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Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R-Iowa), on efforts to reduce the government’s debt and the investigation into the ATF’s ‘Fast and Furious’ program.
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S senate majority leader Harry Reid again today calling for any millionaire's tax.
Why not.
-- oil companies.
-- owners and yachts and corporate jets protect corporations ship jobs overseas to protect millionaires and billionaires from paying their fair share.
This -- top.
Price of 1% to Republicans are determined to protect.
Joining us tonight from Capitol Hill senator Chuck Grassley thanks for being here -- -- we're getting word that the president will push the model for the bigger deal four trillion dollars in deficit reduction.
Over twelve years can -- pass.
I think that anything that reduces.
Expenditures.
And spending -- definitely pass in fact already.
There's -- great deal of agreement among Republicans and Democrats.
On.
Spending that should be reduced dramatically.
I think there's also all -- understanding.
Among Democrats or Republicans that taxes should be increased and I'll give you two involves.
One last December when the Democrats controlled both the house and the senate.
They did not hold for tax increases and -- and secondly in the president's budget this year.
He had tax increases and it and his budget went down to a -- of 97 to zero source seems to me that there is bipartisan agreement.
For cutting -- spending.
And not to have a tax increase.
Senator what if he gets significant spending cuts and I -- you -- mine and her colleagues -- something that you say that's something we could sink our teeth into.
Will you give in on the tax breaks -- oppose the -- tax break the charitable giving tax break for example.
Well you know you don't accomplish anything by increasing taxes and let me hold a professor better apply our universities studied this.
Since World War II.
And he's come to the conclusion you raise -- dollars' worth of they -- revenue and it's license for congress suspended dollar seventeen cents.
So I think it's ridiculous to think about bringing in more revenue like somehow the people this -- -- tax all the product people this country aren't under tax.
Congress over -- Senator both sides seem to really a big indeed been dug in -- -- -- over the last week it needs seems to have -- even worse.
Are you confident we're gonna get a deal by August 2 a -- not tomorrow but ever gonna take a step in that direction tomorrow maybe get a deal done.
I I surely hope so all in all understand you're you're interviewing your senior senator here but I'm not involved in those negotiations is basically Boehner.
Read and and the president -- you're gonna have to ask them.
But I know this that there's a bipartisan agreement right now to -- one in six -- trillion dollars and I think we ought to do that.
And and move bond if we can do more than that do more than that but one and six cents trillion dollars is -- anything just needs that.
We'll senator let's change gears a little bit here because I know you have been actively involved in this fast and furious program.
-- Tommy where we stand with that because I do understand that over the July 4 holiday.
The acting ATF director Kenneth Nelson was interviewed by.
Congressional investigators.
What came from that interview.
Okay.
Rural letter to kind of summation of this that are released to to the attorney general.
And about three things came out of the interview -- melts and he's the acting director of alcohol tobacco firearms.
And up to this point of interviewing him.
We thought that everything.
Was alcohol tobacco firearms he confirmed rumors that we -- heard but not confirmed.
That that FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Was involved in the fast and furious gun.
Walking guns across -- border selling guns illegally the government promoting that.
So that's the first thing we or the second thing we learned is that this is under the direction.
The US attorney.
In Phoenix and we are heard heard that but we didn't know for -- -- and the third thing that we've learned it is.
That that where they the Justice Department have been answering letters to be.
That somehow.
They didn't know anything about.
They didn't actually view guns going across the border well Nelson said.
That that's ridiculous.
-- -- that the that they did -- observed guns going across the border.
Are you going to pursue.
-- Nelson's resignation even though he is only acting.
Head of the ATF apple or even criminal charges in this case based on what you've learned you do over the last couple days.
Well.
Against and -- Nelson -- because I'm not sure that he is the guilty one in this that is what we're trying to find out.
Worker we learned today that more agencies within justice involved how far the latter all the way up to the attorney general did this decision.
To do this cowboy.
Mentality sort of operation of selling guns to -- people and 1880.
Guns at bat.
We want to know who's responsible for that and I think if Nelson got fired you might be a fall guy -- and there's a lot more there's a lot more people involved and AM.
Senator Chuck Grassley thank you so much for your time we appreciated.
Thank you -- -- breaking news.
