NBC "Meet the Press" - Transcript: Interview with John Barrasso
Interview
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SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
Well, first, Chuck, as a doctor, I will tell you I am very optimistic about where we are with Operation Warp Speed. Three vaccines, that we're vaccinating two million people a day, everybody vaccinated by May. This is dramatic. It is very, very impressive from a medical standpoint. Also, from a medical standpoint, we know these lockdowns have been terrible for people all around the country in terms of depression, suicide. We need the country open. We need kids back in school every day with a mask, without a mask. We know how to stay safe. We know what we need to do: get vaccinated. It's time to get America fully opened again.
CHUCK TODD:
Are you worried though, when you get rid of a mask mandate, that it sends the wrong message? You know, it's one thing to open up. And I get, open up businesses, just wear a mask. That if you tell people, "Don't wear a mask," then they're not going to take any precautions?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
Well, people need to take precautions. I have my mask with me right here. I'm going to continue to wear a mask. And I think people will use good judgment to do so.
CHUCK TODD:
All right. Let's talk about the Covid relief bill. Obviously, your party was in unified opposition. But according to polling, anywhere from 30-40% of Republicans, like many of the proposals in this bill, have been in favor of it. That doesn't seem to match unified opposition. And I understand that you want unity there. But are you worried that you're looking out of touch with some of your voters?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
No. When people find out what's in this bill, they're going to lose a lot of any enthusiasm they may have for it right now because this was not really about coronavirus in terms of the spending. This was a liberal wish list of liberal spending just basically filled with pork. It didn't need to be this way. We've passed five bipartisan coronavirus relief bills already. Every Republican voted against it, but also some Democrats voted against it. Joe Biden in his inaugural address said, "I want to work together with you. We can work together." 10 Republicans went to the White House and said, "All right, let's work together." Instead, the White House chief of staff said, "This is the most progressive, the most progressive piece of domestic legislation in a generation." This was never about getting people back to work or kids back to school or the disease behind us. That's where it should've been focused.
CHUCK TODD:
I want to be curious about one thing on checks. In fact, the former president, Donald Trump, argued this week that if Senate Republicans had gone ahead and agreed to make bigger stimulus checks, there would be a Republican Senate. You wouldn't have lost those Georgia Senate seats. Do you agree with him?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
You know, I voted for the $600 checks that were in the bill the President Trump approved right around Christmastime. The issue is --
CHUCK TODD:
You don't wish they were higher?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
-- this bill that we just passed.
CHUCK TODD:
You don't wish they were higher --
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
This check --
CHUCK TODD:
-- at the time?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
-- right now. Well, not to the level that people are getting them now. This, with this bill, they're going to people in prison, they're going to people who are illegal immigrants, they're going to people who make much more money than you would expect people to actually need relief or help at this point. So I think this is a mistake, what's happening in the bill that just has passed the Senate.
CHUCK TODD:
Let me talk about what could come next. President Biden is reportedly going to turn to infrastructure. There is a lot -- we don't have a lot of detail. And if he wants to get bipartisan support, we know there's generally bipartisan agreement for more investment in our infrastructure. What are the deal-breakers you would tell him he should avoid as he puts together a proposal that, that attempts to have bipartisan support?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
Well, if he's truly interested in bipartisan support, as he said he was on the coronavirus relief, and then he ignored that, what we need to do is take a look at the bill that passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on highways; infrastructure last Congress. I was chair of that committee, worked closely with Tom Carper, the Democrat. It passed unanimously. Bernie Sanders voted for it. I talked to Mayor Pete, now Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, just the other day about it. When it passed through our committee, we then had it in the House. They threw it out, a bipartisan supported bill, and replaced it with the Green New Deal, which raises energy costs on people, puts all kinds of mandates in place, and I think it would be very bad for the economy. So if they want to work with us, take up what Bernie Sanders and John Barrasso agreed to last year in the Environment and Public Works Committee. That is the blueprint for infrastructure.
CHUCK TODD:
Two quick campaign related questions for you. Number one, Lisa Murkowski. Donald Trump said he doesn't support her reelection. Do you? And Liz Cheney, do you support her reelection?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
Well, a couple of things. One is President Trump has already endorsed a number of senators who are running again for reelection. That is helpful. The president's endorsement matters. In terms of Alaska, I want to always make sure we nominate somebody who can win in November. Lisa Murkowski knows Alaska better than anybody. And she's an incredible fighter for American energy. She hasn't made an announcement of if she's even going to run again. If she does, I'm going to support her. With regard to Liz Cheney in Wyoming, we work closely together, fighting the Biden administration. I mean, this is an administration which policies on energy are devastating Wyoming and our economy, the Rocky Mountain West. Gas prices are up $0.60 a gallon already since the beginning of the year. We need to work together every day. So I support her. I disagree with her completely on the issue of impeachment. She voted one way, I voted the other.
CHUCK TODD:
But you do support her reelection. Okay. Senator John Barrasso, Republican from Wyoming, number three in the Senate. And the phrase, "When Bernie Sanders and John Barrasso agree on something," I wonder if that is something that will have, pay some dividends down the road. Thank you for coming on and sharing your views, sir.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:
Thanks, Chuck.
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