>> SENATOR BARRASSO THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
ALWAYS GOOD TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
>> THINK IT’S A MUCH.
>> JOINING US FROM ILLINOIS,
DICK DURBIN, NUMBER ONE DEMOCRAT
IN THE SENATE, WELCOME BACK TO
FOX NEWS SUNDAY.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> LAWMAKERS PASSED THE FIRST
GUN REFORM PACKAGE A MONTH AGO.
FIRST SIGNIFICANT GUN REFORM IN
THREE DECADES, AND YET THIS WEEK
YOUR BEAUTIFUL STATE WAS ROCKED
BY A MASS SHOOTING IN HIGHLAND
PARK.
SIR, DO YOU SEE ANY APPETITE FOR
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION WHETHER
IT BE ON GUNS OR OTHER ROOT
CAUSES?
>> I CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN
HIGHLAND PARK.
LESS THAN A WEEK AGO AND WHAT
HAPPENED THAT DAY A CORE SEVEN
PEOPLE WERE KILLED, SCORES WERE
INJURED BY A KILLER WHO GOT THEM
TOP OF THE BUILDING AND TOOK A
MILITARY WEAPON, SMITH & WESSON
MILITARY AND POLICE WEAPON, AND
FIRED UP TO 90 ROUNDS IN A FEW
SECONDS.
BEFORE SCATTERING AND RUNNING
AND SAID THINGS HAPPENED.
WE FOUND A 2-YEAR-OLD WHO IS
PROTECTED BY HIS FATHER’S DYING
BODY, AND HE WAS FINALLY
REUNITED WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS
BECAUSE HE LOST BOTH HIS FATHER
AND HIS MOTHER TO THE SHOOTER.
THIS WEEK WE HAD GOOD NEWS.
AN 8-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS HIT BY
THIS KILLER IS STARTING TO SPEAK
AGAIN.
HE’S COMING OUT OF CRITICAL
CONDITION.
WHETHER HE WILL WALK AGAIN IS
ANYONE’S QUESTION AT THIS POINT.
THE QUESTION WE HAVE TO ASK
OURSELVES AND I WILL ASK MY
COLLEAGUES IS IS THIS WHAT WE
WANT IN AMERICA?
WHEN PEOPLE AND FAMILIES BRING
OUT THE KIDS FOR FOURTH OF JULY
PARADES, THAT SOME KILLER CAN
TAKE A MILITARY STYLE WEAPON AND
FIRE OFF 90 ROUNDS INTO A CROWD
OF INNOCENT PEOPLE AND KILLING
SO MANY?
I DON’T THINK THAT IS CONSISTENT
WITH AMERICA’S VALUES OR ITS
CONSTITUTION.
>> SENATOR, THE SUSPECT IN THIS
WEEK’S SHOOTING INVADED YOUR
STATES RED FLAG LAWS.
IS THERE A LOOPHOLE THERE TO BE
CLOSE?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY.
IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE NATION,
WE HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE
VIGILANT.
THERE ARE OVER 10 MILLION OF
THESE MILITARY ASSAULT WEAPONS
THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD.
SOME SAY AS MANY AS 20 MILLION.
THERE ARE 400 MILLION GUNS IN
AMERICA, AND THEY ARE ARGUING,
SOME ARE ARGUING WE NEED MORE
GUNS IN THE HANDS OF MORE
PEOPLE.
IT CERTAINLY HASN’T MADE US A
SAFER NATION.
WE HAVE HAD MASS SHOOTINGS THIS
YEAR.
I DIDN’T KNOW WHICH OF THIS
FOURTH OF JULY BREAK THAT
ILLINOIS AND MY STATE WOULD BE
TOUCHED PERSONALLY AS IT HAS
BEEN IN HIGHLAND PARK.
ULTIMATELY, EVERY SENATOR SADLY
EVERY SENATOR HAS TO FACE A
PROSPECT THAT THEY WILL HAVE
THEIR OWN HIGHLAND PARK BEFORE
THIS IS OVER.
>> TO BE FAIR, IF YOU WERE JUST
ABOUT GUN LAWS, WOULDN’T CHICAGO
SOME OF THE TOUGHEST GUN LAWS IN
THE COUNTRY BE A SAFER CITY?
>> LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING
QUICKLY.
HIGHLAND PARK IS NOT CHICAGO.
AT THE SUBURB OF CHICAGO.
A SMALL TOWN, A GREAT SMALL
TOWN.
IT’S THE FIRST PLACE HE WOULD
HAVE CHOSEN TO GO TO A
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE WITH YOUR
SON OR GRANDSON OR
GRANDDAUGHTER.
IT IS A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE SAY CHICAGO IS SO
DANGEROUS, YES, IT IS.
BUT SO IS ST. LOUIS.
SO ARE THE TOWNS OF JACKSON,
MISSISSIPPI, AND OTHERS HAVE A
MURDER RATE AS WELL.
IT’S A FACT WE PROLIFERATED SO
MANY GUNS, THE POLICE THAT I SAT
DOWN PRIVATELY ON A REGULAR
BASIS SAY SENATOR, YOU HAVE NO
IDEA HOW ANY GUNS ARE OUT THERE.
THEY ARE SO EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
GUN INDUSTRIES MADE A LOT OF
MONEY OUT OF THIS BUT AMERICAN
IS NOT SAFE BECAUSE OF IT.
>> LET ME CLEAR WANT TO BE
EXPRESSING MY HEARTFELT
CONDOLENCES TO THOSE OF HIGHLAND
PARK.
LET’S TALK POLICY ON
CAPITOL HILL.
CHUCK SCHUMER IS HAVING
CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR SENDER
COLLEAGUE JOE MANSION TRYING TO
DO A SLIMMED-DOWN VERSION OF
BUILD BACK BETTER.
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS, TAKE US INSIDE
AND WHAT IS LEFT TO BE IRONED
OUT?
>> THE HIGH PRICES OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
EVEN BEFORE THIS PERIOD OF THE
ECONOMY, AMERICAN FAMILIES ALSO
SAID THAT THE PRICE OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE ALSO SO
HIGH.
PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD THE
MEDICINES THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.
THE WONDER OF THE SAME DRUGS IN
AMERICA COSTS A FRACTION OF WHAT
WE PAY FOR THEM IN COUNTRIES
LIKE CANADA AND EUROPE AND THEY
WONDER WHY WE HAVEN’T DONE
ANYTHING AS A NATION TO BRING
DOWN THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS.
THE DEMOCRATS, CHUCK SCHUMER,
ALL OF US ARE WORKING TOWARDS
BRINGING DOWN THESE PRICES TO
SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING
INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES THAT
THE COST OF THEIR DRUGS AND
INSULIN WILL BE LEFT TO MY CLASS
AND NOT MORE THAN $35 A MONTH.
DRAMATIC CHANGES, BRINGING DOWN
PRICES THAT FAMILIES STRUGGLE
WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY.
NOW SENATOR McCONNELL WAS
COMING UP AND SING OUT TO STOP
THE SEVER TO BRING DOWN
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
I DON’T WANT YOU TO DO IT AND
YOU SHOULDN’T DO IT AND IF YOU
PERSIST IN THIS EFFORT TO DO IT
I WILL STOP THE BUILDING GIVES
US BETTER COMPETITION WITH
CHINA.
THE INDUSTRY IS ESSENTIAL TO
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION
IN THIS COUNTRY AND WE’VE LOST
GROUND PAIR YOU HAVE TO BUILD A
CHANGE OF McCONNELL SAYS HE
WANTS TO STOP THAT BILL.
GOING TO DO IT IF WE SHOULD
VIOLATE THE PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANIES PLEAD TO US NOT TO
LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.
IN AMERICAN FAMILY NEEDS HELP IN
PLAYING DUMB I PAYING THE BILLS
AND THEY NEED HELP IN
LIFE-SAVING DRUGS BEING
AFFORDABLE.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE LEAVING THAT,
SENATOR, McCONNELL OPPOSES IT.
>> THEIR DEMOCRATS RIGHT NOW
PUSHING FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES
TO THE UNITED STATES
SUPREME COURT.
