The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on April 6, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We are joined now by way of one of the most most sensible Republicans within the Senate, Wyoming’s John Barrasso, the whip. Just right to have you ever right here in individual Senator.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Thank you. Nice to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So I wish to ask you about what the Secretary simply laid out. He didn’t describe this as leverage to get to a deal. He mentioned this, take them actually. The price lists are right here to stick. We have already considered some conservative teams, just like the New Civil Liberties Alliance, record go well with announcing that those don’t seem to be on cast constitutional and prison flooring. Do you suppose the president’s on cast prison flooring?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, I believe he’s. However that is a couple of huge alternate within the route of our executive. We’re, and I am speaking about alternate in the case of the dimensions in addition to the priorities, and that is 180 stage alternate from what we had for the ultimate 4 years with large executive, large spending, large taxes, and we’ve a complete financial plan to get to a powerful, wholesome, rising financial system for the American folks. That is why we handed what we did simply the day gone by within the Senate, as a result of we would like folks to have more- higher jobs, extra alternatives and extra money in their very own wallet. So in the case of the price lists, I imagine they are a device, and I believe we need to pass after China. They’ve been abusing us for years, and I imagine the president is on company constitutional grounds.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Smartly, what- once I pay attention you speak about type of the only, two punch at the financial plan for the president, tax cuts being certainly one of them. Is not there some coordination on sequencing right here? As a result of would not you pass forward and take away the rules and pass forward with the tax cuts earlier than you pass to struggle with all of the international over business?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, the president has been speaking about those price lists each and every speech that I used to be with him throughout the throughout the marketing campaign. There is not any marvel right here, he is additionally mentioned ensuring we shouldn’t have this $4 trillion tax building up that the Democrats wish to have. We have now a large number of paintings to do to opposite the wear and tear that is been finished during the last 4 years with with the Democrats that ended in the easiest inflation in 40 years. So the president desires to get a large number of issues finished, and I wish to get a large number of issues finished in Congress as a part of this complete financial plan.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I am certain you noticed the Fed chair additionally say that we is also going through inflation now partially on account of those price lists. , some within the Senate are very all in favour of having extra keep an eye on and say over business. Maria Cantwell, a senator who might be with us later on this program partnered with Chuck Grassley, one of the robust Republicans, with this invoice to check out to claw again keep an eye on. They would like 48 hours understand on price lists. Suggests they did not get a lot this time, and they would like them to run out after 60 days, except Congress approves of them. Will management let this effort advance?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, Senator Grassley is Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, however let me simply say the president is on company prison grounds right here. Over the past 90 years, Congress has given the president’s other presidents an increasing number of authority to care for nationwide safety problems, with reference to price lists, to make use of price lists with reference to unfair business. So the president has the authority. I believe that is very similar to the invoice that Chuck Grassley presented about 5 years in the past. That they had debate then, lots of the co-sponsors are the similar. This will likely get an intensive listening to, after which we will see the place it is going from there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you suppose, regardless that, that Congress must have extra of a say on business problems?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, the Charter says Congress has all of the say, however during the last 90 years–
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is not the way in which it is taking part in out now–
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: –more and extra authority were given to the president as a way to be extra nimble to react in the case of nationwide safety, in the case of unfair business. And I believe President Trump is doing what he has each and every proper to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nevertheless it seems like you might be open to creating that extra transparent on what the bounds will have to be.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, there will be a dialogue within the Senate. We’re going to see which approach the dialogue is going.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You discussed the paintings that were given finished over the weekend. You probably did take this step ahead in advancing the president’s tax time table and elevating the debt ceiling with this funds framework, you realize what a battle you’ll have with fellow Republicans over it in the home. Jodey Arrington, the funds chairman, referred to as it unserious and disappointing. Accused your Republican colleagues of making 6 trillion in new prices and an insignificant 4 billion in enforceable cuts. Is that this headed for failure in the home?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: No, we’re united in what we imagine in the case of ensuring we’ve a country this is secure and filthy rich. The Speaker of the Space and the management of the Space got here out and recommended what we’ve finished, and mentioned, whats up, we ought to transport forward and take that subsequent step–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –5 Republicans have pop out in opposition to it–
