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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure and member of the Senate Banking and Budget Committees, joined Joe Kernen and Andrew Sorkin on Squawk Box this morning to discuss Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree, the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law, and rising food and energy prices. Excerpts and a full video are below.

On Democrats’ Reckless Tax and Spending Spree: 

“All 50 Republicans oppose this… I think West Virginia and North Dakota are very similar culturally and politically in many respects… A lot of people look at the transactions of Washington, the way we play in the senate box together and they wonder what's up... [Senator Joe Manchin] represents some really good commonsense people in West Virginia so I think he’s taking the right attitude. He wants to slow things down. He wants to make sure job creators aren’t killed and we don’t continue to contribute to inflation. Frankly, to me, that’s one of the biggest problems going forward with the Build Back Better plan. It would add to inflation pressure at a time when it needs no more inflation pressure in this economy.”

On the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

“I’m anxious to get some of that money now to work, building infrastructure at ports, waterways, railroads, highways, and bridges, and all of the things that get North Dakota wheat to a pasta plant so that you guys can eat it in your favorite restaurant in Manhattan. It’s really important that we move product from start to market.”

On Rising Food, Energy Prices: 

“[North Dakota has] had some snow, fortunately most of it has melted… While we produce a lot of energy, we also get very concerned about the growing cost of home heating this time of the year. You talk about major inflationary pressure. Not to mention the price of a turkey is going way up.” 

“When demand was coming back up in comes Joe Biden and he shuts down supply by the prohibition of drilling on federal lands. Then he begs OPEC for help to produce more so he doesn’t have to suffer as the inflation president. These are self-inflicted. These are the direct result of policies that stifle domestic development. And here’s the worst part: at the time all of this is happening, he greenlights Nord Stream 2, the gas line from Russia to many of our allies in Europe. Not only is that bad economics, but it’s bad for the environment and bad for the climate. Natural gas produced in Russia and sent over pipeline to our allies emits 41% more greenhouse gas emissions through the lifecycle of that gas than natural gas produced in the United States, liquefied, and sent on a ship to the same country. It’s contrary to everything he says he believes. It’s bad for the economy, bad for jobs, bad for national security, and bad for the climate. Other than that it’s a great idea. It makes no sense.”


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