MSNBC "Interview With Senator John Barrasso" - Transcript

Interview

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MS. BREWER: Joining us now, Republican Wyoming Senator John Barrasso.

Senator Barrasso, did you feel like that message was aimed at you? You've called the suspending bill.

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, it's great to be with you, Contessa. You know, the vote is going to be today at noon. And I think we need to do something, but not this massive bill. There are some things that you'd like to do to help stimulate the economy, but even our local Wyoming paper called this a hodgepodge of proposals that aren't likely to stimulate the economy.

Your previous story on housing and the problems they're having in Florida, where the president is going today, I mean, that really tells it well, Contessa. That's what got us into this trouble in the first place. That's what we ought to fix -- fix housing, and that's what I think we ought to do first.

MS. BREWER: Do you feel like there's any thin ice for you? Because in Wyoming, people are struggling the same, too. There was a story in the New York Times about a very popular hotel --

SEN. BARRASSO: The Hitching Post.

MS. BREWER: -- that legislators -- yeah, The Hitching Post, that legislators go to and use frequently, in bankruptcy. The fact of the matter is, across this nation, families are struggling. And the president says Republicans are being obstinate.

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, Republicans want to actually stimulate the economy. We want to focus on stimulating the economy. There are so many things that are in this proposal that really ought to be handled differently. We had a --

MS. BREWER: Like what?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, let's take a look at health care. We had a meeting this morning, a bipartisan meeting, 20 senators, along with the president's budget director, to talk about fixing health care. That ought to be something that's part of the regular legislative proposal. That shouldn't be thrown into a stimulus package that is the largest spending bill in the history of the country where in four days we're supposed to pass the whole thing. We ought to talk about education. We ought to talk about health care. We ought to talk about energy as part of the regular legislative process.

We need to go with shovel-ready projects, things like highways, bridges, roads, but right now the amount of money in this stimulus package for those is less than the amount of money that's in it for food stamps and unemployment benefits. That's the difference.

You know, this package has now gone to $838 billion in the Senate. It's 19 billion (dollars) more than in the House. And we'll have to see if this passes the Senate today, and I believe it will, what kind of compromises are brought together and then what we vote on for the total package.

MS. BREWER: Senator --

SEN. BARRASSO: Yes?

MS. BREWER: The president says for eight years the Republicans went in there and they got their tax cuts. They passed their agenda. And he says, look, the American people are looking for change. Those eight years are what got us here. Does that resonate with you? Is that an argument you could buy?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, I buy the argument that we ought to fix housing first. And whether that's the last eight years of policy or policies from the administration even before that, we need to fix what got us into this in the first place and that was housing. And we can do that by encouraging first-time home buyers by coming in with a tax incentive for them and so we can reverse what's going on in Florida that your previous story just talked about.

MS. BREWER: Senator Barrasso, I know that you're on the list of people scheduled to attend a cocktail party with the vice president tonight. You planning to attend?

SEN. BARRASSO: I plan to be visiting a number of the newer senators. We're going to talk about civility in the institution and how we can work together to find solutions.

MS. BREWER: Good to talk to you today. I appreciate your time.

SEN. BARRASSO: It's always great, Contessa. Thank you.

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