MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. STEVE KING ®, IOWA: I would--I would list H.R.1 and H.R.2 in this way, the 100 percent, complete, very clean, repeal-able Obamacare. H.R.2 being extended into 2001 and "03 tax cuts in that order, Chris.

MATTHEWS: So, health care be number one. OK.

Let me go to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on that, would that be--

KING: I would make that number one.

MATTHEWS: Is that easier for you to fight or the other one? What would one you rather see the Republicans, given the fact that"s there"s a rivalry aspect to this in the legislative process?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: Well, I mean, my colleague is--was really a Tea Party Republican before. It was cool to be one and--so, it"s not surprising that that would be his H.R.1.

But I really don"t think the message yesterday would--should be taken as H.R.1 being repealing health care reform. The American people don"t want to re-litigate that. I don"t think that American people want to see insurance companies back in the driver"s seat. They don"t want to have insurance companies tell people that they"re going to be dropped or denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. They don"t want to be told that their kids can"t stay on their insurance until they"re 26 years old.

And if that"s the first debate that we have, then the Republicans have not gotten the message. I think the message that we should take from yesterday, and certainly it was a strong one, is that they want us to focus in a laser-like way on jobs and the economy.

And I"ll tell you another--another thing, Chris, is that they want us to focus on getting the banks to lend money again, because those are the ways that we"re going to be able to get this economy moving at a pace that the American people expect. And that"s the message the Democrats should take. We"re going to be focusing on that. We"re going to hold the Republicans" feet to the fire.

And quite frankly, the party of no and the party of obstructionism now is going to be forced to decide whether they want to help us govern with President Obama in the White House and the Democrats in charge of the Senate, or if they"re going to overreach, as you referred to. And to be honest with you--

MATTHEWS: OK. Let"s go with the president, both of you--

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: I think it"s likely that they"ll overreach.

MATTHEWS: I think you both watched the president today where--I think the president offered the first sort of indication where he was headed.

Congressman, it seems to me what he wants to do is try to get the middle class tax cuts up to $250,000, but he"s willing to negotiate the higher income levels to get that.

Would that be something that you folks on the Republicans" side might negotiate in this lame-duck session? Some whereby--some plan whereby you got a short-term extension of the upper income in exchange of perhaps extension of below $250,000 -- is there any compromise there?

KING: Well, I"d say, first, I want to congratulate Debbie on a masterful job of spin today and I take us back to this. If we can resolve the issue of the "01-"03 tax cuts in a lame-duck session, then it only leaves one subject for H.R.1 and that"s a repeal of Obamacare.

MATTHEWS: So, you think there could be a compromise?

KING: We may be able to work something out. I want to get something done with the state tax.

MATTHEWS: OK, let me get a compromise.

KING: I wouldn"t say that I"d be the guy that would lead on the compromise. I would--I would want to look at these numbers and see what Democrats are willing to do.

MATTHEWS: OK.

KING: And we have to make a decision then on whether better off to get passed the first of the year with newly seated members the Congress or whether the Democrats actually got the message. It"s interesting now they"re talking about compromise and the president is talking about reaching a consensus. He wasn"t interested in that when they were force-feeding Obamacare.

This is a matter of--

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: OK. Well, I didn"t hear a whole lot of effort for the compromise for the other side either. I know, I can see what"s starting, Congressman, here. I get the message.

Thank you, sir. Steve King, a Tea Partier, nonpareil I think.

Anyway, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, thank you for joining us.

When we return, let me finish with some words of encouragement for this president. You didn"t hear anything from that, but I"m going to give him some.

You"re watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.

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