Here & Now

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind On Trade Agreement, House Leadership

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE. WE ARE JOINED BY LA CROSSE DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN RON KIND IN WASHINGTON. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

RON KIND:

HI, ZAC. GLAD TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LEADERSHIP CHANGE AMONG REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE? WOULD YOU HAVE RATHER SEEN KEVIN MCCARTHY? DO YOU THINK PAUL RYAN WILL ACQUIESCE TO HIS PARTY AND RUN?

RON KIND:

THERE’S A RAGING WAR TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN WASHINGTON. THERE’S A LOT OF BUSINESS PENDING WE’VE GOT TO COMPLETE THIS FALL. I WASN’T THAT SURPRISED THAT SPEAKER BOEHNER DECIDED TO STEP DOWN. HE’S HAD A DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO MANAGE HIS OWN CONFERENCE. HE HAS A GROUP THAT’S INCAPABLE OF GETTING TO YES EVEN ON THEIR BILLS TO GET ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED. SO THE FRUSTRATION WAS GROWING. NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THEY RESOLVE IT SO WE CAN STAY FOCUSED ON GROWING THE ECONOMY, MAKE SURE WE HAVE A BUDGET PASS, MAKE SURE WE’RE PAYING OUR BILLS ON TIME SO WE DON’T DEFAULT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR NATION’S BUSINESS, FOCUS ON A HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, SO WE CAN START REBUILDING WISCONSIN AND THIS COUNTRY AGAIN. NONE OF THAT IS GETTING DONE AS LONG AS THEY’RE FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES RIGHT NOW.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DO YOU THINK THIS DYSFUNCTION OVER LEADERSHIP COULD IMPACT THINGS LIKE THE TRANSPACIFIC TRADE AGREEMENT?

RON KIND:

WELL, NOT SO MUCH THAT BECAUSE HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE RESOLVED. THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY TRANSPARENT AGREEMENT. FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE ENTIRE WORLD IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT, INCLUDING US MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. SO WE DO HAVE SOME TIME TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND LISTEN. I HAVEN’T MADE UP MY MIND BECAUSE THE TEXT HASN’T BEEN MADE AVAILABLE YET ON THE TRADE AGREEMENT. THAT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY. WE FACE ONE OF THREE CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO TRADE POLICY. WE COULD HAVE A TRADING SYSTEM BASED ON OUR RULINGS, WHERE WE’RE LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD FOR OUR WORKERS, OUR FARMERS BACK HOME SO THEY CAN BE MORE SUCCESSFUL COMPETING AND EXPORTING PRODUCTS, OR WE CAN BE TRADING WITH THESE NATIONS WITH NO RULES OR POSSIBLY WITH CHINA’S RULES IN THE FUTURE. IF IT DOES BECOME NO RULES OR CHINA’S RULES, THAT’S A RACE TO THE BOTTOM AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD TRYING TO COMPETE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. I HOPE PEOPLE KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND LOOK AT WHAT SPECIFICALLY WAS AGREED TO AND THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION ACCORDING TO THAT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THERE’S A PRETTY LONG LIST OF DEMOCRATS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THIS, RUSS FEINGOLD, BERNIE SANDERS, HILLARY CLINTON HAS EVEN VOICED DISAPPROVAL. HOW MUCH DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT WILL THERE NEED TO BE TO PASS THIS?

RON KIND:

FIRST OF ALL, I HOPE PEOPLE ARE FAIR TO THE PRESIDENT. HIS TEAM NEGOTIATED THIS. AND THAT WE READ THE AGREEMENT FIRST BEFORE WE PASS JUDGMENT ON THE AGREEMENT. RIGHT NOW THIS ISN’T A QUESTION OF WHETHER WE’RE GOING TO BE TRADING WITH VIETNAM AND SINGAPORE. THE QUESTION IS WHAT THE RULES OF TRADE ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE. IT’S EITHER GOING TO BE OUR RULES OR POSSIBLY CHINA’S RULES. IF WE REJECT THIS TRADE AGREEMENT, THAT LEAVES US IN A SYSTEM WHERE THERE ARE NO RULES AT ALL THAT CAN BE ENFORCED OR POSSIBLY CHINA’S RULES. AND THAT IS NOT WHAT I THINK IS IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR OUR STATE OR FOR OUR COUNTRY ULTIMATELY. ALL I’M ASKING FOR THEM IS JUST COOL THEIR JETS A LITTLE BIT. READ WHAT’S IN THE AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU PASS JUDGMENT ON IT. AND THEN DETERMINE IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR US BACK HOME IN WISCONSIN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, ONE COMMON CRITICISM OF THE DEAL IS IT DOESN’T ADDRESS CURRENCY MANIPULATION. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

RON KIND:

WELL, THERE ARE TOOLS IN THIS AGREEMENT ALONG WITH A CUSTOMS BILL RIGHT NOW THAT WE’RE LOOKING TO PASS IN SHORT ORDER THAT STRENGTHENS OUR ABILITY TO PUSH BACK AGAINST CURRENCY MANIPULATION. AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. BUT, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE, WHETHER MOVING FORWARD ON AN AGREEMENT THAT WE NEGOTIATED WITH HIGH STANDARDS, WITH TOUGH WORKER PROTECTION PROVISIONS IN IT, ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS THAT WOULD BE FULLY ENFORCEABLE LIKE ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THE AGREEMENT, OR NO STANDARDS AT ALL. AND THAT’S REALLY THE CHOICE THAT WE’RE FACING HERE. SO MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, OBVIOUSLY. BUT, YOU KNOW, ZAC, IT’S THE COUNTRIES WE DON’T HAVE A TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THAT GET US INTO TROUBLE. IT’S THE CHINAS, BRAZILS, INDIA. WE HAVE NO TRADE AGREEMENT, THEREFORE NO STANDARDS AND NOTHING TO ENFORCE. AND THAT I DON’T THINK IS THE DIRECTION WE SHOULD BE GOING WITH IN THE FASTEST-GROWING ECONOMIC REGION IN THE WORLD, WHICH IS THE PACIFIC RIM AREA.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

VERY QUICKLY, IN THE FEW SECONDS LEFT, HOW MUCH OF PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS WILL IMPACT PEOPLE’S PUBLIC OPINIONS ON THIS DEAL?

RON KIND:

WELL, NATURALLY EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL THESE DAYS, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT, AGAIN, I’M HOPING THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, FOLKS BACK HOME IN WISCONSIN, US MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, TAKE TIME TO REALLY STUDY THE TERMS AND NOT PREJUDGE IT AND NOT MAKE UP YOUR MIND BEFORE THE TEXT IS EVEN AVAILABLE. AND, AGAIN, THAT TEXT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST 60 DAYS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT CAN EVEN SIGN THIS AGREEMENT. SO I’M ASKING PEOPLE JUST BE PATIENT AND GIVE HIM A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CASE, BUT ALSO TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT FIRST BEFORE YOU START TAKING POSITIONS. LISTEN, I GET THAT DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY POLITICS CAN BE DIFFICULT ON THIS. ORGANIZED LABOR HAS BEEN VERY HOSTILE TO TRADE AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST. BUT THE ALTERNATIVE, AGAIN, IS HAVING A TRADING SYSTEM WITH NO RULES OR CHINA’S RULES. SO I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THIS FAIR CONSIDERATION.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

CONGRESSMAN RON KIND, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

RON KIND:

GREAT. MY PLEASURE, ZAC.