MSNBC Interview - Transcript
Interview
MSNBC Interview - Transcript
MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD)
SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT AND THE DEFICIT INTERVIEWER: NORAH O'DONNELL
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MS. O'DONNELL: Joining me now is Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. And, Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you, Norah.
MS. O'DONNELL: We just saw, of course, President Obama and the first lady land there in London. How pivotal is this eight-day, five- nation trip for the president?
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, I think it's a very important opportunity for the president to take his message overseas with respect to trying to get the global economy turned around. He has taken very important steps here at home. We passed the economic recovery bill. He's worked to try and stabilize the housing market. He's tried to unfreeze the credit markets. But we are in a global economy, and it's essential that we try and work with our partners overseas to try and deal with this on a global basis.
So I think to the extent that he can come out of this -- which, as your previous guest said, a message of solidarity, that we all understand what a big hole we're in and we all have to work together to climb out of it.
MS. O'DONNELL: Congressman, I know that the president, before he left early this morning for this trip overseas, was with you guys last night up on Capitol Hill. And I understand that he told you that he was as serious as a heart attack about reducing the deficit.
I want to talk about that, because one of the interesting things in The Washington Post poll that we saw today is that while 52 percent back his approach to the deficit, only 45 percent of independents. That's much lower than his approval rating. It suggests that not everybody thinks he's doing the best job, and there's been some slippage among independents. Is that a problem for this president, for your party, if you don't look like a party that wants to cut the deficit and is a party of spending?
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, we do want to cut the deficit. Now, what those independent voters also say is that priority number one is to get the economy turned around. And they strongly support, as those numbers showed, the president's efforts to get the economy turned around and going again.
The president has made it clear that we also need to put this economy on a long-term, sound financial footing. That requires making important investment in health care, energy and education. And it also requires, as his budget does, reducing the deficit.
MS. O'DONNELL: Right.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: In fact, he brings down the deficit by half, as you know, over a four- or five-year period.
MS. O'DONNELL: But, Congressman, one of my understandings is that, in that meeting last night, there was talk about more money being added to this budget specifically from Congressman Peter DeFazio, of course of Oregon, who asked the president for more funding for infrastructure, for interest -- for instance, wanted more money, and that the president said this in response: quote, "I know you think we need more for infrastructure because you voted against it," talking about stimulus. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." Ouch.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Yeah.
MS. O'DONNELL: And what about that? I mean, is there going to be more money? A lot of deficit hawks are saying stop with it already, it's already too big of a bill.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, just to make it clear, the president after that said he was -- he was doing that in a good-natured spirit. But let me just make it clear, number one, Peter DeFazio is right --
MS. O'DONNELL: You don't think they're keeping score at the White House?
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, look, I mean --
MS. O'DONNELL: Really? You don't think they can remember? He knows. He knows that Peter DeFazio voted against it. That's pretty interesting.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: That -- well, absolutely. I mean, clearly, they're --
MS. O'DONNELL: Yeah.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: -- keeping track of how people are voting, whether they're supporting the recovery plan or not. And they're also listening for any constructive criticism so they can try and address any legitimate concerns.
One issue is going to be trying to find some funds to invest future in the infrastructure. As you know, the recovery plan works for those shovel-ready projects. But there are also other important big projects out there that are not shovel-ready that we need to invest in, and so we have to look for those opportunities.
But what the president was very clear about in his response was that, as you said, he's as serious as a heart attack about addressing the deficit picture and talked about how we need to bring down those medical costs throughout our health care system, both on the private side and on the Medicare and Medicaid public side. That is the main driver of our deficits in the out years. They dwarf the unfunded liability of Social Security. And until we get those medical costs under control, we're not going to get our deficit under control.
MS. O'DONNELL: I just have time for just a yes or no.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Sure.
MS. O'DONNELL: So did the president say he's willing to tackle that issue?
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Yes. He said he's willing to tackle --
MS. O'DONNELL: Okay.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: -- that issue in a very serious way.
MS. O'DONNELL: All right. Thank you, Congressman Chris Van Hollen.
REP. VAN HOLLEN: Thank you, Norah.
MS. O'DONNELL: I really appreciate it.
END.
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