THE ED SHOW
January 17, 2014
Guests: Dan Kildee, Charles Rangel, Peter DeFazio, Mike Michaud, Marcy Kaptur, Mark Pocan, Jan Schakowsky, Keith Ellison
ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: Good evening Americans and welcome to the Ed Show
live from New York. Let`s get to work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Progressives? We need to pay attention to this because this is
the next big battle on the horizon.
You need to be on alert laborers.
This cuts to the guts in the heart and soul of our economy.
Something that no one has explained arguably will got American jobs.
Do I have your attention yet?
A trade deal being negotiated behind closed doors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are pursuing Transatlantic and Trans-Pacific trade
deals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the biggest and
baddest of the trade deals yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was against NAFTA. I was against CAFTA. And I`m
against the SHAFTA (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TPP and NET and (inaudible).
SCHULTZ: It will be NAFTA on steroids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These deals are not working for America.
SCHULTZ: The standard living in America will go down if this big trade
deal goes through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s why they`re so insidious.
SCHULTZ: This is not about union labor, this is about American labor.
American jobs across the board.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s about the secrecy. Why can`t they show this bill
to the public, to congress?
SCHULTZ: It`s finally starting to get the attention in congress that it
absolutely deserves.
We can get President Obama thinking correctly on this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight folks. Thanks for watching. We
did a poll on this program last night and asked folks, "Do you think your
next store neighbor knows about the TPP in fast track?" Over 90 percent of
the respondents to this program said, "No. I don`t think my neighbor knows
too much about that," which doesn`t surprise me.
Yes, we just illustrated that we have been talking about this for months on
end. Boehner, just the other day said that this election in 2014, the
midterm is going to be about jobs and healthcare. Hey, I`m all about it.
I`m ready for round two at healthcare and I`m all about seeing this country
create jobs and everybody get a better chance and that helped the long term
unemployed in this country.
If that`s what it`s about, then don`t you think we can get some job
creation numbers from Mr. Boehner? Have you seen your local news where
they`re saying that such and such a factory is decided to come to our town
and they`ve gotten tax incentives and tax abatements and what not to bring
in 200 new workers to our community? How come we can`t get those kinds of
numbers when they talked about the TPP? How is it that that we can only
can get those numbers on the local level, but no one`s giving us any
numbers about what it`s really going to do to the economy? Give me a hard
number. They can`t.
We start this program tonight with what I think is the most important story
in America. Might they say that the guy across the river doesn`t deserve
some attention, but in my world, when it comes to jobs, when it comes to
the middle class, when it comes to the working folk of America which is the
engine that drives our economy, may I ask America, do we know what the hell
we`re doing?
The battle in congress over the Trans-Pacific Partnership is starting to
reach a fever pitch. More and more attention is being apaid (ph) to it --
being paid to it at the House of Congress -- a bipartisan group of
lawmakers including House Speaker John Boehner. They want to fast track
this very dangerous free trade agreement that is going to cost American
jobs. No one can give me a number to counter that.
On Thursday, Speaker Boehner said that if President Obama is serious about
fast tracking this deal, that he should hit the road and talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-OH) HOUSE SPEAKER: If the president means what he
says about Trade Promotion Authority, I think it`s time for him to pull out
all the stops. Now after five years in office, we know how the president
can be when he`s serious about something. He hits the road, uses his bully
pulpit, and he takes his case to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Yes, he does. Mr. Boehner, you are absolutely correct on that.
But President Obama is not going to go on the road and talk about fast
track or the TPP because he don`t have any numbers to sell. All the
numbers are negative on this. Every trade deal that we`ve done has got
negative numbers when it comes to jobs.
Now, the president earlier this week, very importantly is very
collaborately (ph), went down to North Carolina and talked about advanced
manufacturing that`s only a sliver of us creating a better economy. You
thought Senator Orrin Hatch also complaining at the president is leading
from behind on this issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH, (R) UTAH: Because the administration does not get more
involved in this effort to fast trade negotiating authority, we`re not
going to be successful. It`s just that simple. But simply, this is not an
issue where the president can lead from behind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Well, you know, don`t sell the president short on this. He`s
been upfront all along. He`s doing this deal his own way. That troubles a
lot of people in the congress. Someone should inform Mr. Boehner and Orrin
Hatch the Senator that President Obama has been very vocal in supporting
the issue without the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We know that we
can do even more when it comes to exports which is why I`m out there
negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership and now a Transatlantic Trade
Partnership that will allow us to create a high standard, enforceable,
meaningful trade agreement with essentially two-thirds of the world
markets, which is going to be incredibly powerful for American companies
who, up until this point, have often been locked out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Respectfully, I completely disagree. Mr. Obama has done a lot of
great things for this country and I think he`s been a great president, but
he would be taking a detour if he signs onto this. Fast track trade
promotion authority is not the way to go. We need debate in the House of
Congress.
