YOU ARE THE
COMMISSIONER, YOU HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO DO WHATEVER YOU
WANT TO DO.
NEXT QUESTION COMING FROM THE
PANEL.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR
POLITICAL EVOLUTION FROM A
SELF-DESCRIBED RADICAL CENTRIST
TWO DECADES AGO TO A HARD-LINE
CONSERVATIVE WHO IS MAKING THE
CASE TONIGHT THAT SENATOR
AYOTTE IS NOT ENOUGH AS A
REPUBLICAN?
WHAT IS YOUR IDEOLOGICAL CORE?
MR. RUBENS I AM A PERSON WHO
BELIEVES IN LIBER.
WHEN I DESCRIBE MYSELF IN THAT
FASHION, IT WAS 1992.
WE FACE VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS
EXCEPT THEY ARE FAR WORSE.
ONE OF MY ISSUES IS ONE WHERE I
FIND MY OPPONENT PROMISED TO BE
A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, GETS TO
WASHINGTON AND VOTES FOR
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
ADDITIONAL DEBT.
SHE VOTED TO RATE $100 BILLION
OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND
ELIMINATED THE DEBT CEILING.
THIS ANIMATED ME IN 1992.
IT ANIMATES ME NOW.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT THIS
PROBLEM.
IT IS SO MUCH MORE SERIOUS NOW.
WE ARE FACING $1 TRILLION A YEAR
IN DEBT.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT REPUBLICANS
HAVE DONE IN THE 1990'S AND HAVE
U.S. SENATORS WITH BACKBONE.
WE NEED TO VOTE NO ON THESE
BUDGET AND DRAGGED A PRESIDENT
TO THE BARGAINING TABLE TO
BALANCE THE BUDGET.
THIS IS THE SINGLE GREATEST
THREAT TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
AND IS ROBBING US OF FUTURE
PROSPERITY.
I HAVE NOT CHANGED ON THIS.
SEN. AYOTTE: WE HAVE TO GET OUR
FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER.
AS THE MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN,
WE CANNOT PASS THAT DEBT TO OUR
CHILDREN.
I HAVE SUPPORTED A BALANCED
BUDGET AMENDMENT ON THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE.
I HELPED CRAFT THE FIRST
BALANCED BUDGET IN 14 YEARS.
EVERY COMMITTEE I SERVE ON, I
LOOK FOR WAYS TO CUT WASTEFUL
SPENDING, INCLUDING THE ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE.
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO A WEAPONS
PROGRAM THAT WAS NEVER GOING TO
COME TO FRUITION.
I HAVE SAVED MONEY IN MY
PERSONAL SENATE BUDGET.
MR. RUBENS: YOU VOTED FOR
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
ADDITIONAL DEBT AND THE VOTES
ARE WHAT COUNTS.
THAT IS WHEN THE RUBBER MEETS
THE ROAD.
SEN. AYOTTE: I HAVE VOTED
AGAINST MANY SENATE DEMOCRAT
APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.
WHAT MR. RUBENS REFERS TO IS
WHEN I HAVE VOTED, I HAVE VOTED
TO MAKE SURE OUR MEN AND WOMEN
IN UNIT HAVE HAD THE RESOURCES
TO FIGHT ISI OR THE RESOURCES
FOR A HEROIN EPIDEMIC THAT I
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR FOR NEW
HAMPSHIRE, OR TO SUSPEND THE
MEDICAL DEVICE TAX, WHICH IS SO
IMPORTANT TO SO MANY EMPLOYERS
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. YES, I HAVE
LOOKED AT THESE BILLS TO MAKE
SURE I AM FOCUSING ON WHAT IS
RIGHT FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE.
JOSH: ONE FOCUS IS TO TALK ABOUT
YOUR EFFORTS TO WORK IN A
BIPARTISAN MANNER ON A NUMBER OF
FRON.
YOUR VOTING RECORD FOR THE FIRST
HALF OF YOUR TERM IS
HISTORICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE
SECOND HALF OF YOUR TERM IN
TERMS PARTISANSHIP.
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE CASE THAT
YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR BIPARTISAN
ACTION IS NOT MOTIVATED BY THE
COMING ELECTION?
SEN. AYOTTE: I HAVE ONE OF THE
MOST BIPARTISAN RECORDS IN THE
SENATE.
I HAVE BEEN CALLED A NO LABELS
PROBLEM SOLVER.
LET ME GO BACK TO MY TIME AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
APPOINTED BY A REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR AND TWICE REAPPOINTED
BY A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.
