Here & Now

Vukmir Wants to Bring 'Wisconsin Way' to Washington

Frederica Freyberg:

Tuesday’s primary races thinned the field heading into the November elections. In the closely-watched U.S. Senate race, state senator Leah Vukmir won 49% of the vote over her Republican opponent Kevin Nicholson. A registered nurse by training, Vukmir was first elected to the state Assembly in 2002. Since 2010, she has served two terms in the state Senate. She will face incumbent U.S. Senator Democrat Tammy Baldwin. We are working with the Baldwin campaign to schedule an interview. But now Leah Vukmir joins us. Thanks very much for being here.

Leah Vukmir:

Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.

Frederica Freyberg:

First welcome and congratulations.

Leah Vukmir:

Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:

We wanted to start by asking you this. You said you want to bring the Wisconsin way to Washington. What is that?

Leah Vukmir:

Well the Wisconsin way I call it the economic miracle, what we’ve been able to do here in Wisconsin since we took the mantle of leadership in 2011. Wisconsinites are really good at rolling up their sleeves and getting the work done and following through on promises. We turned our state around from a state that had a 9.3% unemployment rate to a 2.8% unemployment rate. We took a $3.6 billion budget deficit and we turned that into a surplus that we now give back to people. I think that’s what people want as I travel to every corner of the state. They want to see leaders who are going to follow through on their promises and give individuals and families the ability to do more with their hard-earned dollars. That’s what we’ve done here in Wisconsin and we need strong leaders to do the same in Washington.

Frederica Freyberg:

You have the endorsement of President Trump and yet a video that surfaced in the primary showed you saying he was offensive. Do you still believe he’s offensive?

Leah Vukmir:

That was during the primary, as you know. I stood with President Trump from the beginning when he became our nominee. And actually when it was one of the darkest times in the campaign, we did a women for Trump radio ad. I was proud of that and I have stood with him ever since. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with the president since the election and he has endorsed me. He congratulated me. He’s offered his support. And he did tease me a little bit about it. But all is good.

Frederica Freyberg:

Do you feel as though his conduct is presidential?

Leah Vukmir:

I want President Trump to succeed. President Trump is succeeding. I don’t want to look for ways to bring him down. I think that when President Trump succeeds, America succeeds. His record is showing he is doing policies people want and our country is turning around. The economy is turning around. The deregulatory reforms are making a difference. He’s standing up to foreign leaders in a way that people really are thirsting for in leadership and picking Supreme Court and other judicial nominees that adhere to the constitution. Those are the things that I’m focused in on. I’m not looking for ways to bring him down.

Frederica Freyberg:

What do you say to voters outside southeast Wisconsin in northern parts of the state where your challenger picked up the votes? How do you connect with them?

Leah Vukmir:

We’re in the process of unifying our party. I had a wonderful conversation with Kevin Nicholson and he was very gracious and offered to help. Senator Ron Johnson is heading up a tour around the state, and we will be meeting with people all over. My primary opponent had the ability to get up on the air before me and had a lot of money in order to get his name ID up there. It took me a little while to get there. But having the party’s endorsement was very important because that grassroots effort around the state also helped me to give me those extra votes to join with southeastern Wisconsin. Also, having Congressman Sean Duffy’s report is also very important and vital and he will help me in the northern part of the state as well.

Frederica Freyberg:

What do you know about whether or not you would get the money that your challenger had to go up on the air first pouring into your campaign now?

Leah Vukmir:

Well I certainly know that as this election has moved from the primary to the general the attention that it is getting on the national scene has increased greatly. And we can already see it as we’re doing our initial fundraising. I think that people look at this race as a key important race, that Tammy Baldwin is vulnerable. They see a clear, distinct difference between Tammy Baldwin and myself. And that stark difference is creating a lot of excitement and energy. So people are looking at the race and I’m confident that the money will come in and it currently is.

Frederica Freyberg:

You say you do support President Trump and his policies, but among them are the federal — is the federal tax cut. Now, as a fiscal conservative, how do you respond to the fact that the CBO has said that partly as a result of that tax cut the federal budget deficit will be $1 trillion by 2020?

Leah Vukmir:

The tax cuts are going to — they already are spurring the economy. It’s going to take some time for it to continue to do so. I talk to folks all across the state who are thrilled to have that extra money in their pockets to do with as they see fit for their families. And that’s why I advocate for these tax cuts to be permanent. And I think we are going to see that the economy will continue to grow, not only with the tax cuts, but also with the regulatory reform that the president and Congress have been enacting. This is a key, important thing. We saw the same thing here in Wisconsin. We have changed our economy around in our state by providing tax relief and regulatory relief and it will be nice to have someone like me there in Washington who’s done it here to be that advocate and that voice for similar reforms in Washington.

