MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

REP. PETER WELCH (D), VERMONT: We"re just on a threshold of 50, Ed.
It"s a lot of discontent about this deal, absolutely.

SCHULTZ: OK. Where"s the Speaker on this as she sees these names mount on this letter?

WELCH: Well, the Speaker"s been good. You know, she"s wanting to let the caucus express its will.

So she sent out a neutral statement. And we just had a meeting with Vice President Biden, and several members came forward and expressed their dismay that we"re entering into a deal that is going to require us to borrow money in order to tax--in order to pay tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.

SCHULTZ: You"re making a great case, Congressman. You have, and I"ve talked to you before. But the bottom line is, are you willing to go to the mat and watch taxes go up on the American people if the Republicans stand their ground?

WELCH: You know, I don"t think--I think that"s kind of a dead end for us, because I voted for, along with most of my colleagues, to extend the tax cuts for the middle class. And the thing that"s really a problem and causing a lot of heartburn for us is President Obama supported that. That was a central tenet of his philosophy.

We passed the bill in the House. Fifty-three senators voted for it in the Senate, including Tom Harkin. And then, instead of holding tight on that and having that fight that you"re talking about, where we would make Senator McConnell and those others vote again and again and again, we let that slide. And that"s--

(CROSSTALK)

SCHULTZ: So you"re not trying to kill it. You"re trying to make it better.

WELCH: Listen, the goal here is to start having economic policies that respect working men and women of this country --

SCHULTZ: Well, this one doesn"t.

WELCH: -- the middle class of this country. And that means that we can"t just exceed to the continuation of these Bush transfer of the wealth policies that have been very effective.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHULTZ: That"s what it is.

Congressman, we"ve got to run. Great to have you with us tonight.

WELCH: OK.

SCHULTZ: You"re leading the charge. A lot of Americans appreciate it.

WELCH: Thanks, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Thanks so much.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source