Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" - Transcript: Interview with Tom Cotton

Interview

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INGRAHAM: I don't think Joe Manchin, I don't think he is going to be
standing up against anything here, but thank you.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, he voted against this infrastructure bill. He
joins me now. Senator, what did Lindsey Graham get wrong in his analysis,
or get right?

SEN. TOM COTTON, (R-AR): Laura, the reason I voted against proceeding to
this bill, first, is I guess you can call me old fashion. I think we should
have a bill to review and be able to study carefully. Since we voted
yesterday, I gather there's some backstage last-minute negotiations
happening. I just don't think that is the right way to start on any piece
of legislation.

Second, it's clear that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to ram this
bill through, but they do want to get to their $3.5 trillion blow out
spending bill that will try to transform America into a socialist nation
with reckless taxing and spending. But there's no rush here. We are not up
against a deadline. The government is not about to close. The trips are not
about to lose their pay. There is no reason to rush a bill like this. We
should be focused on getting it right, not getting it fast.

INGRAHAM: And Senator, speaking of the president's goals, he let it slip
tonight. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you meeting on DACA go?

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It went very well. I think
we should include in the reconciliation bill the immigration proposal. My
staff is putting out a message right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: OK, Senator, the reconciliation bill, it grows by the day.
Permanent entitlements, family medical leave, universal preschool, and now
mass immigration amnesty.

COTTON: It's bad enough that they have this reckless taxing and spending
scheme. Now they want to include amnesty for millions of illegal aliens at
a time when we already have a million new illegal aliens because of Biden's
border crisis. It would be the height of folly to tell the world when they
are already rushing our borders that if you get here in time, you too might
get an amnesty, and if you don't get it this time, you will get it next
time around. That's why we have to fight with every fiber of our being to
stop this bill and to especially stop it from giving amnesty to millions of
illegals at a time we have such a massive border crisis.

INGRAHAM: I just think we have message inflationary pressures in our
country today. The idea that we need to spend $4.5 trillion additional
dollars when all we need to do is open up this country and get rid of all
these ridiculous mandates, it's insane. We are just destroying the future
generation of our country, destroying it.

COTTON: That's right, Laura. And Biden and the Democrats are causing
inflation, not just by spending trillions of dollars we don't have, but as
you point out, they are also locking up the supply side of our economy.
When people won't go back to work because as Uncle Sam is giving them a
$300 bonus every year, or they're still facing social distancing
requirements, or governors are starting to slap new mask mandates back on
them, the Biden Democrats get you coming and going. They spend more money
than we have, and they also don't allow our economy to open back up and get
people back to work so they can start producing the goods that Americans
want to buy. That is why we have inflation in this country. It is 100
percent because of Joe Biden's health policies.

INGRAHAM: Senator, do you think Manchin and Sinema are going to stand up to
Schumer and say no to this bill, or do you think ultimately this thing gets
through?

COTTON: I can't speak for my colleagues, Laura. I will say there is a lot
of snot beyond the Democratic Party up there on Capitol Hill these days,
because it is not just senators, either. You've got a lot of House
Democrats are unhappy that this bill doesn't spend even more money and
doesn't have even more reckless tax increases in it. So I think they've got
a lot of rocky shoals that they're going to have to navigate in the months
ahead, and the best thing for America would be not to pass a multitrillion
dollar bill that is going to continue to drive up inflation and continuing
harming this economy.

INGRAHAM: It's insane. Ultimately the Democrats always stick together in
the end. Thank you, Senator.

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