As we mentioned, the U.S.
House passed a budget resolution
that seeks major tax and spending
cuts.
The spending cuts are already
underway at the hands of Elon Musk
and his Department of Government
Efficiency.
We ask First Congressional District
Republican U.S.
Representative Brian Style for
his take. And thanks very much for
being here.
Thanks for having me on.
So you voted in favor of the House
budget resolution, extending tax
cuts and raising the debt limit
by $4 trillion, paired
with potential cuts
to Medicaid.
Does this resolution
envision cutting Medicaid by more
than $800 billion.
Following four years of reckless
spending in the Biden
administration? This is our
opportunity to get spending
under control in Washington.
Frustratingly, there's a lot of
misinformation out there.
The budget resolution that passed
last night actually has the word
Medicaid in it zero times.
But this is really an opportunity
to do is get broader spending under
control and make sure that we're
being good stewards of taxpayer
dollars. In addition, we have an
opportunity to make sure that we're
extending the tax cuts that really
grew the economy in particular
as we came into the Covid pandemic.
So this is about right sizing
Washington, D.C., controlling
spending and making sure that we're
protecting those tax reforms
that are really generating the
economic growth we saw during
the Trump administration's first
term.
And so, are you suggesting
that the Democrats, who are decrying
cuts to Medicaid to the tune
of more than $800 billion,
are just about talking points
on this?
Well, there's a lot of fear
mongering that shouldn't be lost
on anyone. Usually the fear
mongering points by some of my
colleagues on the left focusing on
on veterans or Social Security,
Both false.
We've actually last Congress
protected veterans and Social
Security. I think what we have an
opportunity to do is make
sure that we are rightsizing
spending writ large in Washington,
D.C., the focus as
it relates to Medicaid, an important
program that provides health care
to many of the least amongst us in
our country, which is separate from
Medicare, which provides care to
our seniors. But in Medicaid.
But we have a real opportunity to do
is to help people and lift them out
of the need for the program.
What do I mean by that?
Instead of measuring simply
by the inputs, how much money are we
spending on some of our welfare
programs? What we need to be focused
in on is how do we help individuals
get good or better paying jobs
such that they're able to be
self-sustainable?
If we're successful in doing that,
what we'll do is two things will
help the individual who's currently
finding themselves on government
support, but also be in a position
to reduce the burden on the federal
government. And so I think the fear
mongering is disappointing.
It's dangerous, and we have a real
opportunity in front of us
to rightsize the federal government.
Are you saying that you would oppose
significant cuts to Medicaid?
I think there's true savings.
So let's let's let's dissect that a
little bit. So if we look at the
state of California, for example,
in Medicaid, 37%
of the population of the state of
California is on Medicaid.
But the state of California has made
a policy choice to provide Medicaid
to, for example, illegal
aliens or they they
in the past have waived an asset
test, meaning kind of a crazy
scenario where somebody could win
the lottery but still be eligible
for Medicaid.
And so there are opportunities to
make sure that the programs are
there for the least amongst those
people that fall on hard times for
children in our country that oppose
cuts in those areas.
But I do think there's reasonable
reforms that we can make
sure individuals and particular
individuals who are childless,
able bodied adults
both have skin in the game.
We help lift them up such
that they're self-sustainable and
not dependent on government
programs.
So you spoke to a California
example. What about in Wisconsin?
Well, we could look back to the
resolution that passed in their
state, Wisconsin, overwhelmingly,
where voters in the state of
Wisconsin said if an individual
wants to receive federal government
benefits and they are a childless,
able bodied adult,
that they should have skin in the
game, they should be looking for a
job where they should be working.
And I think that the American people
understand that, yes, we do need
to have social safety net programs
for individuals that find themselves
on hard time, or for children who
might not be in a position to help
themselves.
But at the same time, we expect
people to be able to step up and
be self-sustainable when they can.
And so this is about preventing
the fear mongering.
But really looking at these programs
in determining ways that we can
help people lift themselves up,
become self-sustainable, and not
simply measure our welfare and
safety net programs by the inputs,
how much money we spent, but instead
measure them by how well they're
operating.
And are they truly designed and
effective at lifting people out
of poverty sustainably?
As to this budget blueprint.
Former Wisconsin Congressman Reid
Ribble, Republican, said this.
He said math is hard.
He said to get to a balanced budget,
as Trump promised in his campaign,
would require tax revenue to
be equal to spending.