I think the Obama Administration has been dead wrong from the start on
this. And if John Boehner and the Republicans want something, chances are
-- think about that. If Boehner and the Republicans want something,
chances are, it`s probably great for the corporations and bad for workers.
Boehner has a lot of nerve to run around senate. He supports the trade
agreement when he goes around the country saying stuff like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOEHNER: Americans are still asking the question, "Where are the jobs?"
The American people continue to ask the question "Where are the jobs?"
Where are the jobs?
The American people are still asking the question "Where are the jobs?"
Where are the jobs?
Where are the jobs?
Where are the jobs?
The American people are asking the question, "Where are the jobs?" and I
ask them, "Where are the tax returns?"
I spend a little time around Ohio last week, and you know, people kept
asking the same question, "Where are the jobs?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Yeah, over in Ohio they were asking that question. Well, I tell
you where the jobs are Mr. Boehner. The jobs have been outsourced because
of free trade agreements like NAFTA, like the one you supported -- the free
trade agreement back in 1994. Now, the speaker wants to outsource more
jobs by supporting the TPP. Let`s take a look at what NAFTA has done to
Speaker Boehner`s home State of Ohio. Whoa, look at this. It`s been a job
a killer.
Talk about that Mr. Boehner. Tell us how many jobs Ohio is gotten because
of NAFTA. Over 34,000 jobs have been lost in the Buckeye State because of
the trade agreement that he supported back in 1994 and he`s still selling
squat to his constituents. This is a bad deal.
Meanwhile, here we go. The corporate chair leaders are upon us. The
Washington Post is out with an editorial supporting the TPP. How
surprising. Now, they argue that a job -- so this claim the job, and they
argue that jobs will be outsourced. Well, that`s an old argument. And
outsourcing would still go whether you got this trade agreement or not.
The article even claims that NAFTA allegedly kill jobs.
I say, let`s look at the history. Let`s take a different country. In
2012, the United States had a 15.6 billion, B-B-B billion dollar trade
deposits with Vietnam? History tells us it`s only going to get worst. No
free trade agreement has ever created jobs in this country. No free trade
agreement has ever reduced our trade deficit, which of course the
Washington Post almost ignores.
The post is -- I guess you could say right now, the corporate chair leader
and all of this. Hurray for them.
At Thursday senate hearing, fast track was on the table of course and CWA
President Larry Cohen brought this important fact to light.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY COHEN, PRESIDENT, CWA: We must document that any new trade deal will
not add to the nearly $1 trillion annual trade deficit. When do we start
to measure the results of 20 years of this trade deals in fast track
authority? No other nation has trade deficits like this. And while we
respect this body and deliberating over budget deficits, every economist --
economics 101 knows, there`s a direct relationship of trade deficits and
budget deficits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: No other nation has trade deficits like this, which correlates to
poor job (inaudible). And if Republicans are so concerned with cutting the
deficit, they should be against the TPP. It`s not just NAFTA, Cohen also
brought up our most recent trade deal with Korea. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Even the Korea trade agreement that was supposed to bring new jobs.
In fact we`ve lost 40,000 more jobs since its passage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: So, the last lousy deal, they sold the American people. I
wouldn`t go either. I would like someone who is in favor of this trade
deal to step out and hold a press conference. Go on some of this big TV
shows that are on the weekend and tell us just what these numbers are for
American workers. They can`t do it.
Thankfully, there are number of lawmakers who side with Mr. Cohen and the
view of this host of the ED show.
Earlier this week, I sat down with seven lawmakers who know that the TPP is
devastating and who know that it is terrible for American jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROSA DELAURO, (D) CONNECTICUT: It`s about wages. People cannot
survive with the wages that they have lost over the years and in this
recession.
REP. KEITH ELLISON, (D) MINNESOTA: But also the rights of the job also
collect the bargaining. It`s a big thing. It`s not just one little piece.
It`s a collection of things that American working people have lost.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: We are going to bring you this entire interview later on in the
show. Stay with us.
Now, the battle lines have been drawn on the TPP. People choosing up
sides. This isn`t a matter about whether you`re left or right or blue,
green, center -- this is all about numbers. This is all about
manufacturing. This is all about what we do as a country, and history
speaks for itself. There is no positive ledger to couth (ph) when you talk
about a free trade agreement for the American economy.
