MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript
Interview
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REP. EARL BLUMENAUER (D), OREGON: We"re definitely in the end game here, Ed. We"re starting Monday the reconciliation process with the budget committee. We"ve been working today. We"ll be actually working on it Sunday, ready to move forward. The president is engaged. We"re coming down to it right now, where it"s going to be make and break. I think the indications are increasingly positive.
SCHULTZ: Will you vote for the bill? And do you think that any of the 39 Who voted no on the House bill will vote yes on this Senate bill and the reconciliation package?
BLUMENAUER: Well, I"m swallowing hard. We"ve had conversations before about things that we care about, like the public option. But this is an opportunity for us to be able to actually move the ball forward. We"ve got an excellent opportunity to correct the Senate bill, make it better, throw in tens of billions of dollars for student loans in the offing.
I think that there will be some people in the 39 that will go with this. I think that Stupak dozen is shrinking. And I think that people are looking hard at what the reality is, in terms of if we fail to act, what it means for the American people.
SCHULTZ: What do you think it means for the Democratic party if they pass this without a public option, and it looks like that"s not going to happen? Do you think that could you go back into your district and say, hey, this is a really good bill and you can convince them that you should stay in office?
BLUMENAUER: Well, let me just say that I have people that were literally protesting, having die ins, because they were so absolutely committed to having single payer. And now we"re getting calls, people saying, vote for this thing, move it forward. Too much is on the line.
We"re going to be involved in hand to hand combat to refine and improve it for months, several years to come. But we have an opportunity to turn the corner. And we"re not done with the bill, and, indeed, the reconciliation. You saw the overwhelming vote the House in favor of taking away the anti-trust exemption for the insurance industry, and we pulled Republican votes.
We"re in a situation now where our health system is not sustainable.
I think people are understanding it. Is it a certain amount of risk? Yes.
SCHULTZ: Do you think the Speaker will get the votes?
BLUMENAUER: You know, nobody has lost money voting on Speaker Pelosi and her ability to deliver votes in a crunch.
SCHULTZ: But the leap of faith, there"s going to have to be a leap of faith here.
BLUMENAUER: Yes, absolutely.
SCHULTZ: And there will be no leap of faith on the public option. But there is still a big leap of faith. And do you think that this is as gutsy a vote as cap and trade?
BLUMENAUER: I think it is in several senses. We"re relying on the good faith and functionality of the Senate, which doesn"t always happen. But for my vantage point, the opportunity of passing this bill, fixing it, working with the president and the Senate on an on-going basis--I think it"s worth it, and I"m prepared to do it.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. Thanks so much.
BLUMENAUER: Always a pleasure, Ed.
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