00:00Just the first question I had on Epstein, what do you make of what's happening between the Trump administration and, you know, it's seeming reluctance to release some of these Epstein documents, and then what we're seeing with the House where Republicans are getting out of town because they don't want to do this vote Democrats are bringing up?
00:18I don't really have strong feelings on it. For me, it's like, you know, we, you know, under four years when the administration, they were in control of it and didn't release it. Now today, like, so whatever, if they want to release it, great, that's fine, or if we're not. But for me, I'm not preoccupied with those things. I think there's much more important things, you know, honestly.
00:41And again, for me, conspiracies are these kinds of things. I just don't want us to turn into a country of tinfoil hat kind of situation. So now, if there's something to release, release it. But I'm not preoccupied by it. And again, there's things much more concerned about it.
00:57Randy Weingarten and Bernie Sanders are having a town meeting up here. I know that there's kind of a clash inside the Democratic Party about which direction they should go. Is it harder for Democrats to reach centrists or Trump voters when, you know, that left wing of the party is getting all the attention?
01:13Bernie is Bernie. And he's absolutely entitled to his own views. And now we increasingly don't agree on some of those kind of issues. So for me, it's that same situation now. He's entitled to have that views. And I have different ones. And I think he would respect my own as well, too.
01:32And what about the temperature among fellow Democrats and Republicans about this wanting, needing to get out of here? There's been so many weekend sessions, overnight sessions. And the people, part of the job is also going home and working with your constituents, regardless of which side of the aisle you're on.
01:49Yeah. I mean, you're referencing essentially, like, the temperature about shutting the government down?
01:53No, the recess. Should they have a recess here? Should they blow out part of the recess?
01:58Well, I mean, it is. I mean, absolutely. I do think it's helpful to spend back in my state to do those kinds of events and for those things. Absolutely. That's the House is on recess. I mean, they're able to. So engaging with the constituents and being back in our state is that's part of the whole process of being in recess.
02:18But our members wanting, in the Senate specifically, because there were so many overnights and so many weekends, they're like, we've got to get back home and talk to our people. We've spent too much time in Washington, and we don't want to blow up the recess.
02:29Well, I mean, it's like as long as there's a job here to do, absolutely. We should be here to do our job. And then we do need the opportunity to spend more time back in our state as well, too. That's part of the balance. I mean, that's an ongoing thing. That's always been on the calendar. I mean, it's not a surprise to anybody that we have an August recess.
02:48And, sir, what do you make of these comments earlier this week from Hunter Biden on this podcast, dropping F-bombs about a variety of people in the Democratic Party? Is that productive for you guys right now?
02:59And, again, I don't really have a react on that. So, I mean, I don't have to have an opinion on everything.
03:07Senator, next month is going to be the 90th anniversary of Social Security. I'm curious if you fear that the program will go broke come 2034.
03:17No, no, no. That's not true. That's not true. You know, the truth about Social Security is that it is secure. And you can extend it by decades by making very small, small, minor kinds of changes.
03:30That's a fact. Actuarily, that's a fact. And that's going to require a bipartisan, serious response to do that. We could get together, bang it out. We all know what's necessary to extend it well into probably the 2070s or later.
03:46So that's fair. So until we continue to weaponize it against one party or the other, you know, we could make it more secure. And that's what America deserves. So be serious about that. It's a very important program. It's going to require bipartisanship. And now I'd be happy to participate in that.
04:06Reaction to the death of Ozzy Osbourne?
04:08Oh, God damn. I mean, I mean, I'm a Black Sabbath guy, you know.
04:15War Pigs. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath.
04:18I'm sorry, what's that?
04:19War Pigs. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath.
04:21Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, the original. I mean, people don't realize how their first, you know, their first album changed everything for that. Now, all of the giants in the business now, Metallica and others, now they all owe a debt to that. Again, I'm a big Metallica fan. And of course, yeah, now he's rode the crazy train to the next world.
04:44So, I mean, absolutely, he was a treasure. And now I grew up on those kinds of music.
04:52Thank you. Thanks for your time, sir. Appreciate that.
