MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Clean Debt Bill

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Thanks for staying with us tonight. The House of Representatives has just passed a clean debt bill by a vote of 221 to 201 for a year long extension of the debt limit. No strings attached, no hostage taking, no ransom, it`s clean. We`re going to be able to pay our bills.

For more, let me bring in Congressman John Larson of Connecticut. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. John, what does this mean .

REP. JOHN LARSON, (D) CONNECTICUT: Good to be with you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: . why did Boehner do this no strings attached? What do you think?

LARSON: Well, first of all, Ed, as you said at the outset of the program, this is good news for America and while we`re not going to nominate the speaker for profiles and courage yet, it does consistently portray that the speaker recognizes that he has to govern.

SCHULTZ: Sure.

LARSON: And when you`re in the situation where you have a body of people probably about 40 or 50 who are just hell been and obstructing the nation at every turn, that dog don`t hunt anymore. And Boehner and their leadership recognize that and that`s why they went forward with this vote.

I think they feel they can put this behind them but it also sends a message about the deep fissures that exist within the Republican Party. And I say that not to make a political point but that`s not good for the county as.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

LARSON: . we`re going forward.

SCHULTZ: But they want to throw him out.

LARSON: We got what we need.

SCHULTZ: They want to throw -- they want him out is that going to happen?

LARSON: I don`t think so because nobody else wants that job. Because who wants to have a job where you have no powers? I mean he put not one, not two, not three, but several different proposals in front of them. It would have been that this for the first time but this is several times. John Boehner`s an institutionalist as are a lot of the people here in Congress who want to see things get done.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

LARSON: But you have this element and especially amplified in the Senate. Watch what they do in the Senate. Watch Ted Cruz now say, "Well, we`re going to have to have 60 votes." Again, holding the country hostage. 60 votes. No fifth grader in America thinks that it takes 60 votes to make sure the nation pays its debts, that we do not renege on the full faith and credit of America.

Today was a good day for the Congress. I am glad that we`re able to put this behind us. It`s great victory for the president of United States. His persistency in this has been -- he`s been stalwart in this and I want to commend him as well.

SCHULTZ: So you don`t think the pots and pans that are going to go back in forth on the Tea Party banging him back and forth one another making noise.

LARSON: I definitely.

SCHULTZ: . you don`t think that`s going to make any difference? You think that Boehner will be the speaker of the House? They`re not going to be able to remove him?

LARSON: I think he will be the speaker of the House. I do think that there will be a lot of banging of the pots, et cetera, but who are they going to replace him.

SCHULTZ: Sure.

LARSON: . with? And that`s, you know, you can`t beat somebody with.

SCHULTZ: And .

LARSON: . a nobody. And you know, take a look a round, how many people are volunteering for that job when you can`t get a cohesive body together. It's very narrow margins there. And 40 or 50 are voting in lockstep against you on everything.

SCHULTZ: And do you think quickly, John, the calculation was made that the last shutdown and the $24 billion cost to the taxpayer really hurt the Republicans and they didn`t want to go down that road again?

LARSON: Exactly.

SCHULTZ: OK.

LARSON: The political calculus, let`s put this behind us and let`s get back.

SCHULTZ: OK.

LARSON: As you pointed out last night, let`s try to focus on this trust issue which of course as you pointed out as bogus too.

SCHULTZ: It is. Congressman John Larson of Connecticut, great to have you with us tonight.

LARSON: Always good to be with you, Ed.

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