GOP pledge focuses on spending, taxes

TEXT OF INTERVIEW

BILL RADKE: There’s a little more than a month left before the mid-term elections. Today the Republicans plan to issue “A Pledge to America,” an agenda they say they’d put in place if they get control of the House of Representatives in November. Marketplace’s Alisa Roth joins us live from the New York bureau to talk about the “pledge.” Good morning, Alisa.

ALISA ROTH: Good morning.

RADKE: What’s in this pledge?

ROTH: Well, all kinds of things. Republicans say they’d make Bush-era tax cuts permanent. They’d repeal the new health-care law. They’d cap discretionary federal spending. They’d end government control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They’d cancel whatever’s left of the economic stimulus program. The list goes on. But at this point, it’s only that — it’s a list. There are no details about how they’d actually implement these policies. And of course, even if the Republicans did get control of the House and propose these policies, President Obama could always veto them.

RADKE: Right. So what is the point, Alisa?

ROTH: The Republicans say it’s a way to show that the party has real, concrete goals, that it’s ready to lead. They also say that in a lot of cases, they’ve already drafted legislation to address these goals. It’s also a way to counter the point being made by a lot of Democrats — including the President — that the Republicans just want to go back to the Bush administration’s policies.

RADKE: Marketplace’s Alisa Roth in New York, thank you.

ROTH: You’re welcome.