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Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) on his crusade to balance the budget, and his No Budget, No Pay Act.
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From while policy failures meanwhile the nation -- joining me now with his plan to actually fix the problem is congressman Jim Cooper himself.
Our congressmen or some call you mr.
fiscal responsibility welcome to the show.
Thank you Charles -- to be with you again though we didn't you're you're gonna have fiscal hawk us someone who's believes in a balanced budget and you're trying to get your.
That other folks down and in Washington this sort of get on the same bandwagon.
How's -- going.
Well we still have a lot more focused persuade -- hope that fox viewers will help us do that we have several dozen co sponsors in the house bipartisan but we need a lot more to get this bill moving.
In a normal political year bill like this would have a chance but I think we can pass -- this year.
Today -- -- spoke to the to the senate.
But it was the -- -- and homeland security and government dole up there's committee.
Isn't just -- go to any committee out they're just -- reporting elected Johnny Apple CB don't get alerted.
-- almost anywhere of that committee in the senate actually has jurisdiction over this they're in charge of government reform.
In most years congress has not interest that and reform this year I think folks are up on the ballot will be the looking at reformer defeat.
Let's talk a little bit about about your proposal.
I from what I understand.
It's pretty simple if congress which doesn't pass a budget.
Then you guys simply do not get paid by the way if you ever do pass a budget -- you've -- that retroactive you lose it forever.
Exactly right what we're trying to do here is align the interest of every congressman and senator to get -- -- done on time.
Nothing is more fundamental on passing a budget and the appropriations bills in congress have been so slack and so -- -- get this done over meaning past years.
It's really been embarrassing but now it's critical because after we lost her credit rating last year after S&P downgraded us here really as a matter of of national security.
So we've got to make sure congress works together in the best way to do that is to align interest.
Congressman there's a difference obviously between budget and spending.
How how does Washington DC continue to spend so much money trillions of dollars money -- and -- have without a budget for three years.
Well I'm afraid that's been true over decades it's just that the public hasn't noticed.
Most election years we've had trouble passing about it regardless of who's been running congress -- the White House.
So this is kind of the dirty little secret that's now come -- -- open it's time to fix that because we don't have the cushion and we don't have the margin of error we used to have in the past.
-- our bonds have already been downgraded we need to make sure they don't go down again.
You are a Democrat but I I think a lot of people referred to as the blue dog Democrat wort.
Where does the president stand on this so what's his responsibility for making this happen.
Well this is really a job for congress clean up its own act neither the president nor the Supreme Court can fix what's wrong in congress we have to do it ourselves.
Or I think the voters will do it for us I'm hoping congress will go ahead take action do the appropriate thing and and resolve to do better in the future.
And if we don't -- voters should take action.
You're part of a group -- -- -- actually put together a group of bipartisan group I think called the no label group Republicans independents and Democrats.
How much sway this -- group have and do you see that there's more interest in participating or.
Our politicians are gonna put a finger in a way that any air and the winds that blow -- out they're just gonna blink -- skip this one.
I think no labels is a very interesting group and I hope people look them up on the web no labels dot com because it's a nonpartisan group that just wants good government they've proposed a list of twelve reforms of congress these are things that would really help congress cleanup its act -- -- long overdue.
And no labels as a way of approaching his issues it's not partisan it's not gonna gets involved -- gridlock Democrats -- by Republicans and vice Versa so I think is a very interest thing.
Way to reform congress when it's in critical -- -- reform.
Well sir I I agree with -- I hope the viewers are really are adamant they go and talk I mean this is an -- this is an atrocity.
And you're right -- once you get paid if they're not doing their job in this is certainly one of the first more prior important job to congress congressman Jim Cooper thanks a lot and we appreciate -- we're going.
