MSNBC "Interview With Senator John Barrasso" - Transcript

Interview

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MS. GUTHRIE: A reasonable prospect the recession will end this year, a frank message coming from the president and an American public showing some patience, but how long will they wait for results?

Good afternoon, everyone, I'm Savannah Guthrie. With the exception of just three senators, as you know, Republicans in Congress voted against the president's economic recovery plan and many have continued to criticize it. So how do voters see it? Well, according to a new poll from The New York Times and CBS News, 57 percent of Americans think Congress is working against the president, 31 percent say they are working with him.

So let's get some perspective now from Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming. He's a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee in the Senate.

Senator, thanks for being with us.

SEN. BARRASSO: Thank you, Savannah.

MS. GUTHRIE: What are you looking to hear from the president tonight as he addresses this joint session of Congress? Do you think he should still be striking that bipartisan theme considering you and many of your colleagues have rejected him so far?

SEN. BARRASSO: I think he should. I want to work with this president. I want our nation to succeed. I want every president to do well. We're a resilient nation and when the president does well, the nation does well.

So I know there's going to be a big audience because people all across the country are concerned; I just got back from Wyoming and there's concern there, even though our unemployment level is still low, there are still concerns about the future. This stimulus package that passed I thought was done with secrecy and with some scare tactics and people are worried because they've heard that and it's time for the president to show confidence in our nation and in our future.

MS. GUTHRIE: Is there any compromise that Republicans are willing to sign on on the key initiatives? I mean the fact of the matter is, look, the Republicans aren't in control of the White House, not in control of the Senate or the House, so you're not going to get everything you want. Will you really compromise with him on some of these issues, which would mean you'd have to give up some of what you want?

SEN. BARRASSO: I want to work together with this president, to work to solve Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. I practiced orthopedic surgery for 25 years and I know a lot about the health care in our nation and I want to help make health care available to more people, more affordable and of high quality, so, yes.

MS. GUTHRIE: Let me read you what the governor of your neighboring state of Utah told The Washington Times, quote, "Our moral soapbox was completely taken away from us because of our behavior in the last few years. For us to now criticize analogous behavior is hypocrisy. We've got to come at it a different way. I don't even know the congressional leadership. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential completely."

Is there a disconnect between folks like yourself in Washington and other people in your party that are on the frontlines as governors or mayors?

SEN. BARRASSO: No, not at all, and actually Governor Hunstman and I went to Iraq together to visit our troops, to thank them for their service. I absolutely respect and admire Governor Hunstman and think he's doing a wonderful job in Utah.

We all need to work together to show the confidence that the nation needs to hear from its elected leaders, governor, members of Congress, members of the Senate and our president because we are a great nation, we're a resilient nation and we will continue to move ahead in a positive way and work toward finding solutions for the American people. That's what the American people expect of us and that's what I intend to provide.

MS. GUTHRIE: You know, yesterday, Michael Steele who is the new head of the Republican National Committee told a reporter he would consider withholding campaign money from the three Republican members of the Senate that voted for the stimulus plan.

Now, given your statement that you do hope that you can work with President Obama one day; do you think this is a good strategy for the RNC to indicate it might withhold some campaign money from Republicans who side with the president?

SEN. BARRASSO: I just came from a luncheon with Senator Snowe, Senator Collins, Senator Specter, many Republican senators, we all want to work together to make sure that this country continues to do well and bounces back from the situation we're in right now.

MS. GUTHRIE: What do you want to hear from the president tonight? You said you hope he would strike a hopeful theme, but shouldn't he also be giving Americans a straight picture of what's really going on and what might be required of all of us?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, you need both. You need to absolutely be realistic, but part of that realism is knowing that we are a resilient nation. We've come through hard times before and we'll do it again right now. So I'm looking for the president to stand up, to show the confidence of the leader rather than to use scare tactics and secrecy, which Democrats in the Hill have used to pass this very expensive stimulus package that was passed and was signed into law last week, which to me, I don't think generated the kind of confidence. The stock market has been down tremendously since that bill was signed into law and the market is at half of what it was at its high point.

So we have a long way to go to reestablish that confidence.

MS. GUTHRIE: All right. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, thank you so much for your time. Got to leave it there.

SEN. BARRASSO: Thank you, Savannah. Great to do it.

MS. GUTHRIE: Hope to speak to you again soon.

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