Wicker Discusses Judge Sotomayor, Health Care, Hate Crimes, and Blue Springs Toyota Plant

Senator Wicker’s remarks on SuperTalk Mississippi’s “Paul Gallo Show”

July 21, 2009

WASHINGTON – Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today spoke with Paul Gallo during his program on the SuperTalk Mississippi network.   To listen to the entire interview please click here.  Below are some of the key excerpts from the interview: 

Judge Sonia Sotomayor
On Judge Sonia Sotomayor:
•  “Clearly she has a wrong view of Second Amendment rights, of the right of individual Americans – either under federal law or state law – to keep and bear arms.”
•  “She has a record of someone who wants to make policy on the Supreme Court – instead of a record of someone like Justice Roberts who says, ‘We are going to call balls and strikes, we aren’t going to make the law, we are going to interpret the law and decide cases based on the Constitution.’  So all that taken into consideration will require a no vote from me.  I am sure she will be confirmed, they've got the votes, but she will be confirmed without my vote.”    
NOTE:  To read Senator Wicker’s press release opposing Judge Sotomayor click here.

Health Care
On the health care debate:
•  “As we begin to look at all of these programs and the trillions of dollars that are being proposed, Americans are starting to sit up and take notice and say, ‘How are we going to pay for all of this?’” 
•  “The more people look at this, the more likely we will go to a plan that can work, that doesn’t cost as much, and will actually attack some of the problems that we all agree need to be looked at.” 
NOTE:  To read Senator Wicker’s latest health care column click here; to watch his latest floor speech on health care click here

Hate Crimes
On the pending hate crimes legislation:
•  “I want to punish crime and punish crimes severely and swiftly, but we don’t need to delve into the motivations of the perpetrator of the crime, we need to punish the crime.”

Blue Springs Toyota Plant
•  “The truth of the matter is Toyota is being very prudent.  They are a very sound business and have great leadership.  They went ahead – even in an economic downturn – and decided to complete this Blue Springs plant near Tupelo. I don’t think they would have expended those millions and millions of dollars if they didn’t intend to open it.  And I think they will.  At some point the talk will be over and the economy will turn, and I think when that happens we will be making Toyotas in Mississippi.”