You cannot extend 4.5
trillion in tax cuts
while only cutting about 1.5
trillion in spending.
How do you reconcile that gap
that he speaks to.
The budget situation in Washington,
D.C. for decades,
he's been wildly out of control.
Washington has spent way
beyond its means for a long time.
The spending process in Washington,
D.C. is completely broken and needs
to be absolutely rewritten.
That said, we need to take steps
forward and so know the budget
resolution that move forward doesn't
solve the problem in one day.
It is not a silver bullet.
And unfortunately, the problem in
Washington, D.C.
is so significant no
single action will probably
solve it unilaterally.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't take
a step in the right direction.
And so the step that this is taking
is making sure that we're growing
the economy so individuals can get
good and better paying jobs, and at
the same time begin the process
of truly reining in reckless
government spending.
That really brought forward the
inflation that we saw during the
Biden administration.
Why raise the debt limit with
so many concerns around the debt?
So the debt limit is a really
important issue.
And what happens to the impact?
What happens to the borrowing rate
for the federal government?
If the debt ceiling was actually
triggered, if the debt limit was
actually triggered, would be a
higher borrowing costs in the
long run.
What that will do is actually cost
the federal government more.
So instead of going out and getting
loans at 3.5%,
the federal government might find
themselves at double that rate.
We're already paying roughly $1
trillion a year for
interest payments on the debt alone.
To double that would be draconian.
And so, unfortunately, the
federal government is in the
situation it's in due to decades
of reckless spending in Washington,
but it would be economically
a disaster and a disaster for a
lot of workers if we were in a
position where the federal
government actually tripped over
the debt ceiling.
As to additional savings,
spending cuts.
Elon Musk wielded a chainsaw
at a Republican political
conference.
What's your response to what he's
been doing?
We always should be looking at
rooting out waste, fraud and
abuse not only in the federal
government, but at government
entities across the country.
I think some of the examination has
shown some of the real abuse
and reckless spending that we saw
during the Biden administration or
areas that were highlighted, for
example, where an inappropriate
comic book was written with funds
from USAID.
This is all a broader statement that
we need to go in and examine
how the federal government is
spending taxpayer dollars, and to
make sure that it's a prudent use of
those tax dollars, because we're in
a spot where we don't have extra
money to spend, and the extra money
that has been spent has had the
negative impact of increasing
costs.
The cost of living for Wisconsinites
and folks across the country.
Would there be another way to go
about it then, how Elon Musk
and his Doge operation
have done so?
There's lots of ways to go about
anything, but I think at its core,
the focus here is making sure that
we are rooting out waste, fraud
and abuse. We're thinking creatively
about how we're spending taxpayer
dollars, meaning we are actually
reducing the waste, fraud and abuse
in the broader government spending
that we've seen for far too long in
Washington.
What kind of responses have you
gotten from your constituents
about Doge or the budget
resolution?
I a wide array.
I think there is a broad consensus
and an understanding that Washington
has spent way too much money
for far too long, and people are
looking to rein in that reckless
spending. I hear that time and
again. I also think there's an
opportunity for increased
communication.
I held for town halls
across my district at the beginning
of this year in in those
conversations.
I think there is a real hunger
for good information about what
is going on in Washington,
D.C. and going on in the federal
government. It's one of the roles
and responsibilities that I take
seriously to try to communicate
with folks in the state of Wisconsin
about the true challenges we
face, what policies we need
to put in place to get us back on
track.
And I think that's one of the biggest
challenges we face as a society
right now is how do people get good,
thoughtful, true information
about their federal government?
How do you see the moves on the part
of the Trump administration and
congressional Republicans helping
Wisconsinites?
I think we have a real opportunity
to bring down costs.
I think the president has made great
moves early on as it relates
to securing the US-Mexico border.
We've seen the number of illegal
crossings dropped dramatically,
the broken border.
The Biden administration
significantly negatively impacted
Wisconsin.
Whether or not it was human
trafficking or the drug
flow, this fentanyl alone
was killing hundreds of
Wisconsinites per year.
So the president has done a great
job as it relates to that.
We're beginning the process of
controlling reckless spending.
And we also need to continue the
work of leading negotiations
of peace through strength across the
world, where the United States
is understood to be
backing peace across the globe.
Congressman Brian style, we leave it
there. Thanks very much.
Thank you.
I didn't I got no word.
Congressman. You froze again there.
