House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) spoke to Chuck Todd earlier today on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown" (weekdays 9-10 a.m. ET). Rep. Boehner discussed the GOP's plans to stop House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from obtaining the 216 votes she needs to pass the health reform bill.
If used, please credit "The Daily Rundown." Video of the interview can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35835376#35835376
TRANSCRIPT:
CHUCK TODD, MSNBC ANCHOR: All right, moving on. House republicans are keeping the pressure on democrats, still deeply divided over health reform. The president now delaying his trip to Asia to help Speaker Pelosi get those 216 votes that she needs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Every bill is a heavy lift. There is not one easy bill.
RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC ANCHOR: Let me ask you about --
PELOSI: Every bill is a heavy lift, and so the issue is, when you have the votes, you take the vote and you win and -- but never expect it to be easy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Well, there it is. A moment there of clarity, when you have the votes, you take the vote. That's sort of a House 101 there.
With me now is the speaker's counterpart on the republican side, House republican leader John Boehner.
Mr. Boehner, I've got to ask you, the president delaying his trip. That tells you that they think they're -- does that tell you they think they don't have the votes yet, but they think they can get them?
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Oh, I don't know what it says, Chuck. All I know is that the American people are adamantly opposed to this health bill. And I've always found it impossible for the Congress to pass something that the American people know about and have decided no.
And so, she can try al she wants. My job is to keep House republicans unified and to keep the American people engaged in this fight to stop this government takeover of our health care system.
TODD: You know, the White House, yesterday on their blog, called it "Orwellian," this idea that folks like yourself and other republicans have been giving advice to undecided House democrats about whether to vote for this bill, saying, oh, you shouldn't vote for this bill. And they're saying, why -- why should they take your advice. That maybe you're afraid that they will pass this bill and that the American public might actually like it.
BOEHNER: Well, I don't think that's the case, because democrats of all stripes are hearing from their constituents, and their constituents have been pretty vocal in telling them, we don't want $50 billion worth of Medicare cuts. We don't want $500 billion in new taxes. We don't want these mandates on employers that may cost me my job and cost me my health care.
It's a very dangerous proposal that they're putting forward to take the best health care system in the world and to turn it on its head in their effort to have more government control over a health care policy if the United States.
TODD: Assuming health care does get passed -- and that's a big assumption, at this point, we all know that. This is a crazy week we're all about to embark on. Are you going to advise republicans, both incumbents in the House and the challengers you meet with, to run on repeal of this health care plan, if it passes?
BOEHNER: Well, Chuck, if we get to that point, you can bet on it. But all my attention and all my effort at this point is making sure this bill never, ever, ever becomes law. And I think the American people are on our side. I think they've spoken loudly and clearly they want no part of this. And I think democrats who vote for this do so at their own peril.
TODD: All right, I want to move on to another topic. First, I want to play a sound bite from Speaker Pelosi last night in an interview with Rachel Maddow on the Eric Massa situation.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: It's another subject that people would like to be a distraction. I will not take my eye off the ball, which is to pass health care reform right now and to at this time to build support for what we are doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: OK. She's accusing House republicans of creating a -- trying to create a distraction here with the House resolution yesterday, which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support, advising the Ethics Committee to take up -- continue this investigation. Are you trying to do a distraction here?
BOEHNER: Well, Chuck, what we're trying to do here is to get to the bottom of what happened and who knew what and when and what did they do about it. The American people have every right to expect that their members of Congress are held to the highest ethical standards. And I think that what's happened here over the last couple of years continues to breakdown the trust that needs to exist between the American people and their Congress. And only by getting to the bottom of some of these ethical issues are we ever going to start the process of restoring those bonds of trust that need to exist for our government to work as well as it should.
There are a lot of questions here, and I think that it's time for the Ethics Committee to get to the bottom of the questions. And that's why I'm glad that the House overwhelmingly approved this resolution yesterday urging the Ethics Committee to take this issue up.
TODD: Well, you obviously want to make an issue of all the House democrats that have found themselves in an ethical bind. How much does it hurt, though, the republican message on this when a republican senator like John Ensign is still dealing with his own ethical situation? Do you think John Ensign, for instance, would it be better for the Republican Party if he stepped aside?
BOEHNER: Well, I think the Senate Ethics Committee is doing their own investigation. I have a policy where I try to stay out of the Senate's business and worry about my members in my House.
TODD: Sure.
BOEHNER: But, Chuck, you know, when I took over as leader of some two-plus years ago, I made it clear to my colleagues that I was not going to stand by and allow these types of things to happen. And I've had to bring my members in from time to time and have had serious conversations with them. And so it's part of what I've been trying to do to hold my members to a higher standard.
TODD: But what do you think the voters are seeing? You know, you brought up the fact -- the fact is, in 2006, it was republicans having ethics issues that at the end sort of added to the baggage that republicans were carrying. Now you're bringing up that democrats are having some similar problems now. What do you think the average voter is seeing? Do you think they see this as partisan or do they see that -- a broken Washington?
BOEHNER: Well, I think they do see a broken Washington. I think it's important for members of Congress and especially our leaders to do everything we can to hold ourselves and our members to this higher ethical standard. And as a result, if we're willing to do that, we can begin to restore those bonds of trust that need to exist for our government to operate the way our founders envisioned it.
TODD: By the way, one going back to health care very quickly, every single republican House member is going to vote against the Senate bill? You're confident of that, including the Louisiana republican?
BOEHNER: I am confident of that because yesterday they made clear that the Stupak language with regard to prohibiting the public funding of abortions will not be part of their package, and as a result Joe Cao from Louisiana, the only republican who did vote yes, is likely to vote no.
TODD: OK. Congressman John Boehner, the House republican leader, thanks for joining us today on the DAILY RUNDOWN.
BOEHNER: Thanks, Chuck.
