Sen. Tim Kaine talks VA politics amid re-election campaign

SNACK TIME A GOLDEN TOUCH. >> WELCOME BACK TO FOX ON THE HILL. LIVE THIS SUNDAY MORNING. HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THERE ARE JUST 58 DAYS NOW UNTIL THE ELECTION OF VIRGINIA HAS BECOME A VERY IMPORTANT STATE TO WATCH FOR, BOTH FOR DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING, U.S. SENATOR TIM KAINE OF VIRGINIA. HE IS UP FOR REELECTION. HE'S BEEN IN PUBLIC OFFICE FOR DECADES. JOINS US THIS MORNING. SENATOR, WE LAST SPOKE IN CHICAGO, AND YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE. HAVING BEEN IN ONE OF THESE, YOU KNOW, BIG DEBATES AS THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE BACK IN 2016. WHAT'S THAT LIKE, AND HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY PREPARE FOR ONE OF THESE THINGS WHICH COULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, FIGURATIVELY PUT YOU IN, PUT YOU IN THE GALLERY THERE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS COMING AT YOU? >> WELL, IT'S THE PREPARATION IS INTENSE AND, YOU KNOW, MY ADVICE FOR KAMALA IS BASICALLY THIS KEEP A SMILE ON YOUR FACE. KAMALA DOES A GREAT JOB OF DELIVERING A MESSAGE, EVEN A TOUGH MESSAGE, BUT WITH A POSITIVE SPIRIT. SO THAT WOULD BE NUMBER ONE. SECOND, STAND YOUR GROUND. AND THIRD, DON'T BE AFRAID TO CORRECT DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO LIE AND TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT THE ECONOMY WAS AND HOW GREAT HE WAS. AS PRESIDENT. SHE SHOULD REMIND THE AUDIENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT HE KEPT SAYING HE WOULD DO INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEVER DID. BUT THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS. HE KEPT SAYING HE WOULD GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN AND NEVER DID. THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION DID. AND I THINK SHE NEEDS TO BE IN A MODE WHERE SHE CAN CORRECT SOME OF HIS OBVIOUS FLAWS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK SHE CAN COUNT ON THE MODERATORS OR OTHERS TO DO THAT FOR HER. >> SENATOR, WE HAD A CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT WHAT EACH CANDIDATE NEEDS TO DO IN THIS. OBVIOUSLY, EARLIER IN THE DEBATE THIS PAST SUMMER, PRESIDENT BIDEN REALLY LEANED INTO DONALD TRUMP BEING A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HOWEVER IS THAT WHAT THE VICE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO DO, OR DOES SHE NEED TO STICK MORE WITH ISSUES AND LAY OUT HOW, AS PRESIDENT, SHE WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VOICING? >> I WOULD SAY THE LATTER, BUT I THINK MAYBE IN I WOULD SLIGHTLY ADJUST THE ATTACKS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE. AND SHE CAN BRING THAT UP. THE ATTACK OF JANUARY SIXTH. SOME OF THE RECENT COMMENTS DONALD TRUMP HAS MADE, BUT I THINK POINTING THEM OUT AS INEFFECTIVE, WEAK, FAILED, YOU KNOW, NO INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. AN ECONOMY THAT WAS IN COLLAPSE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN FOR DEPLOYING VACCINES. I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE MORE EFFECTIVE ATTACK. IT'S MORE LIKELY TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN, AND IT HAS THE VIRTUE OF BEING TRUTHFUL. I THINK IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE WITH UNDECIDED VOTERS. AGAIN, USING INFRASTRUCTURE AS AN EXAMPLE. INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK. IT GOT TO BE A JOKE UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. WE ONLY REALIZED LATER HE WAS SPELLING IT W E A K RATHER THAN W E K. WE ARE BUILDING AT RECORD PACES IN THIS COUNTRY UNDER THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION, SO I'D POINT OUT THE AREAS WHERE HE HAS WAS INEFFECTIVE WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GOVERN. >> SENATOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN RACE. YOU WERE UP FOR REELECTION TO THE U.S. SENATE. THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AT ONE POINT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE GOING TO RUN FOR REELECTION. WHAT WAS YOUR CALCULUS IN THAT? AND HOW HAVE YOU BEEN APPROACHING THIS RACE AGAINST REPUBLICAN HUNG CAO? >> TOM, I'M SO GLAD I DECIDED TO RUN IN JANUARY OF 23. I DID GRAPPLE WITH IT BECAUSE I JUST CELEBRATED 30 YEARS IN ELECTED OFFICE, AND I SORT OF BELIEVE IN MARKING MILESTONES, AND I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS THE RIGHT