Transcript: Rep. Ro Khanna on "Face the Nation," October 31, 2021
The following is a transcript of an interview with Congressman Ro Khanna that aired Sunday, October 31, 2021, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We're joined now by Congressman Ro Khanna. He's a Democrat from California and a leading member of the House Progressive Caucus. Congressman, good morning to you.
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CALIFORNIA): Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You just heard, Secretary Raimondo said that this legislation, the Build Back Better program, is going to pass this week. That's really in the hands of progressives like you. Are you a yes vote on both this and the infrastructure bill?
REP. KHANNA: I am. The president has shown patient and extraordinary leadership. It's time for this party to get together and deliver. Let me just say, I mean, politicians throw out historic, transformation- If I could just say two facts of what this will do. Every American kid is going to get to go to preschool. Nobel laureate James Hangmen says that is one of the biggest things we can do to create equal opportunity in America. Second, this is the largest investment ever in solar, in wind, in electric vehicles. It's huge on climate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We're going to get into the details in a moment, but this vote, you do expect to happen by Tuesday, as some have projected? Because on another network this morning, Sen. Bernie Sanders was saying he wanted to try to add in some things to the bill still. Pharmaceutical and prescription drug pricing is what he talked about. I mean, that's pricey. How many changes should we expect?
REP. KHANNA: Well, we are working to add things in. I mean, the negotiation is taking place. I'm going to be a yes. I think we can have the vote by Tuesday. Sen. Sanders is doing a great job to actually have Medicare negotiation. I mean, that would save money and help people with prescription costs. But the question is--
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's 350 billion over 10 years, according to Senator Sanders. Is that something that you think you can still keep the Senate on board with?
REP. KHANNA: Well, there are two different issues. One is the actual reduction of costs. The prescription drug negotiation. That actually saves money and saves money brings the cost down. The other is the Medicare expansion, so people get dental, vision, hearing- by the way, a hugely popular polling place. So my point is this: I'm a yes. Progressives will be a yes. We're working to get all of this in, but here's what people are saying. It's been months. Let's get this done.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're yes, even if those things aren't added in.
REP. KHANNA: I'm a yes on the framework.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, anything else that you know of that might be added into this before it goes to a vote?
REP. KHANNA: We're still working on getting the climate provisions secured. One of the main things we've done is have a methane fee. There was the American Petroleum Institute and others having massive ads against that. We fought. That will be in part of the framework. The Climate Civilian Corps, as part of the framework. So the climate parts are still being negotiated.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, because one of- the climate you're passionate about, I know.--
REP. RO KHANNA: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But one of the biggest portions of the original proposal, the Clean Energy Performance Program, is $150 billion program that didn't make the framework. So how much of a defeat was it to lose that?
REP. KHANNA: It was a setback. But then the parts that were added, I think, are very strong because there was another 150 billion added to have electric vehicles, solar wind, in collaboration with the private sector, funding new energy sources. So is it a better that we had the clean electricity program? Of course. But I still believe we can hit the 50% goals by 2030 with this plan in- coupled with regulatory action, it is the strongest climate investment that the country has ever made. And MARGARET, we're doing this with a majority that is less than President Clinton had. Less than President Obama had. I mean, they had 57-60 senators. Here you've got 50-50--
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you're doing it all on a party line vote.
REP. KHANNA: And- and that's the question. Why isn't there a single Republican who's for paid family leave? I mean, I heard you say, you know, paid family leave is out. Why is there no one asking the Republicans they claim to be the working class party? They're not with us on paid family leave?
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, do you actually think things like paid family leave are not possible to pass after 2022, if you don't hold on to the majority? I mean, some people are saying, oh we'll get to it later. When you were meeting with the president behind closed doors, did he say to you, I can get paid family leave passed--
REP. KHANNA: He did.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --In the next year?
REP. KHANNA: He said he will do everything he can on paid family and on community college--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before 2022?
REP. KHANNA: He will do what he can, but here's the question.--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well we know what he can do. You are putting so much in this one bill and passing along party lines because this is your shot. This is what Democrats like to get what you want done.--
REP. KHANNA: Well, I guess I'm the-
MARGARET BRENNAN: That suggests you don't have a shot at the other.
REP. KHANNA: I'm an optimist to think maybe one Republican who gives speech after speech, saying they're for the working class, they're for the forgotten American. Let's do a single bill on paid family leave. They don't want to vote for the bigger thing. Vote with us on paid family leave. Vote with us on child care. Vote with us to help the working class. We are doing this because we don't have a single Republican vote to help the working class in this country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Back on climate. Democratic leaders seem to be saying that you need the business community in order to hit any of these targets. The climate envoy, John Kerry, has said that. President Obama has said that. You held a hearing this week with oil executives and you went hard at them. Don't you need them to be partners and not adversaries here? What's your endgame?
REP. KHANNA: Yes, we do. And the European companies actually are being partners. European BP and Shell. Not perfect, but they're at least announcing a reduction in some of the oil production consistent with the U.N. goals. American companies are- are increasing--
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you are subpoenaing some of the- some of the top oil executives in this country. What is the end goal for that?
REP. KHANNA: The end goal is to have transparency. They're saying they're for the Paris accord. Great. They're saying they're for climate action. Great. Well, what are they doing to actually hit those targets? Why don't they be honest and say, OK, here's where we're going to invest in clean energy. Here's where we're going to transition. Here's where we're going to cut some of the production on oil like our European counterparts. They shouldn't say one thing and do another saying, I want them actually to be partners. I want them to own up to some of the past outrageous statements. I mean, the Exxon CEO in 2002 is saying that fossil fuel burning does not cause climate change, and the current Exxon CEO Darren Woods wasn't willing to say that's an outrageous statement. It'd be like if the president of the United States today was defending Andrew Johnson just condemned the outrageous statements in the past.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you very much, congressman, for coming on. We'll be right back in a moment