LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR REBECCA
KLEEFISCH TAKES A BREAK FROM HER
CAMPAIGN TO JOIN US.
KLEEFISCH SERVED AS SCOTT
WALKER'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
DURING HIS TWO TERMS IN OFFICE
BETWEEN 2011 AND 2019.
BEFORE THAT, KLEEFISCH WORKED AS
A TELEVISION NEWS REPORTER AND
ANCHOR IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS AND
THEN MILWAUKEE.
MORE RECENTLY, SHE SERVED AS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
WISCONSIN SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL
COMMISSION IN 2019.
WHEN REBECCA KLEEFISCH JOINED US
EARLIER, I STARTED BY ASKING HER
ABOUT HER RECENT COVID-19
BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION.
>> HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW?
>> I'M FINE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING, BUT IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU
HEAR ABOUT CASES LIKE MINE THAT
WE ARE REMINDED THAT EVERYBODY'S
BODY TREATS THIS REALLY
DIFFERENTLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS FINE BUT
THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE REALLY SUFFERING WITH
COVID-19.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO URGE
PEOPLE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF
THEMSELVES AND ALSO EVERYBODY
JUST HAVE AN EXTRA MEASURE OF
PATIENCE AND GRACE FOR FOLKS WHO
WANT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES OR
WANT TO TAKE EXTRA MEASURES OR,
YOU KNOW, WANT TO HAVE FREEDOM,
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
EVERYBODY TREATS THIS VERY
DIFFERENTLY AND EVERYBODY'S BODY
TREATS THIS VERY DIFFERENTLY.
>> IN FACT, YOU SAY YOU WANT TO,
QUOTE, ENSURE ROBUST PROTECTION
FOR CONSCIENCE IN A PANDEMIC.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> THAT MEANS WE WANT TO PROTECT
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT GOVERNMENT IS
NOT DICTATING HEALTH CARE
DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
>> SO SHOULD PEOPLE TAKE
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST PRIMARY OR
BREAKTHROUGH CASES BY MASKING
INDOORS OR IN SCHOOLS, FOR
EXAMPLE?
AS GOVERNOR, HOW WOULD YOU KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE?
>> WELL, I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE WERE WELL AWARE OF THE
FACTS.
AND THE FACTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED
OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
WE KNOW THAT THE DELTA VARIANT
IS BRAND NEW AND IT'S A
BREAKTHROUGH VARIANT.
I WAS VACCINATED.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE DEALING WITH COVID DIAGNOSES
EVEN AFTER BEING VACCINATED.
AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE WITH
GOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES, HAND
WASHING, MAKING SURE WE STAY
DISTANT FROM PEOPLE WE DON'T
KNOW.
IF YOU'RE SICK, MAKE SURE YOU
STAY HOME FROM WORK OR SCHOOL.
WE IN AMERICA, WE IN WISCONSIN
TEND TO BELIEVE THAT WORKING
HARD AND WORKING THROUGH
SICKNESS IS PROVING GROUND FOR
GREAT WORK ETHIC.
UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT'S
JUST NOT SMART.
WE ALSO NEED TO RESPECT PEOPLE'S
INDIVIDUAL CHOICES.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO WEAR A MASK
AND HAS MADE A DECISION THAT
THAT'S THE RIGHT HEALTH CARE
CHOICE FOR THEM, THEN WE WOULD
RESPECT IT AND NOT MAKE FOLKS
FEEL SHAMED.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON
IN PEOPLE'S PERSONAL LIVES AND
WHAT THEIR PERSONAL CHOICES MAY
BE BASED ON CONVERSATIONS
THEY'VE HAD WITH THEIR FAMILIES
OR MAYBE THEIR DOCTORS.
>> NOW, YOU SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP
AND CALL HIM, QUOTE, ONE OF THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL POLICY
PRESIDENTS OF OUR TIME, ONE OF
THE MOST PRO-LIFE PRESIDENTS
EVER.
DO YOU SUPPORT HIS CONTINUED
CHARGES THAT THE 2020 ELECTION
WAS STOLEN, THAT IN FACT JOE
BIDEN DID NOT WIN?
>> FREDERICA, I HAVE SAID MANY
TIMES THAT JOE BIDEN IS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THERE SHOULD
BE A FULL INVESTIGATION OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN WISCONSIN IN 2020
BECAUSE WE ARE RISKING PEOPLE
WALKING AWAY FROM THE ELECTORAL
PROCESS COMPLETELY BECAUSE THEY
DON'T FEEL LIKE THEIR VOTE
COUNTS.
SO WE NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IT AND REASSURE FOLKS THAT
WALKING AWAY FROM OUR DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC, OUR ELECTION PROCESS,
IS NOT THE WAY WE HANDLE THINGS.
THAT IN FACT WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY
FRANCHISED, THAT THEY GO AND
THEY VOTE AND THEY VOTE
PASSIONATELY TO KEEP THIS
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC GOING.
>> SO YOU SUPPORT THESE
INVESTIGATIONS IN WISCONSIN,
EVEN IN THE FACE OF COURT
CHALLENGES THAT FAILED ON THE
PART OF DONALD TRUMP AND
RECOUNTS?
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
EVERYONE VOTE.
AND I THINK THE CONCERN WE HAVE
IS PEOPLE DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE
THEY DON'T BELIEVE THEIR VOTE
COUNTS OR THEY BELIEVE SOME
SUSPICION ACTIVITY WENT DOWN IN
NOVEMBER OF 2020.
WE NEED TO ASSURE PEOPLE THAT WE
HAVE GOTTEN TO THE BOTTOM OF
2020 SO THAT THEY CAN REST
ASSURED THAT THEIR VOTE IS
SECURE AND COUNTS.
IN WISCONSIN, WE NEED TO MAKE IT
EASY TO VOTE, BUT WE ALSO NEED
TO MAKE IT HARD TO CHEAT AND WE
NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE ASSURANCES
THAT THEIR VOTE MATTERS.
>> SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT,
AS TO YOUR LAST ELECTION AND THE
PROMISED JOBS AT FOXCONN, WHAT'S
YOUR RESPONSE TO THE COMPANY NOT
DELIVERING ON THOSE?
>> I'M DISAPPOINTED.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THE SAME AS
ANYONE ACROSS WISCONSIN WHO HAD
HIGH HOPES FOR 13,000 JOBS
DELIVERED NEARLY RIGHT AWAY.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT OUR JOBS TAX
CREDITS WERE NEVER DELIVERED
BECAUSE THE BAR WAS SET
EXTREMELY HIGH IN THE WALKER
ADMINISTRATION.
TONY EVERS, THIS IS NOT THE
FIRST TIME TONY EVERS HAS
LOWERED THE BAR.
BUT MY HOPE IS THAT WE WILL
STILL SEE TREMENDOUS JOB
CREATION BECAUSE OF SOME
INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> OKAY.
WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
WE ARE AT TIME, BUT I TRUST THAT
WE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH YOU
MORE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.