BLITZER: If you had to name one Republican who makes Democrats downright nervous right now, it just might be Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts. He single-handedly deprived the president's party of its filibuster-proof super 60 seat majority in the U.S. Senate.

Now, what is he doing for an encore?

One thing he's doing, he's here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Senator, welcome.

BROWN: It's good to be here.

Thank you.

BLITZER: I hope you'll be a frequent visitor in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're not very far from Capitol Hill.

BROWN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And thanks for driving your pickup truck all the way from Congress here.

BROWN: That's how I get around. It's no secret.

BLITZER: Well, it's a nice little truck.

Let's talk about health care right now, priority number one.

What's wrong with giving 30 million plus more Americans access to health insurance?

BROWN: Well, part of the problem is after a year of doing this, it still raises taxes. It cuts Medicare a half a trillion dollars. It cuts TRICARE for military people. It's going to cost a trillion plus. And while it's certainly important to provide care for those people, I believe that individual states could do it better and that we can do it better. Because the CAR (ph) votes and all the special interest issues that we were talking about that we all shook our heads about, a lot of those are still in that bill.

BLITZER: But I -- but let me -- I guess I should rephrase the question.

What's wrong with spending money -- the cost, if it winds up costing money, if it winds up raising taxes on -- on multimillionaires or millionaires or people even earning more than $250,000 a year if it's going to give access to 30 million Americans so they don't have to worry about getting sick?

What's wrong with that?

BROWN: Well, there's nothing wrong with that. But more importantly, it does raise taxes and it does raise taxes for people who are earning less. It's going to affect businesses. It's also -- once, as I said before, I had felt, as we did in Massachusetts, we provide almost 98 percent of our people with insurance. And individual states would like to have that right to do the same thing and ask the federal government, how can you help us do that?

Can you incentivize us to -- to do it better?

Maybe they'll do it better than Massachusetts and get costs in -- costs under control. But this one size fits all plan really is hurting businesses and hurting individual citizens right now with all the carve outs is not appropriate.

BLITZER: Because you do have nearly universal health insurance in Massachusetts for everyone.

BROWN: Yes, we do. Yes.

BLITZER: Did you have to raise taxes in order to do that?

BROWN: No, we didn't raise taxes and we didn't cut services.

BLITZER: How did you do it?

BROWN: Well, we provided a -- a competitive plan with the so- called Cadillac plans all the way down to Commonwealth Care, which is a fully subsidized plan. We are having trouble right now with costs, because we involve mandates and a whole host of other things that we can do better than what we we're doing...

BLITZER: Will you have to raise taxes to pay for it?

BROWN: No. I believe we can actually do some internal reforms.

BLITZER: You like what -- what has happened in Massachusetts?

BROWN: Well, I voted for it because it's...

BLITZER: But you...

BROWN: -- completely different...

BLITZER: You don't want to change it?

BROWN: It's complete

BLITZER: You want...

BROWN: Listen, it's completely different than what they're trying to do here.

People say well, you voted for Romney-care, what about Obama- care?

Two different things. Our plan didn't raise taxes. The plan that's being pushed right now, the biggest thing that the people have a problem with is the back room deals, the lack of transparency and the fact that they're using political chicanery and parliamentary maneuvers to ram this bill through.

BLITZER: The separate reconciliation bill, it still wouldn't be good enough for you?

BROWN: It's not going to be good for a lot of people, not just me. To put it all on me I think is inappropriate. This bill is resonating throughout the country. Stevie Lynch from my state said he's voting no. I commend him for that. That bill hurts our state. The way they've done it, they can do better. They should do better.

BLITZER: How far are you willing to go? When I say you, I mean the Republicans in the Senate to try to block.

BROWN: I don't speak for all the Republicans. I speak for Scott Brown. I'm a Scott Brown Republican as we've talked about before. I'm going to look at each and every bill and be an independent voter. The way they -- I think the house or maybe some members in the house think it's going to come over and through this magical form of reconciliation, it's going to be fixed. It's not going to be fixed. They're going to go line by line and you're going to get a health care bill that's going to be challenged based potentially by the attorneys general in the state on its constitutionality.

BLITZER: Do you think that's a good idea?

BROWN: I don't have an opinion on that. I'll leave that to the legal people. I do feel we can do better and we should allow the states to participate more instead of this one size fits all approach that is not good for my state and potentially not good for the rest of the country.

