what it emphasizes, let`s just not talk about the number. Let`s talk about what`s in this bill. We`re going to give people childcare, we`re going to give people paid family leave, we`re going to make sure that seniors get dental benefits, vision benefits. We want to have Community College for everyone. We`re trying to tackle the environment and climate crisis in the first way massive investments in renewable energy. He was reminding people that let`s talk about the things that we`re for not to get caught up in in the number.

HAYES: So, Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin appear to be the holdouts. It seems to me that Joe Manchin is engaged in negotiations, whatever you think. I mean, I think he`s been pretty clear. He said, look, I`m not a liberal, you know, which fair enough. He`s definitely not. Sinema has been a little cage here, though she did finally come up with a statement yesterday.

What do you think about her going back to Arizona for a fundraiser or at least in part? The hotel confirmed the event which kicks off the cocktail reception 5:30 Saturday, followed by dinner. What do you think about that move?

KHANNA: It`s obvious she doesn`t care at all about the optics. I don`t understand why with all the scrutiny, she`s engaged in raising money from interests that are affected by the legislation. But look, I mean, my understanding is she sat down with Speaker Pelosi or they had a long conversation. She`s at least engaging. I do believe that`s because of the pressure that he`s finally engaging. And I believe that progressives are going to come to a consensus.

So, I hope -- I`ve heard he`s put on climate, I hope she`ll be strong on those provisions. And let us know what she`s for and what she`s against. But maybe she`ll say, I`m not for paid family leave or I don`t want seniors to get dental and vision or I don`t want people to get free community college. Just tell us what parts are you against.

HAYES: So -- wait a second. I just want to make sure. Is that -- so she sat down with Pelosi?

KHANNA: She had. She had a conversation whether it was sitting down or over the phone. I`ve been told that she did have a conversation. And you know, that`s productive. I mean, she`s -- at least she`s engaging.

HAYES: All right, Congressman Ro Khanna, thanks so much for your time tonight.

KHANNA: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source