This is a rush transcript from "Your World," December 26, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
ERIC BOLLING, GUEST HOST: All right, fair and balanced, Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks joins me live in studio.
Thank you, sir.
And you were very feisty on the way in here. You said you and I are going to get together December 31 on the House of the floor and come up with a deal, sign a deal, no "fiscal cliff."
REP. GREGORY MEEKS, D-N.Y.: We have got to work it out. I think it's bad for the country if we don't.
I have talked to a number of friends from both sides of the aisle, and we are hopeful that it -- it gets worked out.
BOLLING: Well, how can you work it out when the president himself, according to The Wall Street Journal, said to John Boehner -- Speaker Boehner came up with $800 billion -- and said, no, that first $800 billion, that's all mine, that doesn't count?
That doesn't seem like a fair negotiation.
MEEKS: Well, it's clear. We see what the problem is.
The problem is, as the speaker had indicated before we broke, that he thought he had votes for his "Plan B." The speaker said, and the majority leader said, I have the votes. We were on the floor of the House. We were waiting for the vote to happen. We were waiting to see what would take place. Then we heard word that there would be no more votes, that the speaker didn't have the votes.
I talked to number of my colleagues who were there. They were very upset with some of their colleagues who didn't support the speaker.
BOLLING: Fair enough. Fair enough. You know what? You're right. The speaker probably -- or the whip or whoever is counting the votes should never have brought that vote or suggested bringing the vote. They made a mistake.
Let's go back to what "Plan B" actually was. If you look at "Plan B," "Plan B" was the 2010 Senator Schumer plan, who said tax people making over a million dollars. Raise taxes on those people and leave everyone else.
It's basically in essence that plan. All of a sudden, Dems don't want that one either.
MEEKS: Well, we don't know what happened. Nothing hit the floor.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: Ah, sir, sir, with all due respect, all due respect, all due respect...
MEEKS: Let me...
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: All due respect, the Senate said, if you pass this thing, a million dollars and higher, we won't sign that, and President Obama said he
would veto it anyway.
MEEKS: The president has moved from his initial position. His position all during the campaign and everything else was $250,000. That has been his position.
But he showed a willingness to move. The speaker, to his credit, wanted to move. The speaker has been trying to move. I think the speaker wants to get a deal. But he has to convince the individuals within his conference that -- to support him, to give him the deal. And he's not been able to do that. And so we're -- we're caught.
BOLLING: Sir, throughout this process, it seems like President Obama has moved the goalposts. First, it was going to be $600 billion. Then it was going to be $800 billion. Remember, when the debt ceiling -- what started this whole mess was when there was a breakdown in the debt ceiling negotiation. Remember, we were trying to figure out how to fix the debt, the debt problem, super committee. And if this didn't happen, then we were going to go into sequestration, which is happening right now.
President Obama says$600 billion. Boehner was ready to sign the deal, and then he said make it $800 billion.
MEEKS: Well, I think that you see the problem that we have now was the problem we had then about whether or not Boehner would have had the votes.
The numbers that they come to closely -- are close right now. It's basically about $500 billion. It's close on both sides. So we should be able to get a deal, if Boehner could get the support and votes for -- that he wants. That becomes important here.
BOLLING: Sir, there's a deal already done. There's a bill sitting in the Senate right now that the House already passed, waiting for the Senate to pass, and they said, no, we can't do it.
MEEKS: Oh, that -- we're talking about a deal that's fair and has been negotiated by both sides. Boehner has been trying to do it. Boehner has been trying, to his credit. And I just wish that he would get support from his colleagues.
BOLLING: To your credit, sir, your side is winning the optics war. And I can't figure out how Boehner and company handed you guys the ball.
We're going to have to leave it there. Greg Meeks, Democrat from New York, thank you, sir.
MEEKS: Good being with you.
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