MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript

Interview

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Representative Schakowsky, thank you for being here. Nice of you to
take the time.

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you so much, Rachel.

MADDOW: Two hundred twenty-two cosponsors on yet another anti-abortion bill from this crop of House Republicans. Why do you think they got 222 cosponsors? What does this symbolize for so many of these House members?

SCHAKOWSKY: They all march in line. The leadership requires them to do so. You aw some of the Republicans are resigning because if you dare to buck the leadership, you won`t get the committee that you want, and you will be punished.

And the good news is that it`s not just the Right to Life people that are scoring this bill, that are going to rate members on it, but also NARAL and Planned Parenthood are going to do the same and they`re going to be hearing from women in their districts.

Now, this applied only to the colony of the District of Columbia because that`s how they treat the District of Columbia. But the proponents of the legislation said it was landmark and it was laying the foundation of what they want to do around the country. Twenty weeks and after that, there would be no abortion.

But you know, you heard that really poignant story. I heard it as well, from Tom Harkin. If a woman needs an abortion after 20 weeks, something has gone very wrong. This is probably a wanted pregnancy, and either her health is in danger and there`s no exclusion for women`s health either at all -- a narrow, narrow exclusion for the life of the woman.

So some dire circumstance is at hand that would cause a doctor to prescribe to order an abortion at that point, but they would take that away. And they could literally cause the death of a woman or sterilization or some other horrible health condition that would last the rest of her life.

MADDOW: We are having these reports, these anonymous behind the scenes reports to the press of some Republicans, even conservative Republicans, frustrated that these votes are still happening. That people who even if they are anti-abortion themselves, they want to focus on economic issues, but the House can`t seem to stop itself.

In the House, you`re obviously a known combatant on this issue on the pro-choice side. Do you see signs of frustration even from people who disagree with you?

SCHAKOWSKY: You know what? I honestly don`t care if they`re frustrated. Only six Republicans voted against the bill. Whining doesn`t count in the end.

You know, 222 people voted for. That`s the bill that`s on record.

That`s the bill that will go down in history. And if it were a straight up and down vote, and not what we call a suspension vote that required a super majority, that bill will have been passed and sent over to the Senate.

So whine they might, but it`s women that really suffer when they do that kind of legislation. So, you know, I really am not that concerned about their feelings until it turns into a real uprising against the ridiculous war on women that`s being waged. They`re following right along.

MADDOW: We`re 98 days out now from the general election in November. What do you expect your party, the Democrats, to be able to do over the next 98 days to press the advantage you have with women voters? Not just because of these issues but in part because of these issues?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, first of all, we have a great plus. I thank you very much for talking about what is actually in Obamacare instead of all of the myths that have been said about the dangers and creating fear about Obamacare. This is now the time for us, all of us, to be explaining, especially to women, the wonderful things that are in there for them and for their families. And then to do the litany of the legislation one after another that shows the utter disrespect.

I don`t remember a time when there`s been such impunity to speak about women and women`s bodies and women`s rights and women`s paychecks
like there is right now. I don`t know what has happened to give these people permission to take out of backrooms onto the House floor these kinds of conversations.

So I think we need to replay them. We need to retell them. And every woman who agrees with what I`m saying right now needs to feel herself responsible to talk to other women about how really dangerous it would be, dangerous to our health, and our economics for Mitt Romney to win and for us not to take back the House of Representatives and keep the Senate.

MADDOW: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois, thank you for joining us tonight. I know it`s a busy time in Washington.

Thanks.

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