Frederica Freyberg:

In addition to building the wall, do you support a zero tolerance policy on people coming across the border, a policy that did result in families being separated?

Leah Vukmir:

Look, no one wants families to be separated and I’m glad that the president is taking steps to rectify that. It’s a very difficult, complicated issue and it’s taking some time to do. I’m a strong proponent of building that wall, that border security. I’m the daughter of Greek immigrants, first generation. My father came here in 1954. My mom’s family was born– my mom was born here, but her parents were from Greece. I spent my childhood helping my aunts and uncles come to this country and study for their naturalization and citizenship test. Taught them how to speak English. I believe we are a nation of laws and we have to uphold those laws. We have to first build that wall. Then we can start talking about all the other aspects of immigration reform. But I feel very strongly that the wall is important for a variety of reasons. It’s not just to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, but human trafficking, drug trafficking. We have problems with MS-13 gang members. As a nurse I also look at public health concerns. I do remember the times hearing grandmother talk about various people who were stuck at Ellis Island because of health concerns. We have no control over that as people cross this border illegally because we have porous areas on the border.

Frederica Freyberg:

Now, President Trump is pushing again for the Senate to change filibuster rules in order to fund his $25 billion border wall. Do you support changing the filibuster rules to allow a simple majority to move legislation?

Leah Vukmir:

I have said this on the campaign trail and yes, I do support it. I look at the things that we’ve accomplished here in Wisconsin. If we had had that policy in place, we would not have been able to enact things like Act 10 and Right To Work or an issue near and dear to my heart, giving parents educational options for their children. So, yes, I do.

Frederica Freyberg:

You describe yourself as 100% pro-gun. And it was either your first or one of your first campaign ads that showed you sitting down with a gun at your side. In the wake of school and mass shootings, do you think that there should be measures that allow taking guns from people who demonstrate a danger, kind of a red flag law?

Leah Vukmir:

That’s an area that I think needs to be investigated and looked at very carefully. As long as those laws are carefully looking at particular issues. For example, the Fix NICS bill that was done by Senator Cornyn looked specifically at that making sure that law enforcement and individuals have the information necessary when they see red flags. We also have to make sure we have a carefully-crafted law that looks at mental health issues, because that is a significant aspect that underlies a lot of these. I’d rather look at those aspects before we start looking at taking away people’s guns from them. Because when you do that, you are taking away the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. That’s why I stand so strongly with that Second Amendment right and as you know, have been endorsed by the NRA.

Frederica Freyberg:

Would you replace Obamacare with policies that did not cover pre-existing conditions?

Leah Vukmir:

I support protecting people with pre-existing conditions. We did it here in Wisconsin before it was even part of Obamacare. I support bringing health care decision-making back to the states. I’m a strong proponent of the principle of federalism. States know best how to take care of their own. And before the Affordable Care Act was put in place, Wisconsin had one of the lowest uninsured rates. We had a robust insurance market. And we had a program for people with pre-existing conditions. And we had to get rid of that because of the one-size-fits-all Obamacare. I firmly believe that we can do better in Wisconsin and we should and we would take care of people with pre-existing conditions.

Frederica Freyberg:

Does it go without saying that you would like to see the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v Wade?

Leah Vukmir:

I’m a strong, 100%, pro-life person. As a nurse, as a Christian, it has always been central to who I am. I will support and be part of a process of confirming people to the Supreme Court who uphold the Constitution and that is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart.

Frederica Freyberg:

In your view, should abortions be allowed under any circumstance?

Leah Vukmir:

I’m 100% pro-life. I have said that from the beginning. And I have not — I have always had the endorsements of the organizations that support life in the state of Wisconsin. It’s kind of hard to be a nurse and not be pro-life. I spent a career protecting life, saving life. And I believe in the dignity of all human life.

Frederica Freyberg:

Very briefly, with just about a half minute left, could you and Senator Tammy Baldwin be any further apart?

Leah Vukmir:

It is really the contrast that the people of the state of Wisconsin will be given a chance to weigh in. And I really, truly see a huge difference, a stark contrast. Tammy Baldwin has virtually been a back-bencher, both here in Wisconsin as part of the legislature and in Washington. It’s very hard for people as I travel the state to talk about issues that she’s done. I, on the other hand, have been at the tip of the spear of so many reforms that have made a difference in the state of Wisconsin. I’m a strong fighter, a strong advocate for my constituents. I will do the same in Washington for the people in Wisconsin.

Frederica Freyberg:

Leah Vukmir, thanks very much.

Leah Vukmir:

Thank you Frederica.