FOX "On The Record" - Transcript

Interview

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MS. VAN SUSTEREN: Well, it's not just the bank stress tests that have some Republicans fired up on Capitol Hill, it's the president's budget. President Obama has announced he wants to cut $17 billion from his $3.5 trillion budget, which may sound like a lot but only comes to half of 1 percent. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley went "On the Record" about the budget's future.

(Begin videotaped interview.)

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: So what's going to happen with this whole budget? I mean, we see these astronomical numbers, and they're so big that they're incomprehensible really. What's going to happen?

SEN. GRASSLEY: Well, with only 40 Republicans in the Senate, I don't think you're --

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: And counting. That's a close one.

SEN. GRASSLEY: And counting.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: You may be optimistic on the 40.

SEN. GRASSLEY: I'm still a Republican.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: (Laughs.) You're still -- and you're going to stay one?

SEN. GRASSLEY: Yeah, I'm going to stay one.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: You're not thinking about switching?

SEN. GRASSLEY: (Laughs.) No, I'm not thinking --

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: You haven't talked to Senator Specter lately?

SEN. GRASSLEY: Not at all.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So let's go back to this whole issue. What are you going to do? You may have 40 in terms of the --

SEN. GRASSLEY: Well, here's the best answer to your question. You've got to remember that the Democrats in Congress were out of power for 14 years. Their president may want to cut 17 billion (dollars) which is half of what President Bush wanted to cut, but they've been waiting 14 years to do what they want do to. And the Democratic leadership of Congress and most of their members are not inclined to cut because they thought Republicans never spent enough.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: Now, that advice on the budget but political, strategic advice for the president, you got any for him?

SEN. GRASSLEY: Yes. He has been talking -- you mean generally, not just on the budget.

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: Well, just in terms of getting this through or dealing with Congress or the numbers of anything. You got any advice for him? You know, it's late in the week.

SEN. GRASSLEY: Well, listen, I think that he has given good advice to his Democrat leaders and the Democrat members of Congress by saying, Republicans have good ideas, we ought to be more bipartisan. But his own Congress members are not listening to him. So I would plead that he keep up the crusade for bipartisanship because you know --

MS. VAN SUSTEREN: Does he have it?

SEN. GRASSLEY: He is inclined to do it. At the grassroots of America, they expect it, and he's doing what he said he was going to do by demanding it. The Democrats in Congress aren't following him. But at least the grassroots are responding because they're sick of the partisanship that goes on in Washington.

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