FOLLOWING EVERS' ADDRESS,
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS CALD
THE GOVERNOR, THIS AFTER SIX
MONTHS OF STALEMATE ABOUT HOW TO
DEAL WITH COVID 19 IN WISCONSIN.
HE ALSO CHARGED THE ASSEMBLY
COMMITTEE ON CAMPAIGNS AND
ELECTIONS TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED
ELECTION IRREGULARITIES IN
WISCONSIN.
THEY TAKE UP THE INQUIRY NEXT
WEEK BY CALLING CLERKS TO
TESTIFY UNDER SUBPOENA.
SPEAKER VOS JOINS US NOW AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO.
SO FIRST TO COVID.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO CALL THE
GOVERNOR FOLLOWING HIS STATEWIDE
ADDRESS WHERE HE TOLD EVERYONE
TO STAY HOME?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING IS I
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOW
THAT THE ELECTION IS BEHIND US,
WE KNOW THAT DEMOCRATS SPENT LIT
REAT
LITERALLY TENS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TRYING TO CREATE A
NARRATIVE THAT REPUBLICANS
DIDN'T TAKE COVID SERIOUSLY.
THE OPPOSITE IS ACTUALLY TRUE.
WE PASSED A VERY GOOD BIPARTISAN
BILL THAT ENCOURAGED GOVERNOR
EVERS AND REALLY EMPOWERED HIM
TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE
VIRUS IN ONE OF THE FIRST BILLS
THAT PASSED IN THE COUNTRY.
I NOW THINK AS THE VIRUS HAS
GOTTEN WORSE AND OF COURSE WE
KNOW THAT MORE CASES ARE RISING
EVERY DAY, WE DO WANT TO OFFER
AND SAY LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND
FIND AREAS OF COMMON GROUND THAT
DOESN'T REQUIRE A SHUTDOWN,
DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO CLOSE OUR
ECONOMY, BUT CERTAINLY GIVES
ADDITIONAL TOOLS THAT MIGHT BE
NECESSARY TO HELP ENSURE THAT
THE VIRUS SPREAD SLOWS AND
HOPEFULLY ONCE A VACCINE COMES
WE CAN GET OUR ECONOMY FULLY
OPERATIONAL.
>> THAT PACKAGE OF BILLS WHICH
YOU MENTIONED HAPPENED WHEN,
BACK IN APRIL?
AND SO THE REPUBLICAN-HELD
LEGISLATURE HAS COME UNDER
CRITICISM AS COVID 19 HAS SURGED
FOR NOT TAKING ANY ACTION SINCE
THEN.
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
>> IT'S REALLY A POLITICAL
ARGUMENT THAT'S BEEN MADE BY THE
LIBERALS AND THEIR ALLIES ALL
ACROSS THE STATE JUST TO TRY TO
WIN THE LEGISLATURE BACK.
THERE ISN'T A LAW THAT WE CAN
PASS THAT WILL OUT LAW THE
PANDEMIC, RIGHT?
THAT JUST ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE PROVIDED RESOURCES, MADE IT
EASIER TO GET UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE GOT RID OF A LOT OF BARRIERS
AND REGULATIONS.
BUT LOOK.
I THINK THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE
SHOULD CERTAINLY DO BETTER.
GOVERNOR EVERS HAS UNILATERAL
CONTROL OVER THE COURSE OF THE
SUMMER IN HOW TO SPEND OVER $2
BILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING.
SOME AREAS HE SPENT IT WISELY.
OTHER AREAS LEAVES SOMETHING TO
BE DESIRED.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE MORE MONEY
GOING TO HELP THE SMALL
BUSINESSES THAT REALLY SUFFER
BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS THAT
HAVE BEEN MADE.
WE COULD HAVE DONE A MUCH BETTER
JOB WITH CONTACT TRACING.
WE ONLY HAVE OVER 1,000
EMPLOYEES HIRED WHEN THEY SHOULD
HAVE HAD WAY MORE THAN THAT.
ON ISSUES AS SIMPLE AS RAPID
TESTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
HAS PROVIDED OVER 1.7 MILLION
RAPID TESTS AND THOSE HAVE NOT
BEEN IEWT UTILIZED.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT
GOING FORWARD.
THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO BE
SINCERE IN SAYING, LOOK, I GOT
REELECTED, WATCHED HIS ADDRESS,
LET'S FIND AREAS WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER ON AND GET THAT DONE.
>> HAVE YOU TALKED WITH HIM
SINCE YOU LEFT THAT MESSAGE FOR
HIM ON AREAS WHERE YOU CAN WORK
TOGETHER?
>> YEAH.
WE'VE ACTUALLY PLAYED PHONE TAG.
BOTH OF OUR CHIEFS OF STAFF HAVE
BEEN IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION TO
SAY LET'S LOOK AT WHAT IDEAS
THEY HAVE.
MY GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE AS GET
TOGETHER AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK
SO WE CAN HAVE IDEAS FLESHED OUT
AND HOPEFULLY GET THINGS MOVING
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO SEE
WHERE THERE'S COMMON GROUND.
>> YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT RELIEF
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT
YOU'VE SEEN COME FROM THE OTHER
SIDE THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
ACTUALLY COULD COME TOGETHER ON
SPECIFICALLY?
>> WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY
SPECIFIC IDEAS FROM THEM AS OF
TODAY.
I AM CERTAIN THAT THEY HAVE
THEM.
THE ONLY ONE THEY'VE REALLY
TALKED ABOUT IS SOME KIND OF AN
ADDITIONAL LOCKDOWN.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
BUT I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT WE
ARE TOTALLY IN AGREEMENT ON
FOLLOWING THE CDC GUIDELINES.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR
MONTHS.
THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA CHOSE TO
FOCUS ON THE DEMOCRATS'
NARRATIVE THAT WASN'T TRUE.
YOU SHOULD WEAR A MASK, SOCIALLY
DISTANCE AND WASH YOUR HANDS AND
STAY AT HOME.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE ALREADY HAVE
COMMON GRUND GROUND ON.
WE SEE THAT AS THE CASES RISE,
WE NEED TO SEE IF THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT THE
DEPARTMENT OR THE PUBLIC HEALTH
AGENCIES NEED.
I'VE BEEN IN REGULAR
COMMUNICATION WITH MY DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND BY AND
LARGE THE LOCALS ARE DOING A
REALLY GOOD JOB.
A LOT OF TIMES IT COMES DOWN TO
RESOURCES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STATE
OF WISCONSIN CANNOT AFFORD TO DO
BY ITSELF, WHICH WE NEEDED THAT
CARES MONEY THAT WAS BEING
UTILIZED THIS YEAR AND WE'LL BE
ABLE TO SPEND THAT AS SMARTLY
AND WISELY AS WE CAN.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
ELECTION.
WHY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 50
YEARS ARE YOU ARMING AN ASSEMBLY
COMMITTEE WITH SUBPOENA POWERS
TO INVESTIGATE ELECTION
IRREGULARITIES?
>> BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO
VOTED HAS CONFIDENCE IN ITS
RESULTS.
THERE IS NO DOUBT AS WE HAVE
GOTTEN LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF
TELEPHONE CALLS, EMAILS,
FACEBOOK MESSAGES THAT PEOPLE
DOUBT THE ELECTION WAS RUN IN
THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE'RE
GOING TO FIND ENOUGH
IRREGULARITIES TO OVERTURN THE
ELECTION.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE
COULDN'T FIND AREAS THAT NEED
IMPROVEMENT OR POTENTIALLY
THINGS THAT WOULD LEAD TO A
CHANGE IN THE OUTCOME.
AGAIN, I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY,
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD
NOT WANT TO HAVE THE MOST
THOROUGH, ACCURATE COUNT SO
EVERY LEGAL VOTE IS COUNTED AND
PEOPLE HAVE ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE
THAT WHOEVER WINS THE PRESIDENCY
DID IT LAWFULLY.
>> IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE YOU
DON'T TRUST THE ELECTION
OFFICIALS IN WISCONSIN WHEN THEY
SAY THAT THEY ARE FINDING NO
IRREGULARITIES.
>> WELL, I TRUST THE CLERKS.
I THINK THAT BY AND LARGE THEY
DO A GOOD JOB.
BUT THERE WERE INSTANCES ALL
ACROSS THE STATE WHERE
REPUBLICANS WEREN'T ALLOWED TO
BE IN THE COUNTING ROOM.
PEOPLE SAID THAT THEY WERE
INDEFINITELY CONFINED BECAUSE IT
WAS A WAY AROUND THE VOTER I.D.
LAW.
I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING
THAT NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE
LEFT THEIR HOUSE DURING THE TIME
THAT THEY SAID THEY WERE
INDEFINITELY CONFINED ALL THE
WAY UNTIL THE ELECTION ON
NOVEMBER 3.
SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
IRREGULARITIES THAT WE ARE GOING
TO INVESTIGATE.
AGAIN, WHETHER OR NOT THEY
OVERTURN THE ELECTION, I THINK
THAT'S UNLIKELY, BUT I CERTAINLY
BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE A
REASON THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK
AT OUR ELECTION LAWS TO MAKE
SURE THAT NO ONE DOUBTS THE
INTEGRITY OR THE SINCERITY OF
THOSE WHO RUN THE ELECTIONS OR
THE FINAL OUTCOME.
>> DO YOU ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?
>> FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN
WISCONSIN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE
ELECTION WAS FAIR WELL RUN.
I ONLY KNOW MY PERSPECTIVE OF
WHAT I SAW IN MY OWN AREA WHERE
OUR CLERKS DID A GOOD JOB.
I HAVE HAD REPORTS OF OTHER
PEOPLE WHO SAW THINGS THAT
LOOKED EFFICIENCY TO THEM.
I THINK WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE.
I WASN'T IN THOUSANDS OF POLLING
PLACES ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
I DIDN'T WITNESS ALL THOSE
INCIDENTS BEING REPORTED TO US.
WE OWE IT TO EVERY PERSON WHO
VOTES IN WISCONSIN TO DO A
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND
ENSURE THAT THE RESULTS ARE
ACCURATE, FAIR AND ABLE TO BE
JUSTIFIED TO EVERY SINGLE VOTER.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
SPEAKER ROBIN VOS,