Republicans and Democrats split on the issue. There are strange dead
fellows on this deal. No question about it. But if you care about jobs
and if you care about the middle class, and if you care about the future of
this country, you will oppose this deal and its structure and fast track is
not the way to get there with no debate on the floor. We`ve had this big
discussion about long term unemployment. This thing goes through.
We`ve had a hole in the boat, it was called NAFTA. And we`ve got the bilge
pump on -- if you know what I mean. And this will sink the boat. This
will sink the middle class. That`s what this will do.
And the other thing about -- that I want to talk about -- move it up a
little bit please. Is that corporations are not hurting. We`re looking at
long term unemployment and we`re looking at job creation numbers that
aren`t good -- that aren`t going to be good because they won`t be having a
chance. We will be competing our workers against people overseas, overseas
who make a fraction of what American workers make. No one can come up and
make the case that that`s going to be better for America. There has to be
a level of protectionism here.
Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think tonight`s question.
Does it concern you Speaker Boehner and President Obama are on the same
page with the TPP? Think about that. Mr. Boehner and Mr. Obama are on the
same page. We`re supposed to be loving that, right? Text A for Yes, text
B for No to 67622. You can always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. We`ll
bring you the results later on in the show.
For more, let me bring in Congressman Dan Kildee of Michigan. Congressman,
good to have you with us tonight.
REP. DAN KILDEE, (D) MICHIGAN: Thank you Ed.
SCHULTZ: I want to point out that your State of Michigan -- NAFTA costs
your home State of Michigan over 43,000 jobs. Why would the TPP be any
different?
KILDEE: Well, it won`t be. I mean, we have seen this and I was
disappointed in the Washington Post editorial saying that NAFTA allegedly
costs us jobs. Come to my home town at Flint, Michigan. When NAFTA was
passed, we had 50,000 auto workers in Flint. Today, we`ve got about 6,000
or 7,000. It didn`t work out. We`ve heard these promises that this free
trade agreements will open up other markets for our products. In exchange,
we open our markets then what has been the result. The result is we ended
up competing with countries that have labor standards that are nowhere and
near ours.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: . environmental standards that are nothing like ours. And the
problem with TPP is that we`re being asked to sort of buy a pig in a poke
trust us. The problem with it is, even if the agreement has this so called
high standards platform, where labor and environmental obligations are
higher, unless we have an enforcement mechanism.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: . that allow us to make sure we punish those who violate, we`re
going to be in the same boat that we`re in right now when we see the.
SCHULTZ: And Congressman, I think the American people understand numbers.
I think the American people understand charts. My old friend Kent Conrad.
KILDEE: Right.
SCHULTZ: . from North Dakota was a Chairman of the Senate Budget
Committee. He was famous for bringing charts to the floor and showing
everybody what these numbers are actually going to do. How come the
proponents of the TPP and these free trade agreements haven`t brought any
charts to the floor to show the American people the real numbers about what
it`s going to do?
How is it that we can point to your State of Michigan and say this is what
the auto mobile loan did for our industry -- the auto mobile industry, yet
we can`t get that with any of the trade agreements? Where are the numbers?
KILDEE: Well it`s frustrating. And not only to be not have numbers, we
really don`t even have a lot of the detail about what is in the proposed
agreement, when we can look at pieces of it. But, we`re being asked to do
is not just not see the charts, but not see the actual agreement grant to
this administration. And I support the president. Don`t get me wrong. On
this question, we par company.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: But granting to the administration the ability to negotiate an
agreement and then have to come back and say yes or no to something, which
I think the Congress unfortunately, would pass -- there are unfortunately
too many Democrats that will go along with this. We just -- in my hometown
in Flint, in Saginaw, and Bay City, it`s just far too much for us to risk.
We`ve been through this before and we`ve seen our manufacturing base eroded
to the point where we really need to rebuild it. This would be just too
much for us to take.
SCHULTZ: Well.
KILDEE: I mean, just could really spell trouble.
SCHULTZ: We`re going to really be dealing with long term unemployment if
this goes through and takes the full effect because the other countries --
if we do this, there`s going to be, you know, 11 other countries who are
going to go after American manufacturing who are going to depress wages
even further.
KILDEE: Right.
SCHULTZ: . outsource jobs. We`re going to have a harder time getting
people back into the economy. We`re going to lose our competitive edge.
This country will lose.
