You're watching...
Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, (R-Ill.), on the growing frustration with the mounting partisan politics in Washington and efforts to cut ...
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
My two cents Alex get the two cents them and from Washington who knows a thing or two about democracy -- well speaker of the house for almost a decade eight years.
Dennis pastor welcome back to the show great to see you do we need less -- -- think.
I Jerry actually that I I think those folks ought to read the constitution.
The reason we have election every two years.
And the house -- represented -- has responsibility for taxes and for spending is that people can't throw the bums out they want to we need.
That type of democracy.
And you know that that everybody is is up in arms about what's going out of Washington where -- a real battle in Washington but it's -- time it's time that we have that battle.
If we're gonna save our democracy we're gonna save our nation we had to do some tough decisions right now on and that's with -- so controversial.
Well aren't you the guy though who sponsored the majority of the majority are you somebody you at the end of the day.
When you were there at speaker of the house you found that trying to corral all those cats will it was just too hard that may be some short cuts were essential.
-- did take -- -- Katz we would you know bio.
Mr.
Boehner has plurality of fifty some votes I had a flat for her plurality.
Of five votes so anytime that we had a few people off the reservation so a majority the majority is at the at -- have -- your troops in line to get anything done.
Well.
A lot of pressure.
I I understand.
It's still you know you look at this problem with the special committee that special.
Committee that's gonna find out how to.
Lower the deficit do you have confidence that they can get the work done.
Yeah I really don't think it's gonna be able you know there's so diametrically opposed I think.
-- -- with.
The liberals that the Democrats put on and conservatives such as to me and enhance -- I'll think you're gonna find a a middle way but what will happen.
Is there gonna have to do a hair cutter -- across the board cut which is probably the best thing it could happen.
Well it when you look at congress and Boehner speaker of the house today John Boehner.
He's got a big job because he's got those Tea Party years and they -- and they don't seem to -- analyst and anybody.
Can those two groups the conventional GOP in the Tea Party -- -- be brought together.
But -- half my time is speakers bring it to the two extremes together even within your own party all the time.
Some of the jobs still is still at a fairly good job but it's really tough and his job is really tough because he's making cuts.
That have -- done before and -- -- quite frankly we don't get this job done now.
It's kids who are going to be maximum Murti agent and thirty years from now be paying 75%.
Of their salaries.
Just to pay the interest on the debt and and Medicare and that and so these decisions had to be done now it's not easy work.
It's not easy work but a lot of people are now saying the GOP needs to track at the center be more moderate.
As a come to this presidential election because that's what's really gonna drive people that the polls get people to pick the GOP candidate do you believe that.
-- -- have a -- to talk a lot to students -- -- and -- idea guys these kids that are eighteen and 1920 years of -- And say we don't do that make the right decisions now.
Here and up and for this out two or three decades from now they get it.
I think the American people get to another some people on the fringes that I get benefits by big government spending.
But government spending.
Here we have a president that you know increased spending three trillion dollars for that at 2006 levels.
And in our time about cut a trillion and a half hours while by the way you lots of increase of spending another 500 billion dollars He can't do it.
All these things that these numbers don't think we have to make some tough decisions now some tough cuts we don't know -- doubt we might not get it done it all.
Well definitely needs to be done but mr.
speaker -- are people out there who have said for example the Federal Reserve Chairman is a traitor to the country.
In back to out there for the American people I mean is that to while the -- does the does the whole party need to come to the -- Yeah I used to Coach.
And were used to watch the basketball games of basketball gave her one back and forth it's very close people used to swear at the rafts -- that fights in the stands all I -- is gone.
We're gonna have pretty tough tough game going on right now at they were gonna say some outlandish things -- the fact is this -- this work has to be done.
And I hand it to John Boehner and in the but Republicans in in the house -- -- -- they're trying to do some pretty tough work.
And the -- -- the conservatives -- the Tea Party guys are hold their feet to the fire but that's a good way to get things done.
Newt Gingrich today out with his new contract for America you were there for the first one.
I He really got heavily -- criticize He was blamed for bringing the government to a halt.
What does the legacy of that first contract with America.
Well it wasn't the contract for America brought.
The government -- -- it was the Medicare reform.
That Clinton would sign off five it was a real fight that and but we finally dead in we did have a balance the budget agreement.
And because we got those things in place you know the first three years I was speaker.
We saved 650 billion dollars it spent down debt.
Partly because we made those decisions back -- so you know the government hasn't done this ever.
We've spent -- 650 billion dollars in debt and and pay down debt.
Never done before it has a -- that sense well.
-- nobody likes to do that apparently would be the big lesson of the day I think.
But if you had one piece of advice for this congress -- -- -- John Boehner percent of for the congress is a whole what do you think they need to get done.
But it they have to come back and start to make some sense.
These spending.
Process that we've gotten ourselves into it.
Not just appropriate spending that's only about 13 gets bad this is in -- mandated programs and again.
-- the toughest FISA legislation I've never had a pass.
As we pass a 150 billion dollars in cuts in mandated spending.
It went to the senate and came in at 45 billion dollars a cut by -- anesthetic at them but but it.
And by the time the senate went to a conference.
-- -- forty billion dollars -- out that was tough.
There are these guys are trying to cut a trillion and a half dollars it's even tougher.
So that this is the work that they're gonna have to do this is the work that's -- -- form and it's not going to be easy.
Now that's not going to be easy it's a very big job and biggest on agree on how to get there and fortunately speaker has -- thanks for coming in tonight really apply initiate it really.
