MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

Interview

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HAYES: Not really a glowing reception for Kevin McCarthy. And let`s be clear, for McCarthy, McCarthy has got the wind in his back political right now, but in terms of impressing those people and managing them, it`s going to get worse and harder from here on out almost certainly.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York is the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and he joins me now. Congressman Jeffries, there was some -- there were some tense moments in your caucus between various factions and divisions for over the last month about the hold up on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. There were times where the leadership said we`re going to have a vote and then it didn`t happen because the votes weren`t there. What is the morale sentiment among House Democrats after this morning?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Well this was a great day and a great week for the American people, a great week for the country, a great week for the Biden agenda as well as the House Democratic Caucus agenda.

We began the week, of course, with President Biden signing the bipartisan infrastructure agreement. It`s going to create millions of good-paying jobs, invest in our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, airports, our mass transit system, our water and sewage system, bring about high-speed internet all throughout the country, urban America, rural America all points in between.

And then we ended the week by passing this transformational legislation that will also create millions of good-paying jobs, cut taxes for working families, and drive down and lower costs in areas like child care and health care, life-saving prescription drugs, housing, higher education. And so, it`s fair to say we`re feeling pretty good because we`re delivering in a meaningful way for the American people.

[20:10:05]

You just mentioned the tax cuts for working families. And I have to ask one of the most controversial elements of this, I think one of the most politically hard to defend, is that because of negotiations in the caucus, particularly Josh Gottheimer who represents New Jersey suburbs.

There`s a repeal on part of the Republicans tax bill which will end up effectively cutting taxes for lots of millionaires who live in high tax states like New Jersey and New York and California. And people said, you ran on raising taxes on the rich. And in fact, you`re giving them a huge tax cut in this. Bill how do you defend that?

JEFFRIES: Well, when you look at the overall amount of revenue that`s being generated, that will come from the wealthy, the well-off, and the well- connected paying their fair share across the country as well as additional taxes from corporations not as high as I would have liked. I think we should have raised the corporate tax rate, but that does not appear feasible given the dynamics in the Senate.

But with respect to the SALT tax cap, you`re talking about often in places like New York, or Northern New Jersey, or Connecticut, parts of Illinois, certainly in California, high cost jurisdictions where you could have a police officer and a teacher, a nurse and a firefighter, a social worker, two public employees who are middle class or maybe even solidly middle class who the SALT tax cap has put them in a worse position than they were in prior to the passage of the GOP tax game in 2017.

And this was aimed directly at blue states by Republicans uh in a bill where 83 of the benefits went to the wealthiest one percent. And so, I do believe that we need some SALT reform. And some of the public employee unions including the American Federation of Teachers, as well as the state and local and county employees actually support this effort that we`ve undertaken because they recognize that the Republicans were trying to punish the ability of states like New York and California to raise revenue that can then be poured into the well-being of the people that we serve in the states. As opposed to what happens in red states where they raise no revenue, they don`t have local income taxes, and they treat their people very differently needless to say.

HAYES: You mention that you would have liked to see maybe the corporate rate raise and made reference to the Senate. Of course, that`s what looms over all this. And you saying that -- I want you to clarify. And I don`t know if you can be honest about this but I`ll ask you. Do you -- like, are you just in suspense about whether this will be OK with King Joe Manchin and Queen Kyrsten Sinema over there in the Senate and they`re going to sign it, or do you have some sense that you are in the ballpark? Because, otherwise, this all feels a little bit like pretend.

JEFFRIES: Yes, in my view, we certainly are in the ballpark. And I do believe that all 50 of the senators are operating in good faith in terms of trying to land the plane. But what gives I think many of us confidence in the House is that President Biden has given us his explicit commitment that what has been outlined in terms of the tremendous drives we will be taking for the American people, in the Build Back Better Act, we`ll get the support of 50 senators and he will personally make sure that occurs.

And we know that Joe Biden, one, is not just a man of his word, this is his agenda. He cares about advancing the Build Back Better Act. And he`s a creature of the Senate having served 30 plus years there. If anyone can get this done in the Senate, it`s President Joe Biden, of course, in partnership with great leadership from Chuck Schumer.

HAYES: Yes. I mean, I think -- I think you`re right that -- and everyone I`ve talked to in the process says it`s got to come from the president and he`s been working hard. And ultimately, it`s his agenda and it`s going to - - it`s succeed or fail based on that. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for being with us.

JEFFRIES: Thanks, Chris.

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