KILDEE: Right. So we have to ask ourselves.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: . we have to ask ourselves, "Why would Vietnam be interested in
the free trade agreement with the United States?" Is it because they want
to be able to buy more American products? No. It`s because they want to
be able to sell the products that they`re manufacturing there without
constraint into our now open markets.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: Japan. Why would Japan be interested in a free trade agreement
with United States? It`s because they want to be able to sell even more of
their Japanese made autos. Only 4 percent of autos purchased in Japan by
Japanese customers come from outside Japan.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
KILDEE: You think they`re going to let that change? I don`t think so.
SCHULTZ: Congressman Dan Kildee of Michigan, good to have you with us
tonight. I appreciate you standing up on this. Thank you so much.
Remember to answer tonight`s question there at the bottom of the screen.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter and on Facebook. Like us on
Facebook. Appreciate that so much. We certainly want to know what you
think about this story.
Coming up, President Obama lays out NSA Reforms. We`ll look at what these
new rules mean for privacy and securities. Still ahead, I sat down with
House Democrats to get their take on the TPP and how they are going to try
to stop fast track in its tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DELAURO: It`s going to classify document. We don`t have any input into
it. And now, they`ve come back and said they want us to rubber stamp it
and go forward. That`s not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. After months of controversy
surrounding the United States Surveillance Policies, President Obama is
looking to change the way we collect information. The bulk collection of
telephone numbers under Section 215 of the Patriot Act has generated a lot
of controversies since the scope of the program was exposed by Snowden
leaks.
Today, the president responded ordering a transition to end the Metadata
Program in its current form. Effective immediately, analysts will have to
get approval through the FISA Court before accessing records unless it`s a
true emergency.
The United States government will only pursue phone calls that are two
steps removed from a number associated with a terrorist, reducing the
number of phone hops (ph). President Obama wants to find an alternative.
The government store -- and when it comes to the government storing
information. And the president asked Attorney General Eric Holder and
members of the Intelligence Community along with members of Congress to
develop options for a newer approach by March 28th.
And of course, on March 28th, the collection program comes under
reauthorization by the Congress. President Obama made it clear. These
reforms will require action from Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The reforms I`m proposing today should give the American people
greater confidence that their rights are being protected, even as our
intelligence and law enforcement agencies maintain the tools they need to
keep us safe. And I recognize that there are additional issues that
require further debate on all these issues. I`m open to working with
Congress to ensure that we build a broad consensus for how to move forward.
And I`m confident that we can shape an approach that meets our security
needs while upholding the civil liberties of every American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: For more on this issue, let`s bring in New York Congressman
Charles Rangel. Congressman good to have you with us.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D) NEW YORK: Let`s get to work Ed.
SCHULTZ: Let`s get to work. You know, this whole hurdle, I believe, is
our law is keeping up with technology, and I think the president really
explained that today. It`s really a predicament nobody wants, but how do
we do it?
RANGEL: Educate the people as in a serious nature of really how important
it is for us to really be able to get intelligence. You know, I saw 911.
I was the -- I saw the hole in the wall. I`ve been in combat and I`ve seen
what happened, you know, the Chinese surrounded the 8th army in 1950. We
didn`t have any idea whether it was General MacArthur or President Truman
what happened. So, I`d like to yield to those people that can provide the
information that causes Americans to live.
But between you and me Ed, when I saw the (inaudible) information, I was so
embarrassed as an American that people would think our country was the
type, you know, when we went overseas they would tells us Soviet had bugs
in everything (ph), don`t even talk to each other, they`re picking up sign
language. And what does it turn out to be our country is doing the same
thing that we used to say other countries (inaudible).
SCHULTZ: So, how do we find this balance? I keep hearing the word
oversight.
RANGEL: It`s not oversight, it`s a difficult decision has to be made. And
we have to have these hearings, and they could be closed hearings. But
every member of the Congress that listens to this is going to have to make
a judgment. And that is for the safety and security of our nation and also
that we don`t have that sense of losing -- the freedom of being American
that everything you say and do is being recorded.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, was there a breakdown on the function of the FISA
Court? As I understand it, there`s a 24/7 judge in the FISA Court. These
agents teams intelligent work is done and they have to comeback after they
do the work and make sure that it is recorded with the FISA Court. What`s
the breakdown here? How do we do this?
RANGEL: I don`t know because when you have a FISA Court, what`s basically
doing is putting the judgment, the ability to make the decision in a court
of people that have human failings. And so, in some areas, especially in
the emergencies areas, you have to be -- have the most confident group of
people there that we can trust. And there`s going to be short folds (ph)
in that Ed, and has to be. But, it`s scary to be able to say, if you live
in a community for the prime (ph) you went all that locks and all of the
security in the world, but you don`t want to jailed yourself in, and so,
you`re an inmate.
