Interview with Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia
BURNETT: And our fifth story OUTFRONT is the breaking news tonight: no deal. There will be no vote on a deal to extend the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown in the House tonight. A Republican plan to do that collapsed. John Boehner not able to get the votes and it was the conservative arm of his party that turned him down. Now, sources in both parties tell our Dana Bash that the ball is back in the Senate court, just two days before the United States could possibly default on the nation's debt for the first time. A spokesman for majority leader, Senator Harry Reid, tells CNN and I want to quote him. "Senator Reid and Senator McConnell have re- engaged in negotiations and are optimistic an agreement is within reach." This is important. This statement happened just in the past half hour as it fell apart in the House. We have seen it move quickly back to the Senate. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin was an integral part of the deal making in the Senate this week, part of a small bipartisan group that was trying to get a deal done. Good to have you with me, Senator. I really appreciate your taking the time.</s>SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Thank you, Erin.</s>BURNETT: Obviously, this reporting now, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell re-engaging in negotiations. Is that the case? Are we going to get now the next deal out of the Senate?</s>MANCHIN: I think so, Erin. It's the right place for it to be. I think they let the House, you know, financial matters come from the House first since they weren't able to move anything, it's the Senate's job right now to make sure we step in to do the job that we're supposed to do. We've got to quit being Democrats and Republicans and start being Americans first, and put our country first, again, Erin. We're at a crisis. We're at a difficult position right now. We got to make that happen. And tomorrow is the day to make that happen.</s>BURNETT: And you say tomorrow. Let me ask you this question. I had a market guest on earlier on the program, saying, well, we don't really believe October 17th is the be all and end all deadline. But at the same time, Senator, you and I both know the market could suddenly sell off at any point at this time, and that would force your hand and others in Washington. How quickly can you get a deal?</s>MANCHIN: Let me tell you.</s>BURNETT: Yes?</s>MANCHIN: First of all, it's very clear -- you're not going to have the extremes the right or left. You're just not going to have extremes on either side. Democrat, Republican, whatever. If people can't become Americans first and do what's good for our country and come back to the middle that's where we got to be tomorrow. We can get this done if we don't have people going to the procedural, if it doesn't run out the clock in 30 hours procedural votes. We're hoping that doesn't happen. We're hoping that people can say, listen, vote your conscience. If you're not with it, that's fine. Let those of us who are willing to move our country forward and to put our country first step forward, let's do it. Let us have that vote. And I'm hoping that will happen tomorrow. I'm really am hopeful for that.</s>BURNETT: But let me ask you because we just had Representative Huelskamp as you know, a conservative member of the House he was going to vote against John Boehner tonight, and John Boehner had a little bit of Obamacare on the table, right? He was going to say people in Washington on Capitol Hill and in the White House have to play by the same rules on health care as everybody else in the country. And for Representative Huelskamp that wasn't enough. That wasn't even close to enough and he was perfectly happy they say he would vote against that. John Boehner didn't have the votes. So, how you could get a deal in the Senate that you think can pass the House?</s>MANCHIN: Well, the bottom line is, I think basically the leaders of both the House and Senate are going to have to lead and come to the middle. You're not going to get the right and left. People that are basically putting all their special interest ahead of the good of this country we're work about keeping our government open, and fixing the finances of our country. That's what this is about. There's things I don't like about Obamacare. There's things I don't like about our energy policy. But I'm not going to hold this country hostage and have millions of people suffering because of what I like and don't like. I came here to represent the people, to do the best I can for my country and my state of West Virginia. And I'm going to do that. I hope that our leaders will move ahead. You can't worry about those who are looking for a reason to be against something. You better find those of us who are willing to be for something.</s>BURNETT: And you think there's going to be enough of you. I mean , in the Senate --</s>MANCHIN: I do.</s>BURNETT: But also in the House, sir, also in the House, where John Boehner couldn't get the votes tonight. That could change?</s>MANCHIN: I've been told, Erin, that, basically, if they had a clean C.R. vote two weeks ago, we would never shut down the government. It's gotten to the point now we've got to move. And you just got to move in that middle direction and find out who is on board. You can't be worrying about the Hastert Rule and this and that and everything else. This is about our country. And people are sick and tired of the politics being played here. I tell people back home, if you think the view is ugly from where you're sitting in your living, you ought to try from the front row seat where I am at. This is not what we signed up for, Erin. We didn't come here to invoke pain upon citizens, you know, that we take an oath to represent. We came here to make their lives better and create opportunities and we better start doing our job.</s>BURNETT: But aren't we back where we were two weeks ago?</s>MANCHIN: Well, no, not really. No.</s>BURNETT: So -- OK.</s>MANCHIN: You got Reid and McConnell, OK?</s>BURNETT: Right.</s>MANCHIN: They started moving. I understood that stopped today, and I guess Senator McConnell wanted to see if John Boehner and the House could do something. They couldn't. They started their talks again. They use the template. There's 14 of us. Susan Collins, myself and we have really seven Republicans, six Democrats and one independent. We have been working very, very strong and very good together. We're ready to go. And we stay together. And we're going to continue to be together. So there's a nucleus to work off of. I understand basically what I've seen from Reid/McConnell, it's pretty much the same template we've been using. So, I praise them for that. Let's just move and get it done tomorrow. That's all I'm saying.</s>BURNETT: And when you say get it done tomorrow, before we go, I want to understand exactly what you're saying. You're saying out of the Senate.</s>MANCHIN: I like to get a vote. I'd like to get some votes and spend --</s>BURNETT: We have to accept it doesn't seem like anything even if there were a miracle is going to get a presidential signature in time for the October 17th deadline.</s>MANCHIN: I think that can be worked out. I truly do. I'm very hopeful that can still be work out. There's no way -- there's no way conscionable that we can default. Anybody think that's not a big thing or don't worry about it that's ridiculous. This is a big thing and it's going to harm not just this economy but economies all over the world, and we're not going to do that. If we do, I think they should all ask for our resignation. They should ask for all of our resignations if we can't come together for the good of our country.</s>BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Senator Manchin. I think a lot of people will want to take you up on that if it does fail. And I say that only with a slight smile because it is so frustrating. OUTFRONT next, the story we first brought you yesterday -- a girl accuses an older boy of rape. The charges then are dropped. She and her family say politics played a role and they were ostracized by the community. Every angle covered the alleged victim, her mother, a friend who was with her that night and the town sheriff are all OUTFRONT.