CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript
Interview
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BALDWIN: "I think it will be OK. I hope so, at least."
Senator John Barrasso is a Republican from the state of Wyoming. He is kind enough to join me on a busy, busy day there in Washington.
And, Senator, what do you think? The speech going to be OK?
BARRASSO: Well, Brooke, I -- I know the president always gives a good speech. And the last two years, in the speech, he has focused on jobs, the economy, the debt, and the spending. But, instead, that's not what we got.
So, you know, you have to make sure that -- that the rhetoric meets the record. And what we instead got was increased spending, increased debt, and a bigger government. And that's not what we need in this country today, at a point with high unemployment and -- and a record debt.
BALDWIN: Well, we know that the president has been talking a whole lot about unity lately, saying, we as a nation are running a race against the rest of the world, need to band together, especially our own leaders.
Take a quick listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: If we're willing to put aside short-term politics. If our objective is not simply winning elections, but winning the future...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... then we should be able to get our act together here, because we are all Americans, and we are in this race together.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, basically, I think what the president is saying there is, it's crucial that we invest to compete with the rest of the world. He also talks about how it will help create jobs.
So, how about, say, since we did a little homework on your home state of Wyoming, sir, wind energy, do you think that's a worthwhile government investment?
BARRASSO: The -- when they say the word investment, so often, they mean spending.
And we need all the sources of energy. I'm on both the Energy and the Environment Committee. And Wyoming provides all sorts of energy, wind, also oil, gas, coal, uranium for nuclear power. When the president says we need more nuclear power plants, I want to work with him on that. With Wyoming...
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: So, you think it's important to...
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: You think it's important to invest in wind energy for your state, for example?
BARRASSO: We need to make sure that it actually pays for what we're investing in.
And that's why I worry about the word investing, because, when the president says that, so often, he means spending. And what we have seen with this administration and so many things he's -- quote -- "invested in" actually have not helped produce jobs.
And he says he wants to make renewable energy the cheapest form of energy. Unfortunately, the rules and regulations out of this administration try to do that by raising the cost of other energy, not by lowering the cost of renewable energy.
BALDWIN: And...
BARRASSO: And -- and, you know, Brooke, we need to make energy as clean as we can as fast as we can, but do it in a way that doesn't raise energy prices for American families.
BALDWIN: you know, you -- you bring up a word that we're hearing so much about, especially today, this word investing.
And I know your party, the Republicans, say, we -- we cannot afford to make these investments, the president saying, we can't afford not to.
So, Senator Barrasso, is there any room at all here for compromise?
BARRASSO: Well, I think there's common ground on free trade. I agree with the president. We ought to go ahead and approve the free trade agreements with Panama, with Colombia and with -- and with South Korea.
I have just been on a trade mission with Senator McCain to Colombia and to Panama. We need that. It will open up opportunities for -- for American companies and American exports. That's something that I absolutely agree and work -- want to work with the president on.
Ultimately, though, we as a nation cannot continue to borrow 41 cents of every dollar we spend, because the spending is irresponsible. It's unsustainable. And, Brooke, there are a lot of Americans that are worried that it may be irreversible.
And as I told the president face-to-face, I said, you know, I'm concerned that we're saw -- what we saw happening in Greece may be just a coming attraction of what's going to happen in the United States, unless we get the spending under control.
And whether you call it an investment or spending, either way, it is adding to the debt. And we can't afford it.
BALDWIN: I -- before I let you go, I want to ask you about what's happening after the big State of the Union, and it pertains to your own party.
The Republicans are giving not just one, but two responses to the speech tonight, including Michele Bachmann speaking for the Tea Party Caucus.
And are you worried at all, Senator, that your party is -- is increasingly at odds with itself?
BARRASSO: I think our party is very committed to helping grow the economy grow, get the spending under control.
We believe that the way to grow an economy and help create jobs is by making it easier and cheaper to create new jobs. And we do that by getting rid of a lot of government regulations, trying to deal with this massive debt.
I -- I admire the people on the debt commission who basically said a lot of this health care law is going to make matters worse. They said, you shouldn't take these cuts in Medicare from our seniors to start a whole new government program. They said, you ought to repeal the class act part of the health care law. They say that the health care law should have dealt with abusive lawsuits and all of those things.
And yet I have -- I haven't seen anywhere where the president is going to address those tonight.
BALDWIN: We will have to wait and see, sir.
BARRASSO: And I hope he does actually embrace...
BALDWIN: We will have to wait and...
(CROSSTALK)
BARRASSO: ... this -- his commission.
BALDWIN: We will have to wait and see, sir.
Senator John Barrasso, have you picked out your seat yet?
BARRASSO: I -- I...
(LAUGHTER)
BARRASSO: ... know where I will be sitting.
BALDWIN: You know you will..
(CROSSTALK)
BARRASSO: Thanks, Brooke. I will be on the right with the other Republicans.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Got it.
Senator John Barrasso, thank you so much. We will all be watching...
BARRASSO: Thanks, Brooke.
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