SCHULTZ: The President -- and I thought today made the case that -- were
our laws are cached (ph) to keep up with the digital age, that things are
hurling so forward, so fast technologically. We`re going to -- it`s not
going to be perfect. There are going to be mistakes that are made and
going to be made. I`ll defer the president on this, I mean.
RANGEL: Well, (inaudible) is going to have to defer it to the Congress.
The President can`t mandate these things to be done and we`re supposed to.
SCHULTZ: But he has known these things have been taking place.
RANGEL: Well, listen. We have staff. We have experts. And these issues
have to be brought to the Congress what we don`t know we have to learn.
But the president just can`t make decisions that we don`t understand the
impact this going to have on the American people.
SCHULTZ: Do you think we can keep this country safe with the laws that we
have in the process that we have?
RANGEL: I have no idea because when I see the mistakes that have already
been made, when people like Snowden can actually have access to the type of
information that he did.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
RANGEL: .when we see the rollout of the heads of states that we have been
eavesdropping (ph) on, it`s embarrassing that there`s something wrong with
the system. And in a sense, I`m glad it happened because it`s going to
mean that more Americans are going to be concerned about this. Here
therefore (ph), if it`s not my backyard, it`s someone else`s problem. But
right now, it`s an international problem.
SCHULTZ: All right. Congressman Charles Rangel, great to have you with us
tonight.
RANGEL: Good to be back here Ed.
SCHULTZ: Yeah sure. You bet. Yes sir.
Coming up. I have an exclusive interview with the panel of House Democrats
who strongly opposed to the TPP and Fast Track Trade Authority agreement.
Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARC POCAN, (D) WISCONSIN: Just the fact that fast track is even
before it shows the problem. The fact that they want to speed this through
before people know what`s inside of it, tells us exactly, I mean to me,
it`s (inaudible) to a device then you know there`s something bad in there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Ask Ed, I love it. Love the
questions.
Our first question tonight in our Ask Ed Live segment is from Henrietta
Smith. She wants to know do you think Christie will skate through the
scandal?
Is he capable of skating? He probably is. I do. I think he`s going to
get through it. Something tells me that he will whistle out of it and I
think that he will get out of it legally. Meaning, untouched.
Our next question is from Holmey, the executive producer of the show.
Holmey, this is kind of like the NSA. You`re going to infiltrate the deal,
aren`t you? All right. By the way, his question is Pats or Broncos,
Niners or Seahawks?
Home teams win this weekend folks. I don`t like the 49ers. Sorry San
Francisco. And the Broncos, you know, they played awfully well this year.
I just kind of like Denver. And the Seahawks, I pick the Seahawks to win
the whole thing. How about that?
Stick around. My exclusive interview with the House Democrats of the TPP
is next.
SEEMA MODY, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Seema Mody with your CNBC Market Wrap.
Stocks ending mixed on worries about the outlook for corporate profits.
The DOW gains 41, the S&P falls seven, and the NASDAQ up 21.
Earnings from G.E. managed to meet expectations but investors were left
unimpressed with the industrial profit margins. Shares fell more than 2
percent. As for the economy, consumer sentiments slipped earlier this
month an income worries, amid, however, advertised job openings had 4
million in November, the most in more than five years.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed show, Fast Track of the Trans-Pacific
partnership means there will be no debate and no opportunity for amendments
by congressional members. This is a real bad deal for America. Congress
doesn`t even know what`s really in this massive international trade deal
because all the negotiations have been done in private in secret.
On Wednesday, 12 Senators wrote a letter too Majority Leader Harry Reid
opposing Fast Track authority. Earlier this week, I had an exclusive sit
down when the panel of House Democrats to discuss Fast Track.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROSA DELAURO, D-CONN.: This is about a trade and we`re for trade,
we`re for fair trade and this is trade promotion authority. What is to do?
What is Fast Track? It is about saying to the administration that you can
negotiate a treaty which has all to do with what happens with American
jobs, middle class jobs whether they stay here, whether they go offshore.
And you negotiate that treaty and then what -- what do you want from the
Congress?
You want the Congress to ratify what you have done and without the
opportunity to be engaged at any point along the continuum either if the
outset, the middle, or the end of the process and say, "Yes. We`re going
to support this and we have no ability to amend the treaty." Our
Constitutional authority says that we are engaged and supposed to be
engaged in treaties, and in trade agreement.
