MSNBR Interview With Rep. James E. Clyburn

Interview

MSNBR Interview With Rep. James E. Clyburn

MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH REP. JAMES E. CLYBURN (D-SC)
SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST 100 DAYS INTERVIEWER: CARLOS WATSON

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MR. WATSON: Democratic Congressman from South Carolina Jim Clyburn is the House majority whip. Congressman Clyburn, good to see you again, sir.

REP. CLYBURN: Well, thank you so much for having me, Carlos.

MR. WATSON: Congressman Clyburn, we know that President Obama's had probably as ambitious an agenda as we've seen in his first 100 days in the last 40 years, maybe longer, some would say. But what two or three things are you hoping to see him do over the next 200 days?

REP. CLYBURN: Well, as you know, if you looked at the -- what I think was the biggest thing, the recovery package, that $787-billion program, on the heels of the $700-billion TARP program -- which I think was just a magnificent accomplishment -- that lays the foundation for the next 100 years, if -- 100 days (laughs).

If you look at what he was -- he's done there, we have put a -- in place programs that are to work immediately to stimulate the economy. And we hope to take the next hundred days and flesh a lot of that out on health care, on health IT, on housing. These things that need to be in place to sustain this recovery, I think, will be the things that we'll be doing for the next 100 days.

We believe that the budget -- that there seem to have -- that both House and Senate conferees seem to have had agreement over the weekend. We hope to vote on that this week. That fleshes out the entire program for the next few years -- five years, to be exact. And so I think that's what we'll be doing over the next hundred days.

MR. WATSON: Congressman -- Congressman Clyburn, thank you so much for joining us, sir. Good to see you.

REP. CLYBURN: Thank you for having me.

END.

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