BLITZER: I've been told by some of your colleagues, Republicans, that if the house passes it, including the separate reconciliation part, making the fixes, the changes, whatever you want to call it, they're going to introduce amendment after amendment after amendment in the Senate to try to delay it for as long as possible, to change it as much as possible.

BROWN: You know, once again, I said in the beginning it's been a year. We should be talking about jobs right now. We're not talking about jobs. We're doing this. Then we may be doing illegal immigration. We may be doing financial reform. The people in Massachusetts, when we have unemployment almost at 10% and unemployment is rising or at least stable or rising in the country, we need to talk about jobs and we haven't done that now. So I'm not interested in the political maneuvering and the parliamentary maneuvers right now. I'm interested in getting people back to work.

BLITZER: What has surprised you the most since you've come here to Washington?

BROWN: Actually being here with you.

BLITZER: Why is that a surprise?

BROWN: I'm at home. I've been home forever watching THE SITUATION ROOM. I always wanted to see how big it was. And certainly participate in the process. It's been a lot of fun. People -- I guess I'm surprised at the way people have been so receptive and respectful and that means a lot to me and my family.

BLITZER: I know you've met the vice president, Joe Biden, he swore you in as a United States senator. Have you had a --

BROWN: He almost won a razzi last night.

BLITZER: Have you had a chance to meet with the president yet, the first lady?

BROWN: Not yet. I certainly look forward to it.

BLITZER: On some of these issues, you're what they call a moderate Republican from Massachusetts. You're willing to work with them on some of these issues.

BROWN: I've already shown that. I'm a fiscal conservative. For example, in the first jobs bill I worked across party lines to get that passed. The president signed it today. For Massachusetts and for the rest of the country, that creates jobs. I spoke to chambers of commerce today and a lot of businesses from New England. There were very, very thankful for those opportunities, for those small tax breaks that will help stimulate their businesses and hopefully stimulate the economy. So, yes, I look at each and every bill in an independent manner and will continue to do so.

BLITZER: Where else do you think looking at a positive side, where do you want to cooperate with the white house? On jobs you want to cooperate. Where else?

BROWN: Jobs is the most important thing. Chuck Schumer and I have an amendment on the FAA bill. We're working on that now. I think it's a good bill unless something strange happens I'll be supporting that in a bipartisan manner. I think terrorism and taxes. Our deficit, really the three most important issues behind jobs. So I'm looking forward to just solving problems. Right now Wolf as you know, and you've reported it many times, the system is broken. People are angry. They want better. They want us to do better. I feel my being here helps them. It's evidenced by my first vote. It's evidenced by the fact I'm willing to work and listen and be respectful in doing so. I'm trying to get the process moving because people are hurting. They want jobs. They need jobs. And they deserve and want better from us.

BLITZER: The vice president gave you a shout out last night at the Radio TV Correspondents' Association dinner here in Washington. Let me play that little joke.

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT: You know, I do have to defend our administration a little bit here. Especially the recovery act which I've been put in charge of. Republicans keep saying it hasn't created a single job. Tell that to Senator Scott Brown.

BLITZER: He got a nice laugh out of that one. You were sitting at my table with your wife, Gayil. You were laughing.

BROWN: Of course. The vice president, I saw him for breakfast. I was at his mansion, the vice presidential residence. He told me I'm going to take a few cracks at you. Hope that's okay. I just remember. What goes around coming around. I have a sense of humor. I know he does. I've enjoyed meeting him. I look forward to spending more time with him.

BLITZER: What about all this talk that Scott Brown has higher political ambitions?

BROWN: Wolf, I just got my business cards last week. We just had our offices painted. I am up to my eyeballs in doing the people's business. I'm going to let the political pundits have fun and do that. Right now I'm going to focus on doing my job.

BLITZER: That's the correct answer.

BROWN: It's how I feel.

BLITZER: We hope you'll be driving your pickup truck here to THE SITUATION ROOM on a frequent basis. Good luck to you.

BROWN: Glad to be here. Thank you.

BLITZER: Scott Brown is the newest member of the United States Senate. Republican of Massachusetts. Hard to believe. Republican of Massachusetts.

BROWN: In the people's seat. Not the Ted Kennedy seat, the people's seat.

BLITZER: Thanks for coming.