Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. John Hoeven

Interview

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BARTIROMO: Meanwhile, the president tweeting to Speaker Pelosi regarding her call to delay the State of the Union until the government is reopened.

The president writes this, this morning -- quote -- "Nancy, I'm still thinking about the State of the Union speech. There are so many options, including doing it, as per your written offer made during the shutdown. Security is no problem, and my written acceptance. While I contract is a contract, I will get back to you soon," the president writes to Nancy Pelosi this morning.

Joining me right now in an exclusive interview, Republican senator from North Dakota, Senator John Hoeven is with us this morning in Washington, sitting on the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Senate Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Coalition. He's also the former governor of North Dakota.

Sir, good to have you on the program. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

SEN. JOHN HOEVEN R-N.D.: Good to be with you, Maria.

BARTIROMO: Your reaction to the president's Plan announced yesterday?

HOEVEN: Yes, it's a good proposal. And we're going to put it on the floor this week in the Senate. And I sincerely hope that our colleagues from across the aisle will work with us on this.

Let's get this passed. Let's end the shutdown, as well as fund border security.

BARTIROMO: All right, so you are going to bring this to the floor on Tuesday. Do you believe you will have the votes?

HOEVEN: You know, I think it may take some work. But I think we can get there.

Look, we have got provisions in here that the Democrats have indicated they very much want, whether it's DACA or humanitarian assistance or technology at the border points of entry. These are all things that they have said they want in the deal. We're putting them out there.

The president laid it out last night. And they need to work with us.

BARTIROMO: And many of the things here were part of the BRIDGE Act, which we know that they voted on before and they voted yes.

So this upcoming week, the Senate will take up the bill that extends TPS, temporary protected status, for DACA recipients...

HOEVEN: Right.

BARTIROMO: ... as well as the overall DACA recipients' help, fund humanitarian aid for migrants, and obviously ends the shutdown.

What do you believe your colleagues on the left will have a problem with in terms of that list?

HOEVEN: Well, look, these are things that our colleagues have voted for before, in addition, will include the appropriations bills, which are bipartisan, and they have supported, as well as the supplementals for disaster assistance to help with the hurricanes we had in Florida and Georgia, with the fires in California, the earthquake we had up in Alaska.

So, look, this is -- it's very compelling. These are things that they have wanted, that they have promised to their constituents. They need to work with us. And I get there may be some back and forth. But they need to work with us now to get it done. And let's get it done this week.

BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, it includes border security funding...

HOEVEN: Right.

BARTIROMO: ... the president's $5.7 billion.

Is that what is going to be the nonstarter, that it includes money for border security?

HOEVEN: Look, we need to not only fund the government, all the things we have described before, the things that the Democrats want, but we have got to have border security, which includes that funding for a wall.

And that's something that they have voted for before. That is just commonsense part of national security, border security.

BARTIROMO: OK.

So, let me ask you what the justification would be, in terms of not providing the money for border security, given that all of these things have already been things that they voted on. And, frankly, there's already a border wall in Nancy Pelosi's state, which we're going to talk about with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell right after we discuss this.

So -- so, tell me your thinking in terms of what your colleagues will push back on.

HOEVEN: Well, that's it. This is just basic common sense.

First, it's just part of national security. Second, they have voted for it before. We have existing border wall, border fence, whatever you want to call it. They have fund -- Democrats have funded it for previous presidents, including President Obama.

There's no reason to turn this down, particularly now, when we're reaching out and compromising on things that they want.

BARTIROMO: Well, you have looked -- you're looking to fund the government until at least September. You're on the Appropriations Committee.

Senator, tell us where the priorities are for this government in terms of allocating capital?

HOEVEN: Well, you have seen it. I saw earlier you were talking about the stock market going up. That's because the economy is so strong.

We ended the year with more than 3 percent growth. That -- that comes because we have cut taxes and because we have reduced the regulatory burden. So, if we can continue to focus on these fundamentals that get our economy to grow, and then make sure we do the things that people want, find ways to reduce costs in terms of the overall cost of government, to have strong security, support our military, our law enforcement, do the things - - address the health care issues, bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

Those are the kind of fundamentals that help our people in their everyday lives across the country.