I WORKED ACROSS THE AISLE ON
GETTING THINGS DONE TO KEEP THE
PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SAFE.
THIS IS PART OF MY DNA.
IT IS WORK THAT I HAVE DONE IN
THE SENATE.
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET RESULTS,
WHETHER IT IS THE HEROINE
LEGISLATION, FIGHTING FOR BETTER
CARE OF VETERANS, SUSPENDING THE
MEDICAL DEVICE TAX, STOPPING
INTERNET TAXES THAT ARE COMING
THAT WILL HURT OUR STATE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO WORK
TOGETHER TO GET THINGS DONE.
IT GOES BACK TO MY TIME AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
JOSH: YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FOR
SIX YEARS NOW.
WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR CONGRESS
IN GENERAL TO GET THINGS DONE?
THIS WEEK'S VOTE ON THE ZIKA
VIRUS FUNDING IS AN EXAMPLE OF
THIS.
LOTS OF FINGER-POINTING
BACK-AND-FORTH.
SEN. AYOTTE: THAT IS WHY WE NEED
TO BUILD BRIDGES.
MY FOCUS HAS BEEN FINED COMMON
GROUND AND WORK WITH ANYONE TO
SOLVE PROBLEMS.
TO ME, THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO
DO.
THAT IS WHY I DO HAVE A
BIPARTISAN RECORD.
THAT IS WHY I WAS ABLE TO GET
HEROINE LEGISLATION PASSED.
THAT IS WHY I'M ABLE TO GET
THINGS DONE, WHETHER IT WAS FOR
POLICE AND FIRE -- THEY WERE
GOING TO TAX BENEFITS FOR FAMILY
MEMBERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF
DUTY, WORKING ACROSS THE ISLE TO
GET NATIONAL LEGISLATION PASSED
TO MAKE SURE THE BENEFITS WOULD
NOT BE TAXED.
THOSE ARE AREAS WHERE, BY THE
WAY, IF YOU COULD NOT LOOK FOR
COMMON GROUND, YOU ARE NOT GOING
TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
JOSH MR. RUBENS, YOU ARE
OUTSPOKEN ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE
OUGHT TO BE DONE.
WHAT MAKES REACHING ACROSS THE
AISLE IN THE U.S. SENATE TO
AVOID THE KIND OF THE -- THE
KIND OF GRIDLOCK THAT YOU
COMPLAIN ABOUT?
MR. RUBENS: HER CAPITULATION TO
FAIL POLICY HAS MADE LIFE WORSE
FOR AMERICANS.
THE EXPLOSION OF THAT, THE OPEN
BORDERS, THE FAILURE TO DEAL
WITH OUR VETERANS.
BIPARTISAN CAPITULATION DOES NOT
WORK.
SHE HAS AN F FROM CONSERVATIVE
REVIEW.
SHE VOTES LIKE ANY LIBERAL
DEMOCRAT IN THE U. SENATE.
I BELIEVE WE NEED A REPUBLICAN
IN THE U.S. SENATE WHO VOTES
LIKE A REPUBLICAN.
WE DO NOT NEED TO ABANDON VALUES
TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
I DID THIS WHEN I WAS IN THE
STATE SENATE.
I GOT THE CHARTER SCHOOL PAST
INTO LAW.
I WORKED WITH SENATOR AYOTTE ON
THAT PROBLEM WHEN WE KEPT
CASINOS OUT OF THE STATE FOR 10
YEARS.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO ABANDON
CORE VALUES TO GET STUFF DONE.
IF YOU ARE DOING THE BUSINESS OF
THE LOBBYISTS, THEY HAVE BOTH
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
THIS IS WHAT THEY MEAN BY
BIPARTISANSHIP.
I DO NOT BUY THAT STUFF.
SEN. AYOTTE: I AM ABOUT GETTING
RESULTS.
I KNOW THAT ONE PARTY IS NOT
GOING TO SOLVE EVERYTHING FOR
US.
BUT I HAVE FOCUSED ON CUTTING
WASTEFUL SPENDING.
FO EXAMPLE, MAKING SURE THAT
MONEY THAT WAS GOING TO OUR
ENEMIE, PASSING BIPARTISAN
LEGISLATION, SAVING $30 MILLION
TO DO THAT -- EVERY COMMITTEE I
WORK ON, I FOCUS ON GETTING OUR
FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER.
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION ACTUALLY
TAKE UP THE WORK OF FRAUD AND
ABUSE.
IT IS BIPARTISAN TO ADDRESS