MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" Interview With Representative Tammy Baldwin - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" INTERVIEW WITH REP. TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI) INTERVIEWER: RACHEL MADDOW

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MS. MADDOW: Joining us now is Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.

Congresswoman, thanks very much for joining us.

REP. BALDWIN: It's a pleasure to be with you.

MS. MADDOW: So the president's executive order/presidential memorandum that he signed today, it doesn't extend benefits, including health care and pension benefits, to same-sex partners of federal employees. Why are those excluded?

REP. BALDWIN: Well, because they require an act of Congress, a change in the law, in order to be able to grant those benefits. The president signed a limited but very meaningful order today that extends certain rights in certain instances, in certain agencies. And I think he went as far as he could go through an executive order. But now really the responsibility is on the shoulders of Congress. And I can tell you that the legislation really got a boost by his strong endorsement today, and I'm hopeful we'll be able to move it.

MS. MADDOW: On the domestic partnership bill, the benefits bill that he described and that he singled you out for today, and on the Defense of Marriage Act, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which he also explicitly talked about today, obviously it's a huge support, a huge boon for any bill or any repeal effort to have the president's explicit endorsement like that.

How realistic do you think it is that DOMA could be repealed, that your bill could be passed?

REP. BALDWIN: Well, it's hard to give odds. Congress has viewed some LGBT rights legislation before. We've had roll call votes, for example, on hate crimes protections, on the Employment Non- Discrimination Act. And other bills that have been introduced before haven't advanced as far. And so it's sort of uncharted waters, if you will.

But I'm very encouraged, I think, especially given this executive order today on limited domestic partnership benefits, because it sends a strong message that Congress ought to act with the whole array of benefits and obligations, because remember, we extend both responsibilities as well as benefits to partners. I think this sends a very strong signal that we should be passing that soon.

MS. MADDOW: Strong signals and strong messages are, of course, what presidents specialize in, particularly when it comes to domestic legislation. And it's the president's seeming reticence to move forward on making good on his campaign promise about "Don't ask, don't tell" and the Justice Department's controversial brief in defense of the Defense of Marriage Act last week -- these are the things that have led several gay activists and gay donors to, for example, pull out of a $1,000-a-plate Democratic fund-raiser planned for later this month with Vice President Joe Biden. There is a lot of discontent, as I know you're aware of. Are you still planning on attending that fund-raiser, and do you feel like you understand people's anger?

REP. BALDWIN: Yeah. Oh, not only do I understand the sense of impatience and frustration. As a lesbian, I feel it myself. And I think part of my role in attending the event next week is to convey the sense of urgency and to convey the sense of impatience and frustration that I'm hearing.

You know, when you lack basic equality and basic civil rights, we ought to be impatient. That's a mandate if you're an activist. And so I think that this is a very important message to convey, and really hopefully to get things moving a little bit more quickly in Congress as well as bringing things to the president's desk to sign.

MS. MADDOW: The president's words may make things move more quickly in Congress. What do you think would make the president move more quickly?

REP. BALDWIN: Well, giving him the bill to sign would be the first order of business.

MS. MADDOW: (Laughs.) That's direct, to the point, and totally appropriate.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, thank you so much for joining us tonight. It's really nice to have you on the show.

REP. BALDWIN: It's a pleasure.

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