LEILA FADEL, HOST:
For more on the Republicans' budget package, we've called up Republican strategist Rob Burgess. He worked for President Trump's campaigns in 2016 and 2020 and then was campaign manager for Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas. He's also the CEO of the PR firm Connector Inc. Good morning, and welcome to the program.
ROB BURGESS: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
FADEL: So how much can Mike Johnson really get done in a week?
BURGESS: Well, it's definitely an uphill battle. But the thing that's going for Mike Johnson is that this is a reconciliation package that a majority of Americans understand that we need to pass. This isn't just a bunch of pet projects. This is making sure we properly fund and resource our war fighters who are in harm's way. This is making sure that we're prioritizing election integrity. And it's making sure that we actually appropriate some funds to some necessary farm bill assets. And so this is not simply trying to push through something the American people don't want. This is something the American people do want, they need - and they see the necessity for it now.
FADEL: Now, as we just heard, there are billions in new defense funding in this reconciliation package, and you alluded to that as well. Some Republicans, though, have voiced concerns that there are no spending cuts to offset the costs. Americans are very worried about the rising cost of living and that rising cost connected to the war in Iran. Do you believe this will pass in its current form?
BURGESS: I completely understand where fiscal hawks like Chip Roy come in when asking for things like pay-fors. How do we pay for this new spending? Where do those offsets come from? Are we cutting any existing spending to make sure that we're not overextending the American people? And those are very, very good questions until you find yourself in a situation where we have men and women in uniform overseas in harm's way. We cannot, cannot, cannot hold resources for those individuals hostage while we're trying to make sure that we are doing what is fiscally responsible for the American people.
Ultimately, this is an uphill battle. Speaker Johnson does have a very slim majority. But the most important thing is making sure the conference comes together very early this week and has the conversation. The American people sent us to Washington, D.C., to get things done. We must pass reconciliation. We cannot sit on our hands and then return home and run for reelection without being able to say we got this done.
FADEL: But do the Republicans have the numbers? I mean, as we heard from our reporter, John Thune talked about - it's a game of arithmetic. It's about the numbers.
BURGESS: It is a game of arithmetic, and I think ultimately, this is going to pass in the House. The question is - is John Thune going to be able to get it through the Senate? It's a much narrower margin there. And the only benefit that we have from a reconciliation package is if, for some reason, it gets to a tie in the Senate, Vice President Vance will be able to break that. Ultimately, I think Speaker Johnson's going to be able to hold his conference together. He's going to be able to remind them of the importance of a reconciliation vote when we have war fighters in harm's way. And then it's going to be in the Senate's hands to make sure that they are not responsible for gridlock in Washington prior to them taking a six-week hiatus.
FADEL: President Trump has been very focused on the - on passing the SAVE America Act, a - an election integrity bill that would require voters to show a document proving their U.S. citizenship when they register to vote. It also requires that voters show one of these to cast a ballot in person. Democrats have expressed concern that this'll just make it harder to access the vote as citizens. And so it's a tough sell in the Senate. Congress is trying to put in place a grant program that would allow states to implement some of it. Would that satisfy the president's demand?
BURGESS: I'm not sure if that would necessarily satisfy the president's demand, but I can tell you it wouldn't satisfy the American people. Voter ID is not simply a tool that's meant to reduce access to the vote. It's meant to secure and safeguard our elections. And Democrats don't mind requiring a ID to buy a pack of cigarettes or requiring an ID to buy a adult beverage or requiring a photo ID to participate in Olive Garden's never-ending pasta promotion. But when it comes to voting, they seem to let anybody be able to go and cast a ballot for representation in this country, regardless if they're who they say they are or an actual citizen. So the American people see through this facade, and they don't agree with the Democratic approach on this issue.
FADEL: Rob Burgess is a Republican strategist and the CEO of PR firm Connector Inc. Thank you for your time.
BURGESS: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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