HERE NOW IS CONGRESSWOMAN
ALEXANDRIA APOSTLE CORTEZ.
>> CONGRESS, WE HAVE THE
POSSIBILITY.
WHEN WE ARE STRENGTHENED BY THE
REPEAL OF THE FILIBUSTER OR EVEN
THE CHANGE TO A TALKING
FILIBUSTER OR A STANDING
FILIBUSTER, IN DOING SO WE CAN
CODIFY ROE ALL THE OTHER CASES
THE SUPREME COURT INDICATED THEY
WOULD THREATEN.
WE CAN CODIFY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
AND THE RIGHT TO CAN’T KNOW MY
CONTRACEPTION.
WE CAN CODIFY INTERRACIAL
MARRIAGE AND WE CAN DO THAT.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> FIRING UP THE BASS THAT MAJOR
CHANGES ARE COMING WHEN IN FACT
YOU DON’T HAVE THE VOTES IN THE
SENATE.
>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE
BOTTOM LINE IS SHE WANTS TO
CHANGE THE FILIBUSTER RULE WHEN
IT COMES TO VOTING RIGHTS AND
OTHER ISSUES.
I SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO MAKE AN
EXCEPTION TO THE 60 VOTE
REQUIREMENT WE GET DOWN TO
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS LIKE THIS.
IT’S REALLY UP TO THE SENATORS
WHO WERE CURRENTLY SERVING, 50
DEMOCRATS, TWO OF THEM DECIDED
NOT TO VOTE WITH US ON ONE OF
THESE RULE CHANGES EARLIER.
WHETHER THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR
POSITION ON THAT SINCE THE
SUPREME COURT HANDED DOWN THIS
DECISION, TAKING OUT THE
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF
AMERICANS I DON’T KNOW BUT I’LL
BE ASKING.
>> AS CHAIRMAN OF THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE WHAT IS HE TO
PROGRESSIVE’S CALLING FOR
IMPEACHING SOME OF THE
CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES?
>> I DON’T THINK IT’S REALISTIC.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS IN
MY MIND A CLEAR CONFLICT OF
INTEREST WHEN IT COMES TO
JUSTICE THOMAS, AND ISSUES WITH
THE JANUARY 6TH INSURRECTION.
HIS WIFE IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED
POLITICALLY.
GOING SO FAR AS TO GIVE DIRECT
ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT’S CHIEF
OF STAFF DURING THE CRISIS.
I WOULD THINK THAT
JUSTICE THOMAS SHOULD RECUSE
HIMSELF FROM ANY DECISIONS THAT
RELATE TO THE JANUARY 6TH
EPISODE.
ALREADY, HE WAS A SINGLE VOTE
EARLIER ON A CASE RELATED TO
THAT ISSUE.
I THINK IT’S A MISTAKE AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT HE’S GOING TO BE
IMPEACHED, THAT IS NOT
REALISTIC.
HE SHOULD SHOW GOOD JUDGMENT.
IF THIS COURT IS GOING TO BE
CREDIBLE NEEDS TO BE AS
APOLITICAL AS POSSIBLE.
EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE IS WHAT IS
BEEN HAPPENING.
>> SENATOR FROM A LOT OF
HEADLINES THIS WEEK ABOUT
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS INCLUDING
YOUR OWN, J.B. PRITZKER OF
ILLINOIS.
YOU THINK GRIDLOCK HERE IN
WASHINGTON COULD POTENTIALLY
CREATE AN OPENING FOR ONE OF
THESE DEMOCRATS TO CHALLENGE
PRESIDENT BIDEN IN 2024?
>> I’M NOT LOOKING HAD SIX
YEARS.
I’M LOOKING INTO THIS WEEK AND
WHETHER WE CAN COME TOGETHER.
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO GET
SOMETHING DONE IN WASHINGTON.
BRING DOWN THE COST OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE WHICH IS
FROZEN ECONOMIC EXPANSION IN
THIS COUNTRY.
LET’S GET THIS AGENDA UNDERWAY,
AND THE ELECTION IN JUST A FEW
MONTHS WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
WITH THE ONE YEAR OFF WHICH IS
CERTAINLY OVER THE HORIZON.