MSNBC "The Ed Show"- Transcript: Trade Adjustment Assistance

Interview

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With these all unfolding at this hour, let`s get some reaction from
Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, also with us tonight Congressman Raul
Grijalva of Arizona, gentlemen great to have with us tonight.

Congressman Grijalva is the progressive caucus fighting back against the
President on this. From what you`re hearing right now, the House rules
committee is going to set it up where they can get a Fast-Track vote and it
seems like they`re throwing a bone to the firefighters on a pension bill.
What do you make of it?

REP. RAUL RIJALVA, (D) ARIZONA: You know, this is been the whole problem.
The problem with this been no real process, no regular order on this issue
and there`s been one attempt of manipulation after another and not dealing
with the real issue. The real issue they`re going to ask for a vote on
Fast-Track. And the opposition in a progressive caucus remains the same.
We`re opposed to Fast-Track. For all the reasons that have been listed
that you`ve listed over and over again, human rights, no protection for
works, no real protection for the environment and with the list goes on and
on.

The manipulation comes with the Trade assistance that you mentioned for
displace workers in which the President has to hold firm and Democrats have
to hold firm. They`re tied to each other. If you want to beat the Fast-
Track, you have to understand that the vote tomorrow important and also
important would be a trade adjustment hold.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Pocan, this is a new position by the President. I
mean, he`s basically telling Boehner and the Republicans "Hey, I know
you`ve obstructed me for the last six years, but my guys are just going to
have to trust me that I`m going to come back later on get trade adjustment
assistance". Is it this unbelievable leap of faith?

REP. MARK POCAN, (D) WISCONSIN: Well, there`s no way the President can
sign this without Trade Adjustment Assistance. You can`t take away
American jobs and hurt our wages and not provide the assistance for the
workers toward negatively.

SCHULTZ: But he`s saying now -- but the President is now apparently
putting in a position well, we`ll come back and get TAA later. You believe
that?

POCAN: Yeah, I think before he can sign TPA he has to have TAA. I know
right now some of the Democrats that supported him last week are at the
White House even before the picnic. They`re going to start eating burgers
and beers. But we have people who`re telling him they need a public
statement from him that they won`t go through unless both go through. And
we`re going to see if they stand to it. The only think he talk to us last
week about when he was here, is how important TAA was. There`s no way he
can credibly sign -- the Fast-Track authority without having the trade
assistant.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Grijalva, you`re reaction to that.

GRIJALVA: I totally agree. That the President is in the spot and I think
the center point, do we trust Boehner? Do we trust Ryan? Do we trust the
Senate leadership? No, this has to be upfront and has to be clear. And
that`s why Democrats have not only oppose Fast-Track, but oppose the
manipulation have been callous way using Medicare, using dialysis,
repayments as a source to -- the trade adjustment. That`s why we`ve been
opposed, it`s been manipulation, it`s been a shadow game and the President
shouldn`t part of it.

SCHULTZ: So Congressman Grijalva where are the Democrats going to be on
this standalone trade promotional authority vote then. If there`s nothing
else there would this change the outcome of the vote that took place last
Friday.

GRIJALVA: I hope it does in this -- Mr. Pocan said the other people are
now considering they`re doing a standalone bill, no trade adjustment which
is one of the reasons they supported any legislation. No real verification
as to when that trade adjustment will be and how will be paid for. And so,
I hope that people don`t allow the Fast-Track to go on until there is a
full disclosure, some regular order and the American people have a little
bit of say in what is up to this point been a very, very convoluted and
secret process.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Pocan, the President of United States is asking those
28 Democrats to trust him, to hold the line, give him trade promotional
authority and we`ll come back and get something later on from a bunch of
guys who done nothing but obstruct me for six years. Are they going to buy
that?

POCAN: Well, you know, I think there is people in the Senate who aren`t
going to buy that. There Senate Democrats I`ve heard at least two.
Senator Cantwell and Senator Kaine who said they don`t support TPA without
TAA attach. So, the President got a lot of pieces still to put in place.
The Senate in Democrats aren`t going to allow this go through. So the
President is going to have to make sure that Trade Adjustment Assistance
happens, if he`s going to pull this kind of a game around the Fast-Track
authority. Bottom-line is you can`t cause the American workers jobs and
now have any assistance to try to make up for.

SCHULTZ: Is it this going to be a kind of picnic where you got to make
sure this hamburger well done Congressman Grijalva?

GRIJALVA: Very well done and also, you know, and also with the dressing
being public opinion and the dressing is very much against this Fast-Track
and the American people are very much concern that they`re not part of it
and their elective representative are not part of it.

SCHULTZ: Is this picnic all about this situation on trade tonight?

POCAN: Well, I think the timing is pretty convenient, you know, I think
they`re waiting to figure out, you know, they want to have till July 30th
to do this. But, having every cabinet secretary having (inaudible) from
the White House, having the President there and if you want water or beer
you`re going to talk to one of them. I think they`re going to have to a
lot of ears tonight and that`s what we`re going to watch for tomorrow`s
vote.

SCHULTZ: All right, Congressman Pocan and Congressman Grijalva, great to
have both of you with us tonight. Keep up the fight.

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