SCHULTZ: And you`re not?
DELAURO: And we are not and we haven`t been and what we have done I
believe for the first time or long time back in 1998, I`ll just make this
point. It`s important to know that a 171 Democrat plus 71 Republicans
said, "No to Fast Track." And we are now galvanized once again if that
Fast Track trade promotion authority is not changed that is inclusive of
congressional input and the committees that we serve on which have to do
these treaties if we are not included then we will oppose our fast track.
REP. PETER DEFAZIO (D) OREGON: Ed this is a classified document, if a
member of Congress wants to say it they can look at it, they can`t have
staff, they can`t take notes, and then they can`t talk about it. This is
been classified. It`s being shared in real time with 600 corporations as
it`s being written but not with the elective representative of the American
people and then with Fast Track, what they do is they spring it out. We`ve
got 60 days to vote on it, upper, down, no amendments.
This is the way to railroad through disastrous trade agreement. That`s the
way they did NAFTA, WTO and now they want to replicated on this TPP which
will be disastrous trade agreement American people.
SCHULTZ: Mike the absence of debate, isn`t that one of the most
frustrating things, the lack of input? What`s if you get elected?
REP. MIKE MICHAUD (D) MAINE: Yeah, the lack of transparency is really a
frustrating for a lot of members of Congress. When you talk about a Fast
Track -- the American people they do get it. We just going to make sure
that the elected official get it as well. The middle class is being
offshored.
SCHULTZ: What`s absent in this Fast Track in this TPP is the explanation
of the upside.
(CROSSTALK)
DEFAZIO: That this will be fabulously profitable for the pharmaceutical
companies. Wall Street is going to get real opportunities here in fact
they maybe -- they maybe able through this to undo the financial services
reforms have already adopted and they may be able to prevent us from having
a transaction acts something that Keith and I have been pushing forward for
years. They may actually preempt that by this trade agreement. We don`t
exactly know because it`s secret but we have a good idea that those
provisions are in there and being negotiated now.
DELAURO: This is not an agreement and as we`ve seen to the past we`re just
regarding Paris, it is far reaching.
DEFAZIO: Yes
DELAURO: Congressman Defazio said another have said we`re looking at the
weakening of financial regulations we are looking at the weakening of our
of -- a food safety supply. Critical issue as it has to do with Vietnam
and Malaysia. We`re looking at -- weakening of environmental laws and we
are going to potentially cut off access to people in other countries to
affordable drugs. This has a far reaching affect which has been said it`s
going to classify document, we don`t have any input into it, and now
they`ve come back and they`ve said they want us to rubber stamp it and go
forward. That`s not going to happen.
SCHULTZ: Marcy as you see it this would concentrate the wealth even
further, but more so on on a global -- from a global perspective, we will
see that.
REP. MARCY KAPTUR (D) OHIO: This Fast Track agreements reward the
investment community at the extents of those who work for a living. And if
you go back to the mid 1970s, the old trade model that the every President
it seems regardless of party just keeps rubber-stamping, rubber-stamping,
rubber-stamping, and what happened is that we`d accumulated in that period
time over $9 trillion of trade deficit. That means more imports coming in
here which every American can verify than exports going out.
We have lost millions and millions of jobs, in the manufacturing sector, a
third of jobs gone between 1975 and 2010. And now, the sector that was
supposed to save us, right? The high-tech sector, they`re in the red. And
so, there is no salvation here and the American people know it. People say
to me, "Marcy, our country doesn`t belong to us anymore."
And so, it goes beyond just their job or their community. They`re deeply
worried about this country and where this economy is headed. And we need a
new trade model. We need a trade model that represents our values, a
belief in equality, and justice, and rule of law, labor standards,
environmental standards, not reducing ourselves to the lowest standard in
the world.
SCHULTZ: So this is beyond the scope of the President`s ability to stop is
what I`m hearing. That this is so big.
REP. KEITH ELLISON, D-MINN.: I don`t believe that. I believe that if we
mobilize the American people all over this country, educate people on the
damage that Fast Track and these only trade deals that they`ve been doing.
We can mount a pushback to overcome these kinds of things. And I believe
this is happening now. I mean, Rosa let us to get 151 Democrats on a
letter raising real questions about Fast Track. I think we`re in a middle
of a movement that could be successful, Ed.
REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, (D) ILLINOIS: 27 Republicans .
