MSNBC "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" - Transcript

Interview

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MR. SHUSTER: For more on the GOP budget proposal, joining us now is Senator John Barrasso. He is a Republican from Wyoming.

And Senator, first of all, explain. How come the Republican senators decided not to join your House colleagues in introducing a budget counterproposal?

SEN. BARRASSO: We're going to have at least 50 amendments next week, taking a look at the Democrat proposal, because it's the president's job to propose a budget. And this budget to me is a threat to the American people. You cannot spend that kind of money. The president is trying to spend his way out of our economic downturn. He's trying to borrow his way to be debt-free. And you just cannot borrow your way out of debt or spend your way out of a recession.

MR. SHUSTER: What specifically in the budget do you say is a threat?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, the size of it, the overall size. The president is going to lead to a bigger deficit in the next two years -- George Bush had a deficit of about $500 billion. Nancy Pelosi called that criminal. Well, then, what does she call the Obama budget, with its deficit of over a trillion dollars? He is building up an incredible --

MR. SHUSTER: What about the argument, though, Senator --

SEN. BARRASSO: -- amount of debt. We cannot, as a nation, afford that kind of debt. American people cannot handle it.

MR. SHUSTER: But Senator, what about the argument that the budget deficit, it's going to be even higher if the economy does not recover? In other words, if the economy does not recover and there aren't more tax receipts, the deficit is going to be even higher. What about the argument of essentially using -- spending the money to create jobs so essentially you bring the economy back faster?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, that's why I supported a limited, targeted, temporary effort with the stimulus package, about half the size of what the Democrats passed and the president signed, because I thought we should have focused there at that point. But now we're talking about a spending plan that is going to take our debt to astronomical numbers.

To me it's an irresponsible budget. It's a threat to the American people, and it's just reckless on the president's part to do this. He has said that his budget is inseparable from the economic recovery. I think his budget is what prevents making the economic recovery. The American people cannot afford this.

And I appreciated his town hall meeting. He should have a town hall meeting and talk to people in Wyoming, where we balance our budget every year, where the governor has a line-item veto, and we budget every two years so we have more time to think these things through, because this isn't a budget that does it right.

MR. SHUSTER: Right. And because of the balanced budget in Wyoming and the other 49 states, the federal government is essentially having to run a deficit and send money to the states so that teachers and police and firefighters in your state don't get furloughed.

Here's the question for you. As far as responsibility is concerned, isn't there responsibility on elected politicians who say, "Okay, the budget is bloated," to state specifically what should be cut? What are the tough choices that you would be willing to articulate right here?

SEN. BARRASSO: Right now we spend one-sixth, one dollar out of six in this nation on health care. The president now comes with $600 billion as a, quote, "down payment" on health care? There is enough money in the system, and both the Republicans and Democrats on the Budget Committee agree with that.

And then what's he doing to pay for it? He's taxing electricity. Every time you flip on the switch, electric prices are going up. Energy prices are going up. We need to keep energy prices low. Why throw an extra tax on the American people? The president is --

MR. SHUSTER: Well, the $600 billion, isn't that a transition cost? In other words, if you're going to fix health care, as I think even some Republicans want to do, there is a transition cost, right?

SEN. BARRASSO: We spend more on health care, one dollar out of six, than any other nation in the country. I practiced medicine for 25 years. There is enough money in the system. There's also waste and fraud and abuse in the system. We can do a much better job without throwing all this additional money, plus the cap-and-trade scheme that the president proposes is going to drive up electricity costs for everyone.

To say that that's not a tax is not really being sincere. People are going to have to pay more out of their own pockets and have less of their own hard-earned money in their own pockets to spend. This economy grows when people have more of their own money to make decisions. And this is a budget, to me, as you know, that spends too much, it taxes too much and it borrows too much.

MR. SHUSTER: Well, and I think the problem is the economy is in too awful shape, and it does sound like people, though, aren't willing to make some of the tough decisions. In any case, Senator John Barrasso, Republican from Wyoming, a pleasure always having you on, Senator. Thanks for coming on tonight.

SEN. BARRASSO: Thanks, David.

MR. SHUSTER: You're welcome.

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