Here & Now

U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble Discusses Trade, Speaker Position

ZAC SCHULTZ:

IN OTHER NEWS, REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND A NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. FOR MORE ON THAT, WE TURN TO CONGRESSMAN REID RIBBLE. I SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER FROM WASHINGTON. REPRESENTATIVE RIBBLE, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY.

REID RIBBLE:

I’M GLAD TO BE WITH YOU, ZAC. THANK YOU.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU LEARNED KEVIN MCCARTHY WAS DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE AND WERE YOU PLANNING TO VOTE FOR HIM?

REID RIBBLE:

I WAS PLANNING TO VOTE FOR HIM. WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR FIVE YEARS. HE OPENED UP THE PROCESS IN THE HOUSE TO A POINT I THOUGHT WAS GOOD. I WAS GOING TO SUPPORT HIM. I WAS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED. IN FACT, I WAS SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM NEAR PAUL RYAN AND NEITHER OF US COULD ACTUALLY HEAR WHAT HE WAS SAYING BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH NOISE GOING O. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THE SPEAKER CAME TO THE GAVEL AND SAID THE MEETING’S ADJOURNED AND GAVELED THE MEETING OVER.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WOULD YOU SUPPORT ONE OF THE MORE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES FOR SPEAKER? DO YOU EXPECT A NEW PERSON TO STEP FORWARD?

REID RIBBLE:

I DON’T MEASURE THESE CANDIDATES BASED ON WHETHER THEY’RE CONSERVATIVE OR NOT. I MEASURE WHETHER THEY HAVE THE SKILL SET TO LEAD A DIVERSE CONFERENCE. I WAS SURPRISED THAT JUST BECAUSE ONE PERSON WHO WAS RUNNING STEPPED OUT THAT THE ELECTION ACTUALLY STOPPED. THERE WERE TWO OTHER CANDIDATES, AS YOU’RE AWARE, ONE FROM UTAH AND ONE FROM FLORIDA. I WOULD HAVE JUST ASSUMED THAT THE ELECTION WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL WE HAD A RESULT. BUT THAT WASN’T WHAT HAPPENED.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR THE NEXT SPEAKER TO UNITE THE REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE? IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT?

REID RIBBLE:

YEAH. IT IS POSSIBLE. I THINK THE BIG CHALLENGE ULTIMATELY IS TRYING TO DEFINE WHY THERE IS SO MUCH DIVISION, BECAUSE THERE ISN’T TONS AND TONS OF SPACE IDEOLOGICALLY BETWEEN SOME OF THE MODERATE MEMBERS AND MOST CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS. IT’S OFTEN NOT AN IDEOLOGICAL DISCUSSION. IT’S WHAT’S THE CORRECT TACTIC TO TRY TO ADVANCE CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES. WHY ARE ALL THESE COALITIONS AND CAUCUSES FORMING? AND WHAT CAN THEY DO TO CREATE A CONSENSUS TYPE OF CONFERENCE AGAIN? AND THAT’S GOING TO BE THE BIG CHALLENGE FOR ANY LEADER.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

REPRESENTATIVE RYAN HAS ALREADY SAID HE’S NOT INTERESTED STILL IN BEING SPEAKER. DOES THAT DISAPPOINT YOU?

REID RIBBLE:

SURE. OBVIOUSLY, PAUL RYAN HAS GOT THE REQUISITE LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO DO IT. BUT I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHY HE MIGHT NOT WANT TO DO IT. HE’S GOT YOUNGER CHILDREN. THIS JOB IS DEMANDING, REQUIRES A LOT OF TRAVEL, WHICH WOULD TAKE HIM AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY. I THINK AS I HAD A CHANCE TO OBSERVE PAUL DURING HIS VICE-PRESIDENTIAL RACE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CREATED A FAIR AMOUNT OF ANXIETY FOR HIM, IS THE NEED TO BE WITH HIS CHILDREN. AND I ADMIRE THAT IN PAUL. HE’S A GOOD DAD AND HE WANTS TO BE A BETTER ONE. AND SO I THINK I RESPECT THAT ANSWER THAT HE’S GIVEN AND I THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE FOR HIM.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP IS A TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND 11 OTHER COUNTRIES ON THE RIM OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. FROM WHAT WE KNOW NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE DEAL THAT’S BEEN REACHED?