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: — so what we’ve seen–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –that’s a lovely slim margin.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: However- however all of them accept as true with what we wish to do, which is unharness American power to get power costs down for folks. All of them agree that we must be sure that we shouldn’t have those $4 trillion tax will increase. All of them wish to make sure that we protected the border. So all the portions of what we’ve listed here are a part of what we wish to have finished. Now I am the whip. My process is to depend votes. We want 51 within the Senate. They want 218 in the home. We need to iron out the diversities. We are dedicated to getting it finished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Smartly, we all know they are brief about 5 votes at this time. So it seems like if it’s important to take any other chew on the apple, the rationale that this issues such a lot is procedurally, you have to transparent the way in which for all the ones large issues you need to get, finished, just like the tax cuts by way of September. Speaker Johnson mentioned he desires it finished by way of Would possibly. Senator Lankford mentioned it has to get finished by way of August. Does the entire instability velocity issues up for you?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, I am not nervous about time limits. I wish to get- I’ve an urgency to get it finished once we will be able to, so we will be able to get those insurance policies in position and likewise to give you the sure bet to people who find themselves nervous, are my taxes going to move up on the finish of the 12 months? They wish to have the boldness that they are no longer going to move up. I believe the extra sure bet we will be able to supply to the to the parents across the nation that they’re going to see that we have- at the proper trail for a powerful, wholesome, rising financial system, and we wish to get the rustic again on the right track, and the earlier we will be able to get this handed, the earlier we will be able to opposite the wear and tear the Democrats have finished during the last 4 years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You were given to get speaker Johnson to wrangle the ones votes regardless that, which you admit they are no longer there at this time.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, we are going to put the language in combination. We do must iron out the diversities, and I am dedicated to getting it finished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So in about 18 months, Congress will face elections, those midterm races. This is your fellow Republican, Senator Rand Paul.
SEN. RAND PAUL: Traditionally, price lists have additionally ended in political decimation. When McKinley, maximum famously put price lists on in 1890 they misplaced 50% in their seats within the subsequent election, however Hawt-Smooley placed on their tariff within the early Nineteen Thirties we misplaced the Space and the Senate for 60 years.
MARGARET BRENNAN 6:22
Are you afraid historical past goes to copy itself in 2026?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, no, I am not. There is a great distance between now and the 2026 elections. President Trump received according to two issues that the Democrats have been the birthday party of prime costs and an open border. Nobody doubted president Trump’s skill to get the border closed and 137,000 unlawful immigrants in March of ultimate 12 months, Biden this previous a lot all the way down to 7000 so he has been ready to try this. Republicans are going to be judged at the financial system, which is why I am not
MARGARET BRENNAN: And the Fed’s chairman is announcing inflation goes to probably pass up and there may be nice uncertainty.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: That is why I wish to get this complete financial plan in position once imaginable. The understanding that the tax will increase don’t seem to be going to be there, the understanding that we’ve got American power and the ones jobs, the understanding we are bringing jobs again into the rustic, all of the ones issues are going to be sure that by way of the election, 18 months from now, that individuals say, yeah, we are at the proper trail. Republicans have got the rustic again. Nation is again on the right track at this time from I believe it is even your individual CBS ballot in the case of proper monitor, fallacious monitor, proper route, fallacious route. We are on the easiest we now have been in twenty years, in the case of the route the rustic is heading.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However that was once pre price lists. Senator Ted Cruz mentioned this,
TED CRUZ: Price lists are a tax on shoppers, and I am not partial to jacking up taxes on American shoppers, so my hope is those price lists are brief lived, they usually function leverage to decrease price lists around the globe.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There may be a large number of worry, together with out of your your outdated pal Mitch McConnell. When do you get involved that that is going to harm the commercial tale you are attempting to inform?
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Smartly, you will not be shocked. Ted and I have been at the ground simply two within the morning. I mentioned, you realize, I wager Margaret’s going to turn that tape of what you simply mentioned about price lists, and we joked about it just a little bit. However there’s worry, and there may be worry around the nation. Individuals are staring at the markets. This isn’t a marvel. Individuals are all in favour of this. 40k- 401ks, retirement plans. They do the most efficient when we’ve self belief sooner or later, when we’ve a powerful, wholesome, rising financial system. And that is the reason why we’ve a complete financial plan to care for all of this, to creating certain the taxes do not pass up, to chop such a lot of this reckless Washington spending, folks noticed the listing of the entire horrible issues we now have been spending cash at the ultimate 4 years, and folks have been indignant and offended at that. What we are doing could also be chopping a large number of this reckless Washington spending offers folks extra money in their very own wallet.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Markets transfer so much sooner than Congress does, Senator. So you have got your paintings lower out for you, however we admire you laying out the main points for us.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO:Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re going to be proper again with much more Face the Country. Stick with us.