DELAURO: . Republicans joined us. In addition to that we`re now up to
almost about 190 Democrats and Republicans in the House who have said no to
this Fast Track approach as it currently exists. We will not be for it.
SCHULTZ: If you stop Fast Track, if that happens, what`s the biggest issue
with the TPP? Is it some level of protectionism? Mark?
REP. MARK POCAN, D-WIS.: I think there`s a lot of issues from labor to
procurement, to food safety, environmental issues. I mean there`s a whole
scope of them. There`s over 20 chapters of things that you can look at
that are bad for the U.S. economy.
What I think is just the fact that Fast Track is even before it shows the
problem. The fact that they want to speed this through before people know
what`s inside of it tells us exactly. I mean to me it`s countering to the
prize then you know there`s something bad in there. And yet, here we are
finally having a conversation about what we think is in there. But if we
actually support Fast Track, we`ll never really know until it`s up or down
the road.
So we need to have conversations just like this in our districts, so that
people know what impact it has and, you know, I share a county with Paul
Ryan. And to me, what`s amazing is Paul Ryan knows GM is left of that
county, all the auto suppliers that fed into GM. Parker Pen, we`ve lost
thousands of jobs in that community. The only job increased I`ve seen are
check-cash businesses. Places like that have gone in and yet you`ve got
people like Paul Ryan who don`t know is representing anymore. It`s not the
people. It`s those corporate CEOs that want to make some profits overseas.
We need to have this conversation in every district.
SCHULTZ: This is only the tip of the iceberg in dealing with income
inequality, long-term unemployment, lack of investment, and concentration
of wealth. That`s what all of this sets -- all of this sets the table for
those things.
SCHAKOWSKY: And that`s the frame and through which we should judge all
pieces of legislation under that criteria, Fast Track and TPP fail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Coming up, more from my exclusive sit down interview with House
Democrats, and the TPP is threat to American jobs. Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DELAURO: You want to do something about this economy growing and wage
inequality? Then, you have to stop sending our jobs overseas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAPTUR: This is a fight about jobs in America.
MICHAUD: The middle class is being offshored.
ELLISON: What is going to be there for the American people?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: House Democrats are speaking out about what the TPP means for the
future of made in the USA.
More in my exclusive interview. Stay tune. You`re watching the Ed Show at
MSNBC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. The numbers are staggering. We
have lost 60,000 factories, a jobs factories in this country since NAFTA.
International trade policies have hurt our domestic manufacturing sector
instead of helping it for far too long. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is
one of the two significant trade agreements the United States is currently
negotiating. It will likely mirror the devastation NAFTA in the effect on
American manufacturing and invasion.
Our exclusive panel of House Democrats discussed this threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHAKOWSKY: Literally, millions of jobs have been lost, have been sent
offshore that the autonomy of the United States to set its own policies is
actually at stake here because any corporation under this new agreement
would be able to say "If my future profits are impacted, I can challenge
any law in any one of those countries and bring it before an international
body, not the U.S. court system." I think the American people would say,
"Absolutely not." We want to be able to protect ourselves from outsourcing
of jobs even service jobs that are going overseas. And .
SCHULTZ: So the sovereignty issue is really something that .
SCHAKOWSKY: It`s a big deal. But, you know, we`re also going to be
competing with a country like Vietnam where the minimum wage, $0.28 cents
an hour. And we know what happens then.
SCHULTZ: Congressman -- go ahead.
ELLISON: Presidency in the labor stand in there are absolutely abysmal.
They have forced child labor there. So you want an American worker to
compete against somebody who`s literally enslaved. And, you know, the
thing about this trade agreements is that we`re in this national dialogue
about inequality. We`ve been talking about it. It`s on the front page.
People are talking about it. You can`t talk about trying to do something
about income inequality and come and promote one of these Trans-Pacific
Partnership deal.
These two things are completely opposite and one negates the other.
DELAURO: I`d like to just -- well, just to a point because I can test the
cracks of that here and all colleagues need to speak for this is that what
is at the center of income inequality? It`s wage stagnation. Wages have
not, and Americans have not seen their wages increased. The upper 1
percent has.
So -- and 203 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistic says, "The industrial
workers who get rehired are rehired in about 20 percent reduction in their
wages." You want to do something about this economy growing and wage
inequality? Then, you have to stop sending our jobs overseas.
KAPTUR: And this is a fight about jobs in America and a pro-American trade
policy that will create jobs here. There are tremendous forces on any
President by very large investors and multinational corporations to move
jobs to very low wage environments where there are no environmental
standards.
SCHULTZ: They call them emerging markets.
KAPTUR: Yes. Emerging .
