MSNBC "Interview with Congressman Gregory Meeks"

MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH CONGRESSMAN GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY)

MS. BREWER: (In progress) -- dollar -- or billion dollar bailout bill, what do you think about these changes that the Senate is considering?

REP. MEEKS: Well, I think that if it helps bring more votes onboard, then it's a positive thing. We need to pass this bill and I think we need to do it sooner than later. I appreciate the leadership that the Senate is having in trying to make sure that we have a strong, bipartisan bill. Admittedly, there are some considerations I think that we'll have when we get back to the House because I know that some of our Blue Dogs will be concerned about how it gets paid for. But I'm hopeful that we'll sit down, we'll work it out and we'll have a resolution and we'll pass -- we'll follow the Senate and we'll pass this bill before the weekend is over.

MS. BREWER: I mean, how do you convince the people who voted against this in the first place -- and an awful lot of those congressional lawmakers, Congressman Meeks, were opposed to this because they thought the government was spending too much money on a move that was too uncertain to actually be effective. So how do you go back now by adding more programs to the bill and convince them, okay, now it's the right bill for you to vote for?

REP. MEEKS: Well, actually, I think that with a lot of members, the reason why they voted no was because they were hearing from their constituents, and their constituents were telling them to vote no and they were following what their constituents were saying. And I think that where we failed in the past to better -- was to better communicate with our constituents how Wall Street meets Main Street.

And I think that after the bill had failed and people are now starting to feel and see the effects of Wall Street and Main Street that that's going to have a substantial difference. I mean, when you talk about small businesspeople talking about they're not going to be able to make payroll because their credit is frozen and therefore, you know, people won't get paid who can't pay their own rent or mortgages, that then hurts Main Street. And I don't think that Main Street understood that before, and in the last couple of days I think that message is starting to get through. And that's why I think that members are hearing a different tune from some of their constituents, and that will help them change their minds.

MS. BREWER: So in your office, are you seeing a difference in the kinds of phone calls that you're getting on this rescue recovery plan?

REP. MEEKS: Yeah. I think it has decidedly shifted, even though I knew that I was going upstream initially because most of the calls that I was receiving was don't -- (audio break) --

MS. BREWER: Oh. We've just lost now Congressman Meeks' camera from Capitol Hill. But what he was saying would really echo what a lot of the lawmakers are saying, that most of the phone calls they were getting into their offices were against this bailout plan. And now we're hearing from some lawmakers that since the plan failed, since the market took a nosedive on Monday that the calls now are about 50-50.

We're trying to get Congressman Meeks back, in the meantime, to finish our interview with him. But again, we're taking a closer look now because tonight, the Senate is planning to vote on this plan.

Okay, now we have Congressman Meeks back. Congressman, great to see you again. Sorry for the little disruption there.

REP. MEEKS: Yes.

MS. BREWER: Do you think that the Senate -- I was just explaining to the folks at home that a lot of lawmakers are saying now that they're -- that the people who are calling their offices have switched. It's more 50-50 now where before it was maybe 90-10 against the bill. Do you think that the Senate voting in favor of it would have any influence over the House members?

REP. MEEKS: Yeah, I think it does. I think that it also shows that, you know, those that may come from some states where they have close elections, their senator has already voted for it. It gives them, though, the need, the political coverage or whatever -- it gives them that kind of protection also. So I think it is significant that the Senate is voting on it, and I think they're going to do it in a bipartisan manner, and I think that's what the country is really looking for.

MS. BREWER: Yeah.

REP. MEEKS: The country is looking for us to work together, Democrats and Republicans, as adults and getting a job done. The Senate will lead by an example, and I believe we will follow in the House.

MS. BREWER: Congressman Meeks, it's great to see you today. Thank you for your time, sir.

REP. MEEKS: Thank you.

END.

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