PATH. BUT ONCE I MADE THAT DECISION, I HAVEN'T HAD 30S OF SECOND THOUGHTS. I'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD, CAMPAIGNING AROUND THE STATE AND DELIVERING EVERYWHERE I GO IN VIRGINIA, IT'S USUALLY AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, SUPPORT FOR A CRITICAL LOCAL INITIATIV, EXPANDED SOLAR IN VIRGINIA. I VISITED THE LARGEST SOLAR FARM EAST OF THE ROCKIES A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO IN SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY. BILLS LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND OUR INFLATION REDUCTION ACT ARE HELPING VIRGINIA ROCKET AHEAD ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. SO I SELL ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHEREVER I GO, AND I TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO. >> SENATOR, A LOT OF STUDENTS WENT BACK TO SCHOOL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEADING BACK TO THE HILL REAL SOON, AND THERE'S A TO DO LIST. THAT'S AN, YOU KNOW, ARMS LENGTH LONG. NUMBER ONE, THIS CONTINUING RESOLUTION, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT GIVEN THIS HEATED POLITICAL SEASON RIGHT NOW, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN? >> TOM, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION MANY TIMES. WE OFTEN GET UP TO SEPTEMBER 30, AND I'VE LONG BELIEVED WE SHOULD HAVE A FEDERAL CALENDAR. THAT'S A CALENDAR YEAR, NOT THE OCTOBER ONE, SEPTEMBER 30TH YEAR, BECAUSE YEARS LIKE NOW, PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON ELECTIONS AND THEY'RE NOT FOCUSED ON GETTING THE BUDGET DONE. WE WILL GET A CONTINUING RESOLUTION IN SEPTEMBER THAT WILL EXTEND THE BUDGET UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST. AND THEN I PREDICT WE WILL DO LIKE WE ALMOST ALWAYS DO, WHICH IS FINALIZE THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL BEFORE NEW YEAR'S. I HAVE TOLD MY FAMILY, DON'T MAKE A LOT OF PLANS AT CHRISTMAS TIME BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING IN A LAME DUCK SESSION WITH A NEW CONGRESS COMING IN, WE WILL SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY BETWEEN ELECTION DAY AND YEAR END. >> AND THAT'S WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS. THE CAN GETS KICKED TO THE END OF THE YEAR, EVEN IF IT GETS EXTENDED A WEEK OR TWO HERE ALONG THE WAY. BUT THEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR AND IT'S DEADLINE TIME AGAIN. HAVE YOU TALKED TO OTHER SENATORS, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE, ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT YOU HAVE OF MAKING THIS, YOU KNOW, AN ANNUAL THING RATHER THAN JUST SOME DEADLINE, LIKE KIDS TRYING TO GET A TERM PAPER IN BEFORE IT'S DUE? >> I HAVE TOM, I'VE GOT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT NOT YET ENOUGH TO PASS IT, BUT I'M PUSHING IT AND MY REASONING IS THIS IF WE MAKE THE BUDGET REALLY CONFORM TO WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, GETTING A BUDGET DONE, APPROPRIATIONS BILLS BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, THE REASON THAT BECOMES A POWERFUL TIME TO ACTUALLY GET STUFF DONE IS FIRST, EVERY OTHER YEAR YOU'RE CHANGING INTO A NEW CONGRESS. AND SECOND, THE LEADERS EYEBALL EVERYONE AND SAY, IF YOU WANT TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, WE'RE GETTING THIS APPROPRIATIONS BILL DONE BEFORE YOU GO HOME. THAT TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT FORCING MECHANISM. THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT OCTOBER 1ST THAT FORCES ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING. AND IN FACT, IN ELECTION YEARS, 100% OF THE HOUSE AND ONE THIRD OF THE SENATE ON OCTOBER 1ST, THEY'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL BUDGET. THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT ELECTIONS. >> YEAH. YOU KNOW, COLUMBUS DAY AND HALLOWEEN REALLY ISN'T A FORCE PENDULUM TO GET A LOT OF THIS DONE RIGHT. SENATOR, WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME REAL QUICK, THOUGH, ON TUESDAY. WHERE AND WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE WATCHING THIS DEBATE? >> WE'RE GOING TO BE IN SESSION THIS WEEK, SO I'LL BE WATCHING IT IN DC. I THINK I HAVE AN EVENT THAT FINISHES AT ABOUT 8:00, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO MY CONDO JUST IN TIME TO WATCH IT. IT'S GOING TO BE FASCINATING FOR SURE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. >> ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO