CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Republican Legislative Agenda

Interview

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: So, joining me now from Oklahoma, the state's newly elected Republican senator, James Lankford. He is currently a member of the House.

So, Congressman, Senator-Elect Lankford, I know you say you don't care either way how I address you. Congratulations, and welcome. Nice to have you back -- back on the program.

REP. JAMES LANKFORD, R-OKLAHOMA, SENATOR-ELECT: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Let me just first begin with the potential vote of having your new majority leader as Mitch McConnell. I know that Ted Cruz a couple days ago was not exactly committal in talking to Wolf Blitzer about whether he would support that role. Would you?

LANKFORD: I would, actually. No one else is running. That's been the interesting conversation for a long time to say who else is running on that? Mitch McConnell is the only one that is stepping forward putting his name out there saying I want to actually take leadership of this group. I mean, you talk about leading Republicans. That's no easy task on just like you were trying to lead Democrats on the other side. We all have independent thoughts and independent ideas. But yes, Mitch McConnell is the only one gutsy enough to be able to put his name out there and say let's take the leadership. Let's do it.

BALDWIN: So, is he the only one. Would you have any hesitations about Senator McConnell?

LANKFORD: No, I wouldn't. Senator McConnell is trying to step out and be able to lead. He's led a good job. We are trying to block lot of things in minority. But we've actually lead and pass things down. So, he'll step forward. He will take the leadership.

BALDWIN: OK. So you have potential majority leader here Mitch McConnell. You have Speaker Boehner. (INAUDIBLE) op-ed today. I'm sure you've seen it. And basically right of the game. They are saying repeal Obamacare. Do you expect and would you support congressman in an up or down as some are calling it really a show vote on that and then we know what would happen with the president with his name on it, that's not going to happen, or do you see it done piecemeal, series of small or let's publicized voted to at least try to cripple Obamacare. Which would it be for you?

LANKFORD: No. I don't think it's a matter of trying to cripple a law. I do think we should do an up or down vote on whether it should be there. And I would definitely vote no, that it should not be there. I would try to repeal this --

BALDWIN: You would want to do a show vote?

LANKFORD: I would want to get it out there to be able to maintain the message. I've had multiple votes in the house as you know full well to say I think this is a bad idea. You would be surprised how many people still catch me on a regular basis all over Oklahoma and tell me specific stories about their cost increases, what's happening, their doctor is not available, their doctor is leaving out, whether in it is rural, especially in rural Oklahoma, we're having major issues with implementation of Obamacare and it's affecting people on the ground.

BALDWIN: You can't say to those people it would be a waste of time?

LANKFORD: Here's what they say. It's not a waste of time politically for them because it affects them personally at home. And they say my doctor is leaving. This town has three doctors. Two of them just retired and said I'm sick of this. I'm not going to do it anymore. Now they're down to one. This affects them personally. So no, they're not sick of it. They don't see it as a political issue. They want to find answers.

Now, with that, I'm fully aware. Dr. Coburn whose seat I'm actually finishing out the last two years of his, he is famous for saying as long as there's an Obama in the White House, he is going to veto anything that deals with Obamacare.

But here's what I would say. We should go piecemeal. We have the medical device task, we have bipartisan support for. With the 40-hour workweek, it is very, very significant to many Americans. Many votes that are in poor areas are trying to get two part-time jobs because they can't get one 38-hour, 35-hour job. That affects them a lot personally. We want to be able to have some way to get greater choice back. You don't have to be able to pick only the plans Washington, D.C. approves to be able to pick other plans as well. Those are big issues for everyday people. And so, to be able to allow that choice to get back out there makes a difference.

BALDWIN: OK. Forty-hour workweek issue, I know that was something that Boehner and McConnell have mentioned in that piece.

Let me ask you about it because we now have here at CNN a source is telling us that the president has in fact written this letter to Iran's supreme leader. This is a piece of news that has broken in the last hour or two, you know, apparently pointing out this shared interest namely defeating the Islamic state and defeating ISIS, the White House officially not confirming or denying that report. But if it is true, senator-elect, do you think working with, talking to Iran would be a good idea?

LANKFORD: Yes. This is not the first time the president reached out to leadership of Iran. We know of other letters he sent in the past to be able to engage to that relationship. He said that even as a candidate that he would do direct contacts with Iran. So that is no big shock.

The issue for me is right now we are in the middle of negotiations on the nuclear issues. The P5 plus One is about to go through renewal (ph) in the process to be able to find out some way to be able to get rid of nuclear capability in Iran.

If we are connecting relationship with ISIS, with also with a nuclear Iran as well and trying to negotiate those two together, I have major concerns. Because it's not a good thing to say we'll give you any kind of latitude dealing with a nuclear Iran so we can get rid of ISIS.

The world should not have both a nuclear Iran and an ISIS or neither. We need to get rid of both of those. So I do have a problem with try to connect those cases.

BALDWIN: You are saying just one clear, prioritize nuclear issue and not talk to Iran about ISIS.

LANKFORD: Correct. Well, we need to get rid of ISIS. There's not an issue on that. That's clear. They're a rising power. But it's a bigger threat to have a nuclear Iran than it is to have ISIS.

BALDWIN: OK. Senator-elect James Lankford, thank you so much. Talk to you in the future from Washington. Appreciate it.

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