Colorado’s Morning News, Cory Gardner, March 27, 2019
Station: KOA, 850 am
Show: Colorado’s Morning News
Guests: Gardner, Cory
Date: March 27, 2019
Topics: Second,
CO-HOST APRIL ZESBAUGH: President Trump says that the Mueller report findings couldn’t be better, but Democrats want more details. They want to see the whole report, and soon. Now there’s a debate over releasing that report and what lawmakers should do next. [That is] just one of the things we can chat about with Republican Senator Cory Gardner. Thanks for coming on!
UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM COLORADO, CORY GARDNER: Hey, thank you for having me!
ZESBAUGH: Yeah, you said – I think you Tweeted it out right after the report came out — the DOJ should release as much of the [Mueller] report as they can, in accordance with the law. Would you rather that happen sooner than later, and get on to other things?
GARDNER: Yeah, I think it absolutely needs to happen. I think the American people got a fair, transparent, thorough look at the investigation. They need to get that through the report, as much as can be released to get it out there as quickly as possible, and let the American people have that information.
GUEST CO-HOST ED GREENE: Senator, “no obstruction,” and they left that to the Justice Department, [and] they failed to prosecute. And also, the Democrats previously said the President could be charged with a crime. Does that leave kind of a gray area that concerns you?
GARDNER: Look, I think there is no collusion. And the decision on obstruction was a call by prosecutors who believed the obstruction charges wouldn’t’ be met because of that. So, that was a decision made by prosecutors, as any prosecutor across the country would make. I think the American people should be grateful for this. I think — I hope the American people are relieved. And now we can focus on what Russia has been doing, which is trying to interfere with our elections. We’ve seen what they’ve tried to do in the lead-up to the Ukraine election in the next several weeks, and now we have to expect that same thing again in 2020. So, let’s come together as a country, let’s put our partisan differences aside, and protect the integrity of our elections in 2020.
ZESBAUGH: What, if anything, does the report tell you about President Trump’s future in office and the Dems chances in 2020?
GARDNER: Well, again, I think instead of politicizing, let’s come together and recognize that we need to move forward as a nation. Let’s make sure that we learned the lessons from 2016. Russia attempted to interfere with this election. There was no collusion, as the Mueller report – and I had supported the Mueller report throughout the process – has identified. So, let’s move forward. Let’s protect our integrity of elections, and let’s get the work done for the American people.
ZESBAUGH: All right. Let’s switch gears in the minute-and-a-half we have got left with you. I know Democrats are saying, “Let’s move on from Russia and start talking about healthcare.”
What do we do about the parts of ACA that both sides can agree on, like pre-existing conditions being covered?
GARDNER: Well, number one, we protect pre-existing conditions. That’s first and foremost. Number two, let’s start working on policies that will increase the care – the quality of care, [and] decrease the cost of care. The Affordable Care Act failed to do that. Promises were made that if you liked your insurance you could keep it, [yet] hundreds of thousands of Coloradans had their insurance plans cancelled. [It] said that they’d save costs. They didn’t. So, let’s come together, drive down costs, increase care, increase access to care, and make sure that it’s not just on the front range, but it’s in eastern Colorado and western Colorado, as well.
ED GREENE: The policies you talk about, Senator, who works on those? And where do we go from here?
GARDNER: Well, we’re all working on them. And I think that’s the important thing. It’s not just a – you know, healthcare – a strep test – that’s not a Republican or Democrat issue. That’s something we can all work on together. And instead of trying to protect something that has failed over the last 8 years or 10 years, let’s figure out a way that is better for the American people.
ZESBAUGH: And infrastructure: when do we get started on some of these long-awaited projects?
GARDNER: I’m working with a number of my colleagues on a bipartisan, bicameral infrastructure bill. I met with Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate to do just that. And we will continue to. Look, we have got to fix the roads in Colorado, no doubt about it. People are probably stuck in traffic right now. Colorado roads look a lot like they did ten, twenty, thirty years ago. We can do better and that’s what we’re leading on.
ED GREENE: Senator Cory Gardner, thank you so much for your time this morning.
GARDNER: Thank you very much!