REID RIBBLE:

WELL, FROM WHAT I KNOW NOW — AND THE TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, SO ANYTHING IS PREMATURE. BUT IN TALKING WITH THE AMBASSADOR AND BEING INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS DURING THE ENTIRE NEGOTIATIONS, I THINK WE’VE GOT A DEAL THAT I CAN ACCEPT, BUT I WANT TO HOLD MY FIRE UNTIL I ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE IT. BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE GOT SOME WINS FOR WISCONSIN MANUFACTURING AND DAIRY PRODUCTION.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, A LOT OF DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS OPPOSE THIS DEAL. CAN A BIPARTISAN BE FOUND TO PASS IT?

REID RIBBLE:

I DO THINK THERE WILL BE. IT’S GOING TO BE A HEAVY LIFT. JUST HERE IN WISCONSIN, I THINK I’M GOING TO BE SUPPORTING IT AS LONG AS IT IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TOLD. AND I’M PRETTY SURE RON KIND, WHO’S A DEMOCRAT, WILL SUPPORT IT. SO THERE’S A BASIS FOR BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT. AND I THINK ULTIMATELY IT PASSES, UNLESS THERE’S SOME SURPRISE THERE WHEN WE GET A CHANCE TO FULLY READ THE FINAL VERSION. MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INFORMED ON THIS THING DURING THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY WANTED TO BE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT INCREASING MARKET ACCESS FOR THINGS LIKE WISCONSIN BUTTER AND CHEESE ON YOUR WEBSITE, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE JAPAN, BUT IT’S BEEN REPORTED TARIFFS ON THOSE ITEMS MAY NOT DROP FOR ANOTHER 15 YEARS. IS THAT FAST ENOUGH?

REID RIBBLE:

WELL, THAT’S WHAT I NEED TO SEE. THE DEAL WITH JAPAN I DON’T THINK IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING — THAT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO GET THE BIG WIN, PARTICULARLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO BUTTER. IT’S NOT JUST JAPAN. WE’RE LOOKING THROUGHOUT ASIA AS WELL AS CANADA. I THINK WE’VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH THE CANADIANS WE HAVEN’T HAD BEFORE. I HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ON IT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ONE OTHER COMPLAINT I’VE HEARD IS ABOUT THE DEAL NOT ADDRESSING CURRENCY MANIPULATION. IS THAT A DEAL BREAKER FOR?

REID RIBBLE:

IT’S NOT FOR ME BECAUSE IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. OCCURRENCES FLUCTUATE ALL THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS OTHER THAN COUNTRIES ACTUALLY FORCING THEM DOWN. AND IN FACT WITH OUR OWN POLICIES HERE, WITH TWO, THREE AND FOUR, WHEN WE INJECT MORE CURRENCY INTO THE SYSTEM, YOU ARE REDUCING THE VALUE OF THE SCRIPT THAT’S ALREADY THERE. FOR ME IT’S NOT AS BIG OF AN ISSUE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR SURE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE U.S. DOESN’T SIGN OFF ON THIS DEAL? WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US AND THE OTHER 11 COUNTRIES?

REID RIBBLE:

THE OTHER 11 COUNTRIES COULD STILL GO AHEAD WITH IT. IT WOULD LEAVE THE UNITED STATES IN A BAD PLACE BECAUSE THESE AGREEMENTS WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPAND TRADE AND REDUCE BARRIERS FOR THE 11 OTHER COUNTRIES BUT NOT THE UNITED STATES. AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE THE CASE, BUT THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRADE, WHERE WE HAVE TRADE AGREEMENTS, JOBS STAY HERE IN WISCONSIN AND IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A TRADE AGREEMENT, THAT’S WHEN MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO MOVE TO THOSE COUNTRIES AND BUILD PLANTS THERE. AND SO I’M ACTUALLY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET THIS DEAL THROUGH IF IT’S AS GOOD AS WHAT I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ALL RIGHT. REPRESENTATIVE REID RIBBLE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

REID RIBBLE:

THANK YOU, ZAC.