GOP vs. GOP; Interview with Rep. Erik Paulsen
MALVEAUX: A few Republican members of the House, they are now breaking with the majority and their leadership in hopes of ending the shutdown, getting the government simply back to work.</s>HOLMES: Yeah, they're pressing for a new funding bill, one without the demands on President Obama's healthcare program. Minnesota Republican Erik Paulsen is one of them. He even tweeted these words through his followers, quote, "During the shutdown I have asked to have my pay withheld."</s>MALVEAUX: Congressman Erik Paulsen, he is joining us live from Capitol Hill. And, Congressman, so you say you're willing to work for no pay, that's what a lot of folks are having to do now who are furloughed to get to the end of this here. The president brings up a very good point. He says, look, if Speaker Boehner simply brings this is to the floor by our count, by Dana Bash's count, there are enough Republicans as well as Democrats to get this thing passed. Do you have any influence? What can you do or your caucus do to get Boehner to bring that to the floor?</s>REP. ERIK PAULSEN (R), MINNESOTA: Well, this is where I'm trying to influence, and thanks for having me on today. There are ways forward, and the speaker knows this. I had a conversation with him yesterday as well, and there are bipartisan ways forward. In order to resolve this, and we want to see this resolved, there is going to have to be bipartisan support. The medical device tax repeal is the only proposal that had the most bipartisan votes coming out of the House and has the opportunity in the Senate to gain tractions, and it fixes a part of ObamaCare in terms of repealing an awful tax. And it's got bipartisan support. And then we can address the situation, of course, of reopening the government. So it's a great opportunity. It could be the real linchpin, the real linchpin, to move this opportunity forward. And I think our leadership recognizes that as well.</s>MALVEAUX: But, Congressman, you know what the president would veto such a bill. He would not under any circumstance sign a bill that either changes, defunds or changes in some way his ObamaCare plan.</s>PAULSEN: Well, first of all, it is important to note, though, that -- I don't think it's helpful to have finger--pointing, to have lines drawn in the sand. People need to sit down and talk through it. Seventy-nine senators also voted to repeal this device tax as a part of their budget debate. There are Democratic senators. And knowing we're going to have to have that bipartisan component to resolve this situation, this is a way forward. And members, rank-and-file members, are bringing this forward as well. You're going to see more attention on this issue in the near future. And, you know, the White House, I think, may come along, if they have some pay-fors for it. That's been an issue in the past. And, so, we're keeping that door open, and I think they are as well.</s>HOLMES: So perhaps that is a carrot. That is something that can be offered up in this negotiating thing. But something we asked Dana Bash earlier, I'm curious. You're on the inside there. We're hearing other Republicans say, there's this 20, 30, maybe 40 hardcore conservatives who are behind all of this and there are a lot of moderate Republicans going, we're getting dragged into it. Why is that core group so powerful within the GOP?</s>PAULSEN: I think right now everyone feels they've been dragged into it. And, actually, even the conservative, real hard-line conservatives that wanted to take this line of strategy, have now actually modified their positions and have voted for just the medical device tax repeal or just the one-year delay in the mandate. So we've all kind of gotten dragged into it. My constituents want to see resolution. I think most lawmakers want to see resolution now. I think we need everyone just to sit down and actually talk. We have averted past shutdowns, just two years ago, for instance, when both sides were talking. And, unfortunately, we don't even have these conversations going on now.</s>HOLMES: But this was led by Senator Cruz and those who are along with him. A lot of Republicans aren't happy about that. Why are they so powerful?</s>PAULSEN: Well, first of all, the challenge for anyone who's in leadership is getting everybody on the team to move forward with unity, and that's been a challenge for sure on the Republican side right now. But in the end, there's no doubt. I'm not a supporter of ObamaCare. I voted to repeal it, to defund it, et cetera. But we do need to move on. We'll get through this next election. We'll have an opportunity to really make a difference. But we can dismantle parts of the law and this medical device tax has bipartisan support to do that. I think it's a linchpin to move it forward. I'm going to continue to work hard to make sure that that happens as well. So it's not just one faction. I think a lot of folks now recognize we've got some challenges that we can meet, and what are the ways forward? That's what we need to figure out soon.</s>MALVEAUX: And, Congressman, I want to bring up, this is Senator Barbara Boxer. She's explaining here how things could move forward, and, of course, that is the speaker bringing the legislation before the House. I want you to hear how she put this.</s>SENATOR BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: Speaker Boehner could just bring up that vote right now, in five, ten minutes, and we would open the government and then we would sit down and talk about all of the things they care about. What's really interesting is that the Republicans in the House have been gutting the NIH, so I'm glad they now care about it. That's good.</s>MALVEAUX: So, Congressman, I mean, how long does this go on, until there is some sort of movement or demand to get the speaker to the floor to make this thing happen, to move this forward. I mean, he is the one person who can do that.</s>PAULSEN: Well, I would point out this, though, because when the House did pass a couple of our bills we sent over to the Senate, they did avoid the vote on the medical device tax. They combined it with another bill, so Senator Boxer had an opportunity to break it apart. If we can get that vote separately in the Senate, it's exactly as she said. There will be bipartisan support. We can resolve it. So it's not just the speaker holding something up, it's actually the majority leader in the Senate. And this is where both sides need to figure out, come together, and talk. Our constituents demand that. Certainly as an elected official I want to see that happen.</s>MALVEAUX: Are you talking? I mean, can you tell us what's going on?</s>PAULSEN: There is -- there are conversations. In fact, there's a group of growing members, mostly younger and newer members that haven't been here as long that are trying to break the logjam to make sure that issues like the medical device tax repeal are entered into the debate, are entered into the discussion. I had my conversation with my leadership, Speaker Boehner, yesterday and he said, hey, this could be a possible way forward. So that door's not closed. I've also been speaking with my U.S. senators from Minnesota, and they're open to the idea of repealing the medical device tax, too. So it's just kind of a - maybe it's a matter of just getting actual sit down at the table with some of the leaders and we can get the rank-and-file members behind it.</s>HOLMES: And very quickly, too, I mean, because, you know, people watching all have opinions on this. I mean, Congress has a 10 percent approval rating. Are you surprised?</s>PAULSEN: No, I'm not surprised at all. I'm not in the approval rating -- support the approval rating as well. Congress is broken. Washington is broken. And, you know, it's the president who's doing the finger- pointing as well. And this is where I think folks are just expecting us come together to sit down. We've got the challenge with the debt ceiling coming up. You know, the vast majority of the public says that shouldn't be negotiated over. It's not a line in the sand, as well. And we need to be prepared for that, to have those serious talks, negotiations, to get it right because a 17 trillion debt, that's nothing to scoff at. We need to address that with future plans as opposed -- and make sure we don't default, obviously. But we've got to have a plan in place so it's reformed and fixed in the future.</s>HOLMES: Congressman Erik Paulsen, thanks so much. Appreciate you being with us today.</s>PAULSEN: Good to be with you.</s>MALVEAUX: And at least he's talking about talking.