SCHULTZ: That they come out with this neat little clich‚s, their two-word
culture, and an emerging market is where you can find somebody to work for
nothing.
KAPTUR: That`s right, and we`ve heard regarding Vietnam. I`ve seen
children spraying lacquer and sanding ball. And I don`t think they make
$0.28 an hour. It was a polling to me.
And so, we as a group, our fighting for labor standards and environmental
standards in these agreements. So that in fact, our country which wants a
middle class, and wants a higher standard of living can create those jobs
here, and not have them of offshored sort of behind close curtains.
It`s rather unfortunate to say that we were a country founded in slavery,
but from our very founding, the issue of the fight for descent treatment of
workers has going to part of our heritage, and this is a way of undermining
the laws that we`ve setup over the years to respect the dignity work .
SCHAKOWSKY: Do you know that .
KAPTUR: And respect the dignity of the book.
SCHAKOWSKY: You know that even by America would be in danger.
SCHULTZ: It has been.
SCHAKOWSKY: That would be challenge.
KAPTUR: Challenge.
SCHULTZ: So there`s no claws in this agreement to your knowledge that has
anything that would affect American products to deposit?
SCHAKOWSKY: But they will protect -- they will protect our ability .
SCHULTZ: They will pretend?
SCHAKOWSKY: Yes. To prioritize by America.
KAPTUR: We don`t know what`s in, do we?
POCAN: Yeah. Back in August, I look at the procurement section while
they`re negotiating and, you know, we get no notes, no staff, what you can
see and it`s very clear that language is going to be very similar what
we`ve had in the past, and I have a lot of (inaudible) back in Wisconsin
legislature to, you know, have as at by American company -- a company, not
a country. A company could challenge that and we could lose that
provision, same thing to by local.
So, you know, in Wisconsin, when I first got inch in this, I opened a
smallest union specialty printing business in 1988. We have Parker Pen
down in Janesville, Wisconsin, had about thousand jobs at the time. When
they close down and sent the manufacturing to Mexico back in 2009 where
they announced it are there a 150 jobs.
So in that community that Paul Ryan and I share that county, and we lost a
thousand jobs in just over 20 years. So whether it`s by American
provisions that are going to take away other jobs, the manufacturing laws,
you can`t compete and we seen it just with products like that. It`s hard
to find American made pen anymore in America.
MICHAUD: The middle class is being offshore, and we going to prevent that
from happening. We heard about Vietnam. The big concern, we have three
facilities in Maine, new balance facilities. And the fact that Vietnam
imports and China is number one, Vietnam is number two as far as importing
snickers from those two countries that manipulate the currency they had tow
labor, no environmental laws. I could jeopardize the three facilities we
have in Maine. I know there are others outside the country.
What`s really frustrating is this the administration, the President made
very clear and to save union address who wants by American. We currently
have a law on the books, the very amendment which requires a military be
close from head to toe with American made clothing.
New Balance and Wolverine, these two companies, a 100 percent of materials
that there are made in those snickers made in America, however, we have not
been able to get the administration to move forward with the very amendment
and now we`re dealing with TPP real footstep.
SCHAKOWSKY: I want to say this is not just about American workers. Of
course that`s our first priority. But this trade pack would also harm
workers across the globe, it would make the cost of drugs, doctors without
border say, it`s the worst pack ever when it comes to making drugs
affordable around the work that can`t developing countries.
So we have concerns about workers everywhere, about the economies
everywhere, and we are for fair trade agreements, but we haven`t seen one.
We`ve only seen agreements that actually have hurt workers in United States
and workers where we`ve had trade packs before.
DEFAZIO: So there`s this incredible propaganda machine of, you know, that
runs down at the trade representative`s office and at the Department of
Commerce and someone said earlier, it doesn`t matter who`s President, they
have their own agenda and we have never had a President stand up to him,
pushback and say no. It`s about jobs in America. Let`s stop the BS here,
and let`s talk about the real balance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: And an update on the guests on this program. Again today, we
have senator from Kentucky Rand Paul to be a part of this and talk about
the TPP in American jobs. He refused tonight to be on the program. We
asked him about next week and got no response, the same with Michelle
Bachmann from Minnesota who claims to be a big advocate for American jobs.
I ask any Republican in the congress, bring your numbers to this program
and let`s talk about the TPP.
That`s the Ed Show, I`m Ed Schultz. Politics Nation with Reverend Al
Sharpton starts right now.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END
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The Ed Show for Friday, January 17th, 2014
Read the transcript to the Friday show