I but I wasn't told
to stop or anything so.
Sorry.
I gotta unfreeze this.
We could.
Pick it up.
Tonight.
I do, yeah.
Sorry. On the tech.
On on our. And I'm not sure we
use this all the time. I'm not sure
what's going on.
Yeah, the show usually works.
I don't know if it's, like the battery
on the camera. We'll figure this out
before we do it again.
That's what it is.
That's what. It's all right.
I mean.
That's what that image says.
It's like
big red mark.
Exactly.
Where I was, I think
word froze was
just as I asked you whether or not
there might be another way to go
about what Doge is doing.
Something pretty.
Sure you want to ask me a question
and I'll dive right in.
Sure.
And we're good to go.
Wouldn't. Wouldn't there be another
way to do what Doge is
doing?
I think there's a lot of ways that
things can be done, but I think
everybody is supportive of rooting
out waste, fraud and abuse
in the federal government.
I think as we look back over the
four years, the Biden administration
is spending dramatically increased
in Washington.
I think we all recognize there's a
real opportunity to make sure
that we're preventing a misuse of
taxpayer dollars.
What kind of response have you
gotten from your constituents about
either what Elon Musk is is
doing or the Republican
budget resolution?
I've held listening sessions across
southeast Wisconsin, crisscrossing
the district, talking with folks,
and I hear two things.
One. I think there's a real
understanding by the American people
and people in southeast Wisconsin
in particular, that recognize
that the reckless spending of the
Biden administration brought forward
inflation, and they're ready
to turn that around.
I think people, when they fully
understand what this budget
process is going to look like, what
the final product will hold
will be a real opportunity for us
to bring down that reckless spending
and lower the costs so families
can afford the things that they
need.
The biggest challenge that I hear
from people across the district
is people find it very difficult
to get true, factual information
about what's going on in Washington,
DC without bias and hyperbole.
And so one of the things that I do
through my listening sessions and
other means is go and speak to folks
about what is actually taking place
in Washington and have an adult
conversation about the challenges
we face, about the the gap
between the massive amount of
spending that we have and how we
bring down the debt and deficit
and have that adult conversation.
I think there's a broad frustration,
society wide, about how people
obtain good factual information.
In many ways, that's why your
program and programs like it are so
important.
How do you see the moves on the part
of the Trump administration and
congressional Republicans helping
Wisconsinites?
I think we've seen a lot of progress
very quickly with the Trump
administration. I think the number
one thing that I would
commend the president on doing is
securing the US-Mexico border
right out of the gates.
We reinstated stay in Mexico,
restarted border wall construction,
ended abuse of the parole system and
stopped the catch and release.
The impact of that has been a
dramatic decrease on illegal
immigration into the United States.
That's a big impact in the state of
Wisconsin, in particular as it
relates to either human trafficking,
but in particular the flow of
illegal drugs, and in particular
fentanyl. Fentanyl, just in, for
example, in Kenosha County alone
killed over 50 people last
year and statewide has killed
hundreds. And so the president's
action to secure the border has been
very positive.
And the work now to get spending
under control in Washington.
While we've made some incremental
progress, we have a lot of work to
get done to ultimately, at the end
of the day, have the goal of
reducing the cost of living so
Americans can afford what they need.
We leave it there. Congressman Brian
Stiles, thanks very much.
Thank you.
It was here.
And then it would have diverted us,
and that is around
us. Immigrant labor on
Wisconsin farms.
I mean, people talk a lot about that
and the
worry and concern that
some of these farms just could not
operate without immigrant labor.
And then, I mean, the issue of
worker visas, you know, year
round worker visas.
What about that?
I think there's some false notions
as to whether or not how, how and
how.
I think there's some false notions
about how farms operate in the state
of Wisconsin.
Many of our farmers operate legally
using legal work, and when I
talk to those farmers, they're
frustrated that their neighbors may
be undercutting them, utilizing
illegal immigrant labor, that
they're paying below market rates.
And so as we secure
the borders, we address the broken
illegal immigration system.
We have a huge opportunity to
address our broken legal
immigration system.
And as we do that, I think we have a
real opportunity in the, in
the, in the country to make sure
that we're tying out immigrants
that come legally, that are vetted
with the true workforce needs
of the United States, rather than
the random lottery system that the
United States currently has.
Okay, great. Thank you.
Thanks for taking a moment to answer
that one.
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
Look forward to doing it again.
Okay. Thank you.