BARTIROMO: When do you start making reining in spending a priority?

HOEVEN: Well, that...

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BARTIROMO: You and your colleagues just voted and passed the farm bill, $867 billion over the next 10 years. It's a head-scratcher that you would agree to a $867 billion farm bill, and yet you can't find $5.7 billion for border security.

HOEVEN: Well, we absolutely can and need to find the funding for border security, no question about it.

We actually saved money over the last number of years in the farm bill. And, again, if we can hold the line on spending overall, keep it from growing, find savings where we can, and keep our economy growing, that's how you reduce the debt and deficit.

BARTIROMO: So what's your view in terms of the impact of this shutdown on the economy?

HOEVEN: Well, obviously, it will have some negative effect. But the key is the underlying fundamentals, which I just talked about a minute ago.

As long as we keep those fundamentals strong in terms of good economic policy and keep that job growth going, the economy will grow. And you're seeing wage growth, which is so important, because then people feel it right in their pocketbook.

BARTIROMO: So, do you believe it's about one-tenth of a percent impact per week as a result of the government shutdown?

I mean, I recognize it hasn't really hit the private sector yet. But, when that happens, that would have an impact on broad economic growth, right?

HOEVEN: It will have an impact.

Again, that's why, let's -- we're putting this bill on the floor this week.

BARTIROMO: Right.

HOEVEN: Let's get it done. And that will take care of it.

BARTIROMO: All right, so you think you will have the votes necessary next week on Tuesday or Wednesday?

HOEVEN: It's going to take some work, but this is a compelling package. We're offering compromise.

The Democrats need to join with us now and work with us to get this done.

BARTIROMO: When you say work, what does that mean, Senator? What do you mean it's going to take work? You mean you're going to try to...

HOEVEN: Well, there may be...

BARTIROMO: Yes.

HOEVEN: There may be some provisions in there that they may want to adjust or add or change a little bit.

But, at the end of the day, we have got to continue to work to find that compromise and get it done. And this package that the president's put forward -- and we worked with him on to do it -- is a good package. We can get to a resolution, end the border shutdown, make sure -- or -- excuse me -- end the government shutdown, make sure we have border funding for security, and cover a lot of priorities that Democrats have said they very much want to get done.

BARTIROMO: Yes, speaking of security, you introduced this week a bipartisan resolution supporting the modernization and maintenance of the country's intercontinental ballistic missile fleet.

HOEVEN: Right.

BARTIROMO: That's ICBM fleet.

Tell us about it. What do you...

HOEVEN: Well, it follows the administration's missile defense review. It's part of defending our country, making sure that, as our adversaries increase their capabilities, both in terms of their offensive weapons and their missile defense systems, that we can defeat them.

We always have to have the technological edge, so that we can not only defend our country, but keep our troops safe. When they're out there defending us, we need to make sure that they have superiority in terms of technology and weapons systems.

BARTIROMO: And the other nuclear countries, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, are they pursuing advancements in their weaponry?

HOEVEN: Exactly right. And that's why we have to stay ahead of them, both in our ICBM and our ABM, anti-ballistic or missile defense systems.

It's both.

BARTIROMO: So, in terms of allocating capital toward defense, is that in jeopardy in any way, as you look to fund the government until September?

HOEVEN: That has to be an absolute priority.

I mean, that's what we're talking about when we talk about border security, supporting our military -- military, supporting our law enforcement. Those are fundamentals to keeping our country and our people safe. That's got to be an absolute priority.

BARTIROMO: Senator, before you go, let me end where I began, and that is on this -- on this plan from the president.

What do you expect the Republicans are going to have to give on in order to get your colleagues on the left to vote for this?

HOEVEN: Again, I get that Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer have come out and said, oh, it's not good enough. I get that. But the fundamentals are there.

So there may be some adjustments in some of these provisions we have talked about, but all the elements are there to get to an agreement. People want us to get to an agreement now and get this done.

BARTIROMO: Senator, it's good to have you on the program this morning. We will be watching the developments on Tuesday this upcoming week. Thank you.

HOEVEN: Thank you, Maria.

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