MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Tim Kaine

Interview

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The stakes here for the Democratic agenda are enormously high because, let me tell you, a Republican victory would reverberate through the Democratic caucus. It would give a very bad signal where things are just a year out from the 2022 midterms. No one knows that better than the former Democratic Governor of Virginia, Senator Tim Kaine.

Senator, it`s good to have you on. You know this state well. You were a mayor of Richmond, governor of the state, now a senator. Where do you see the race right now?

SEN. TIM KAINE(D-VA): Chris, I think it`s close. I do feel like we have the edge especially with first time we`ve ever had a governor`s race with 45 days of early voting in person or by mail, no excuse needed. But it`s close and it kind of follows a little bit of a trend. Presidential years, we turn out, and you know, 68, 70 percent voting, and then the next year is a governor`s race, and often the turnout drops off significantly.

So, my colleagues and I, you know Senator Warner and Governor Northam. We`re crisscrossing the state with Congressman Scott and others to make sure everybody knows just how important it is. This is a real definer for Virginia`s direction. And as you say, it`s going to be interpreted very, very closely in terms of what it means for the entire country.

HAYES: The Republican Party has had a bunch of things they`ve tried to make this race about. The one thing they really focused on is school and schooling, parental control of school curriculum. It was first about critical race theory or whatever caricature of it they posses. It`s also about a law that McAuliffe had vetoed that would give parents essentially direct control over school curriculum and particularly books that appear in their libraries.

This is a quote from a Republican official. There`s just so much focus on the schools and it`s visceral, Former Chair of the Republican Party of Virginia. It`s not like, oh, I`m against the death ceiling. This is like you`re destroying our children`s education, and look angry people vote. What do you think of that?

KAINE: Well, I don`t think that many people are angry in Virginia about education, Chris. I mean, Terry McAuliffe is -- has a record. And the record was some of the biggest increases in funding for schools. Virginia schools are ranked among the best in the nation whether you look at either K-12 schools or our university system which is superb.

And Glenn Younkins had nothing to do with that. Terry McAuliffe`s fingerprints are all over Virginia`s school success. The other reason parents aren`t angry is they get to vote for school board members. If they don`t like what`s going on in a local city or county, then they can put somebody else in. And nobody is getting in their way of doing that.

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But Virginia is been on a roll educationally. When I was born, Virginia was one of the worst states for education in the country. You couldn`t sit next to a kid if their skin color was different. And women couldn`t go to many of our universities. Now, we`re one of the best states for education in the country.

How dare a newbie like Glenn Youngkin can come in and promise he`ll turn it topsy-turvy. I think that`s the last thing that most Virginians want.

HAYES: McAuliffe who of course was a national political figure before he became the governor recently weighed in on my colleague Andrea Mitchell`s show about the infrastructure bill stuff that you guys are negotiating.

There is of course the bipartisan bill that was negotiated and passed by the Senate. It`s currently being held in the House as they try to work out the full deal. McAuliffe is calling for that to be passed. Here`s what he said to say.

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TERRY MCAULIFFE (D-VA), GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Let`s get everybody the room. Lock the door, what do you need, what do you need, and let`s get this thing done. I`ll tell you why, $7 billion for roads in Virginia in the infrastructure bill. You know, all these folks up here, you know, they love to go out and do their press conferences. Do your job. Vote and get this done.

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HAYES: And your fellow senator from Virginia, Mark Warner, made a bit of news today saying we should vote on that independent of the negotiations on Build Back Better. Of course, progressives say, if you do that, the rest of the agenda is never going to get passed. What do you think?

KAINE: Well, Chris, look, I think the infrastructure bill needs to get Joe Biden`s desk very quickly. It`s going to do great not just for Virginia, but it`s going to do good for every zip code in this country. I understand members of the House want some assurances that the Senate will pass a reconciliation bill at a reasonable level. We ought to be able to give them that assurance ASAP.

There`s no reason for Dems to be coy right now. My belief is this. If the Senate Democrats say to the House we will do a reconciliation bill, at this general level, with these general programs, the House will say great. You can work out the, you know, I-dotting and T-crossing. We`ll send this bill to the President`s desk.

And so, we do need to get it to his desk ASAP. And I asked my Senate Democrats. Let`s do what Terry McAuliffe said and let`s make plain to the House, here`s what we want to do in the reconciliation bill to help American families, and we can get both of them done.

We will get both of them done. I`m confident of that. But I agree with Terry that time is of the essence. Let`s do it quicker to help more people.

HAYES: All right, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, thank you very much.

KAINE: Absolutely, Chris.

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