[alarm beeping] you're watching booktv on c-span2, for a complete television schedule visit booktv.org. you can also follow along behind scenes on social media at booktv on twitter instagram, and facebook. >> former congressman what are you doing these dismast >> president of the hearth land institute enjoying role there about -- one year anniversary of working with the heartland institute based out of chicago.

we're national think tank and promote free market solutions to social and economic. >> what's the history of the heartland institute ?jts started in mid-80s focused on illinois but throughout years we've expanded to where we have -- ongoing discussions with legislators in every "state of the union." actually, we're perhaps the most red publications come from the heartland institute read in every state's capitol. >> you also put out the patriots guide and patriots tool box what had is that book? >> that is a -- a continuation of the great ideas between market ideas for state legislators that they can use on ten different issue and formaller state legislator myself -- 14 years in the state senate, and always looking for materials and support and things to put together policy, and great thing at the heartland newt is you've been working 50 states and lose in 49 but you can say we won something, and actually patriots

was flashed on floor of the wisconsin state senate. my state senator running for governor says heartland institute has taken over state of wisconsin. not quite. [laughter] but the publication patriots and other things we are source materials research materials, and helpful items for legislators to make good free market decisions and premarket policies. >> so if somebody picks up patriot tool box what is one issue to find in there? >> they find out health care solutions. and particularly with the -- with what's happened with obamacare and failure of congress to repeal it and probably never will based on the kurnlgt scenario what we do see is multiple states where state legislator it is say hey we have a problem out here. how can we provide more access for folks in rule areas. that's -- promote dental therapy as an option. you know, how about health care for -- folks on medicaid how about health savings account so find

health care options you can piepgd health care reform options and grow your economy how can you balance your budget? find all of those kind of solutions in our -- patriot tool box. >> do you miss washington? >> no. [laughter] so what happened in 2016 in what happened in 2016 is they didn't know what was going on out there. and for -- at least three election cycles, congress ran for office and never delivered. and -- so finally i think that american people in 2016 said we've had enough with both establishments and both parties and said we're going to elect guy furthest from the politician and that was donald trump and people asked me what they opinion of the president of the united states is only political candidate that is overperformed. i didn't have the highest expectations but on issue after issue, particularly those worked on heartland institute whrr on environment or working on health care he's delivered on that. we've been promoting for years

and we're very excited with the results of -- of donald trump presidency. >> and what year did you leave congress? >> i left in 2016 as well. so as i was ushered out by establishment in election a few months later they brought in -- probably the biggest thorn in the side of the establishment they would ever seen was donald trump. >> you lost in your primary to establishment candidate. >> i did. which -- i did and it was a two million dollar -- superpackage signature against me. 500,000 of that came from the u.s. chamber of commerce trying to take out a kansas congressman. often tell folks at home if one man can't make a difference why were they so worried about one man but i played a role in john boehner retiring early, so train me up for john boehner retiring at probably a good trade and minds of most conservatives and libertarians. >> how did you feel at the time and how do you feel about it today? >> i was disappointed there's

big money plays a big role in politics because it is huge power in washington, d.c. always disappointed in that. but i was member of the house freedom caucus they thought establishment thought if they could take out the camp and others that somehow the the house freedom caucus and jim jour den and mark meadows would go away and that, obviously, didn't happen and they're big player in washington promoting i think what qerntive and libertarians are looking for out of our -- federal government. and they made great progress. >> now congress when was the patriot tool put out how many editions been out for quite a while. >> i think we're in third edition, and that's what so many people in washington forget and not yourself. but others they think that world is there. you know, but every day and most every day in state capitol wrestling with social problems. you know that's where heartland says hey this is where we make a

difference. so let's give some materials. let's give some support and give them a resource so they can open up and say hey i have a hearing today on education and hearing on health care and patriots toolbox is that resource that we put in hands of all 7400 state legislators across america an they do read that. we also produce three newspapers mailed almost every week through state legislators across america survey state legislators an they read that and learn free market options free market principle and solutions to our problems that's what our founders intended that's a great thing about our job. they argued how much you ready needed in federal government but most agreed most of the power should be retained by states and state legislators so particularly on health care, that's really the new area where for -- a deck kid or plus, all of the health care decisions were going to washington, and a partly because the democrats and the left like that. but then they were working with groups that, you know, lean

left. say hey it is not working in rural kansas and america and in the patriots toolbox we talk about that issue such as licensing and how government restrictions on access to health care because of restrictions on -- on health care providers. so that's one of the issues in there as well. ...

. >> and other policymakers and what they should be reading. >> thank you so much