U.S. Sen John Barrasso took to the airwaves this week to again criticize Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party, two topics also frequently on the mind of his colleague U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney.
Barrasso appeared on CNN this week with correspondent Jim Sciutto to talk about the much-discussed second coronavirus stimulus package. The host asked Barrasso why the Democrats and Republicans couldn’t reach a compromise when it came to the stimulus package, something the Wyoming Republican was asked about earlier this month.
The senator blamed Pelosi for not being able to reach a compromise on the bill, saying she rejected a bipartisan effort by the “problem solvers.”
“[Pelosi] seems to be fixated on bailing out big cities and sending a blank check to states that have been poorly managed for a long time and using the coronavirus as an excuse,” he said.
Sciutto asked Barrasso twice if he would be willing to compromise on the issue, but the senator never gave a “yes” or “no” answer. He said he’d be willing to do everything possible in a “targeted way” to help people impacted by the coronavirus.
He reiterated a point he made earlier this month, saying he wouldn’t use the stimulus package to pay illegal immigrants or “environmental justice.”
Sciutto also called on Barrasso’s medical expertise, asking his thoughts on comments President Donald Trump made about whether masks or face coverings reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Barrasso said he thought masks did help reduce the spread, pointing out he wears one and reminding viewers that they should use a mask whenever they can’t properly social distance.
He added that the United States has made “huge progress” in the research regarding the virus and that 800,000 tests are being processed each day, the number of active cases are beginning to go down and the death count is also starting to drop.
