NBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript - Seattle Bridge Collapsing

Interview

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REP. RICK LARSEN (D), WASHINGTON: Thanks, Rachel. I`m glad to be
here to talk about something that frankly a lot of folks don`t talk about.

MADDOW: Yes. And I`m wondering if you think that this bridge in your
district falling into the Skagit River, obviously, everybody is very, very
grateful that nobody was killed in this incident. Do you feel like this
might be an occasion for new round of national talking about this issue?

LARSEN: Well, I certainly hope it is. You know, you mentioned the
legacy that Eisenhower left us and I think morally we`re not leaving to
that legacy. But I also think from an economic perspective, we`re getting
an shorter end of the stick by not investing in our bridges and our
highways.

I hope that, you know, if there`s only good thing that come out of
this is that it does jumpstart the conversation about the kind of
investment you need to make in roads and bridges and highways and our
transit systems, it creates jobs and it invests in the future. There is
nothing wrong with doing it.

MADDOW: What`s -- why do you say to the side of the argument that
says, listen, we have invested as much as we can in this, it would be nice
to do more, but right now, basically we don`t have very much money in the
short term, maybe we can plan this for the long-term but we have to hold
out and hope this stuff stays together well enough in order to patch us
through at times when we`ve got maybe an ability to patch into a rainy day
fund or something?

LARSEN: Yes. I think right now, we are in the long-term period. And
we are approaching the end of the long-term period when it comes to
infrastructure and heading off beyond that into nowhere.
It is time to begin reinvesting in infrastructure. The president has
proposed a fix-it first fund of about $50 billion. That is good as for as
it goes.

We clearly, this bridge we clearly do need to fix some part of our
infrastructure. But we also know we can make a long-term investment at
roads, bridges, highways that creates jobs today for folks to do the work.
But we know to be competitive with other countries, they`re doing these
things, they`re investing in their roads, bridges, highways, rail and we`re
not doing it. That is going to put us competitively behind other countries
if don`t do this investment now.

MADDOW: I`m told Congressman Larsen that members of your staff have
been at that bridge collapse scene since last night. I know you spoke with
the transportation secretary.

How do you think the response has been so far to this collapse in your
district? Do you feel like you`re getting what you need?

LARSEN: Yes, the response locally has been created. I mean, I was
born and raised in my district. I spent, you know, many, many of my years
going up and down I-5, across that bridge. The communities there hang
together, stay together.

And I want to give a shout out to Secretary Ray LaHood. I know he is
leaving his job soon but he was on the job today. I spoke with him this
morning. He assured me that dollars were available to help through
emergency relief fund.

They already have released $1 million. The estimate is $15 million
fix. So, we still have a little bit to go, but they released early dollars
to get started on the design for construction of a replacement and repair.

MADDOW: Congressman Rick Larsen of Washington state, I`m sorry this
happened in your district again. I`m glad that injuries weren`t worse and
that nobody was killed. It`s very lucky. Good luck with the recovery in
your district, sir. Thanks for being with us.

LARSEN: I appreciate it, Rachel, being on tonight. Thanks so much.

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