CNN "Erin Burnett OutFront"- Transcript: Interview with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky

Interview

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ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And OUTFRONT tonight, Republican Senator Rand Paul.

Senator, thank you so much for being with us.

Police across the country on a state alert. As you hear, two more New York City police officers have been shot.

After the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Missouri, you were the only 2016 hopeful to meet with black leaders in Ferguson. You were lauded for doing so by the NAACP. You have criticized the, quote, "militarization" in our law enforcement and you wrote that there is -- again, quoting you, "a systemic problem with our law enforcement."

Are you concerned that statements like that may now be being used by people to justify shooting and killing police?

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: Well, you know, there is absolutely no justification for killing our police. My heart goes out to their families. I think that our police do by enlarge an excellent job. They are like the rest of the public -- 98 percent, 99 percent are doing a great job. They are out every day risking their lives.

And so, I think there are just separate issues. I do think that there is an unease in our country, though. The violent people are an aberration. The violent people killing cops and things like that, which is awful, that's an aberration. But there's a lot of also just peaceful people out there that are -- they feel unhappy and feel like that justice is not color blind.

You know, Martin Luther King talked about there being two Americas. There are still people who feel like they are poor, they are unemployed and that they -- everywhere they turn, there is a civil fine for this or for that.

In fact, I said repeatedly in New York, I blame the politicians. So, the same way the police are unhappy with de Blasio, I'm unhappy with de Blasio also because he was the one telling the police to get involved with people selling cigarettes that were not taxed properly.

BURNETT: And let me ask you this, when you talk about being unhappy with the politicians, including Mayor de Blasio, of course, the mayor of New York, the biggest city in this nation. There is a tremendous amount of tension between him and his police force, which is also the largest force in this country. Officers turned their backs on the mayor when he attended the funerals for the two officers that were killed in December, and an unprecedented act, even though they were asked not to do so, they felt so passionately, they did it anyway.

And this tension traces back to a very specific remark by the mayor, speaking about his son who is biracial. Here's Mayor de Blasio.

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MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: We have had to literally train him as families have all over this city for decades and how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him.

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BURNETT: And no doubt he spoke from the heart as a father. But you are a possible presidential candidate, a leader in America. Is the mayor of New York showing proper leadership by talking like that?

PAUL: I think he mistakes cause and effect here. I've said over and over again that there is a racial outcome to the war on drugs. But I've also said over and over again, I don't think the police are targeting black kids. What I say is that the war on drugs has led the over-enforcement in certain communities.

So, far example, white kids are using illegal drugs, so are black kids. I don't think the police said, oh, let's go arrest black kids. I think because of where people live and where crime occurs, that there had been a disproportionate amount of black kids arrested.

So, I understand the sentiment of people in the African-American community who feel like justice is not color blind. But I don't blame the police officer for saying, oh, the police officers are targeting them. I blame the politicians for writing these laws such that we've gone overboard with nonviolent crime.

BURNETT: And today, Senator, is the first day of the 114th Congress, your party, GOP, now has control in both houses in Capitol, for the first time in nearly a decade, it's a big moment. John Boehner just got elected to speaker for the third time. He did have a lot of opposition, though. Twice as much as last time. You even received a vote, even though you are not in the House.

And my question for you, obviously, he is an important leader for your party. Is he the right choice?

PAUL: It's not really my job to choose the speaker of the House, although, you know, you realize by getting one vote, I was only 217 votes short of being the speaker of the House. And so, that is an interesting wrinkle.

But no, I think that it is most important what we do now that we're in charge. And I think there are some unhappiness, obviously. But the thing is, is the only way we're going to move forward and do something is to actually put bills on the desk of the president.

I'm for using the power of the purse. And I think most conservatives that were unhappy in the House want to use the power of the purse. We now do have the power of the purse in both the House and the Senate. So, I'm for attaching hundreds, if not thousands of rules on how the money can be spend. And what I mean by rules is, that's how you try to fix waste and fraud.

BURNETT: According to our latest CNN poll, it's pretty sad. Only 28 percent of Americans think Republicans will run the Senate better than Democrats. Look, you know, a lot of them think there will be no difference. I just don't like any of you guys.

All right. "TIME" magazine today, though, has you listed as one of the ten members of Congress to watch in 2015. You are one of the people in charge.

How are you going to prove the American public and the world, frankly, who have given up on Capitol Hill in the United States, wrong?

PAUL: Proof will be in the pudding. So, what I will say to the American people is watch what we do. If Republicans will pass all 12 appropriation bills and try to slow down the accumulation of debt by controlling waste and fraud, then we will have done our duty. So, the proof will be how do we act and what can we do over the next year.

BURNETT: All right. Senator, always good to talk to you. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you, Erin.

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