Here & Now

U.S. Sen. Baldwin On Poverty Plan, Democratic Convention

BACK TO THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN CLEVELAND. THAT’S WHERE HOUSE SPEAKER PAUL RYAN TOUCHED ON POLICY ENCOMPASSED IN HIS SO-CALLED “BETTER WAY” PROPOSALS, INCLUDING GETTING AT POVERTY. HERE’S HIS ROLL-OUT OF THE POVERTY PRONG.

PAUL RYAN:

NUMBER ONE, REWARD WORK. NUMBER TWO, TAILOR BENEFITS TO PEOPLE’S SPECIFIC NEEDS. NUMBER THREE, DEMAND RESULTS, HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE. NUMBER FOUR, IMPROVE SKILLS AND SCHOOLS. NUMBER FIVE, HELP PEOPLE SAVE AND PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN HORIZON THAT THEY’RE SHOOTING FOR. THIS IS HOW YOU FIGHT POVERTY. THIS IS HOW YOU CREATE OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS HOW YOU HELP PEOPLE MOVE ONWARD AND UPWARD.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ACROSS THE AISLE, U.S. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN AND SENATE COLLEAGUE CORY BOOKER HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO FIGHT POVERTY. THEIRS TITLED “THE STRONGER WAY ACT.” THEY CALL FOR A NEW TRANSITIONAL JOBS GRANT PROGRAM, EXPANDING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT AND CHILD TAX CREDIT. SENATOR BALDWIN IS HERE TONIGHT WITH DETAIL ON HER PLAN AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

I’M DELIGHTED TO JOIN YOU. THANKS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS PAUL RYAN TALKS ABOUT IN HIS PLAN IS EXPANDING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT. IS THIS A PLACE FOR COMPROMISE?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

THIS IS A PLACE OF AGREEMENT, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE THREE COMPONENTS YOU JUST OUTLINED OF THIS MEASURE, THE STRONGER WAY ACT, HAVE ALL RECEIVED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE PAST, WHICH MAKES IT SO HOPEFUL IN TERMS OF FINDING COMPROMISE AND FINDING A PATH TOGETHER TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE ON POVERTY IN AMERICA.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND YET ARE THERE CUTS THAT RYAN IMPOSES TO EXPAND THE CREDIT THAT DEMOCRATS DON’T GO FOR?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

WELL, LET ME POINT OUT A HISTORY GOING BACK DECADES OF ENORMOUS TAX CUTS, MOSTLY BENEFITING THE VERY WEALTHY, THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN PAID FOR. REFLECT ON PRESIDENT BUSH’S , THAT TERM WITH TWO MASSIVE TAX CUT BILLS, TAX CREDITS AND TAX CUTS, ET CETERA, THAT HAVEN’T BEEN PAID FOR. I DON’T KNOW WHY THE RULES SHOULD CHANGE WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACTING POVERTY AND RECOGNIZING THE DIGNITY OF WORK BY EXPANDING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT OR THE CHILD TAX CREDIT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DESCRIBE FOR US HOW EXPANDING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT IN YOUR PROPOSAL DOES HELP THE WORKING POOR.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, FOR THOSE WHO ARE CHILDLESS, EITHER THEIR CHILDREN ARE GROWN AND OUT OF THE HOME, THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE CHILDREN, THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT TODAY HAS LITTLE OR NO IMPACT. AND YET MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING AT LOW WAGES ARE LITERALLY TAXED INTO POVERTY. THE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE, PAYROLL TAXES COME OUT REGARDLESS OF INCOME. AND SO FOR MANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THERE WILL BE BENEFIT THAT THEY DON’T SEE TODAY. IN OTHER RESPECTS, THIS BILL WORKS IN COMBINATION, THOSE THREE PROVISIONS, THE TRANSITIONAL JOBS, THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT AND THE CHILD TAX CREDIT, TO LIFT SO MANY FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY, AND ESTIMATES ARE THAT 63 MILLION AMERICANS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES IF BROUGHT UP TO SCALE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DESCRIBE FOR US WHAT TRANSITIONAL JOBS ARE.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

IT’S A GREAT QUESTION. SO, FIRST OF ALL, AS I NOTED BEFORE, IT’S A PROGRAM THAT HAS RECEIVED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE PAST. ABOUT 20 STATES HAVE CERTAIN TRANSITIONAL JOBS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WISCONSIN. BUT THEY ARE USUALLY LOCAL OR PRETTY SMALL. BECAUSE THEY’VE PROVEN SUCCESSFUL — AND WHAT THEY ARE ARE SUBSIDIZED WAGE LABOR, JOBS, WITH TRAINING ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE REAL BARRIERS TO KEEPING EMPLOYMENT OR HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. SUPPORT STRUCTURE THERE TO HELP MAKE THEIR JOB PLACEMENT SUCCESSFUL AND TO SORT OF WEAN OFF THE TRANSITIONAL JOB INTO A PERMANENT JOB.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO THIS BILL WOULD PROVIDE A FEDERAL GRANT TOWARD THOSE TRANSITIONAL JOBS. HOW DO YOU PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM TO GET AT POVERTY?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

WELL, THAT’S GOING TO BE A CHOICE FOR THE CONGRESS. I KNOW — AND, AGAIN, THESE ARE RESEARCH-BASED POLICY PROPOSALS. I KNOW IT WORKS. AND IF WE WANT IT TO WORK ON A GRAND SCALE AND HELP PEOPLE WORK THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY WITH OUR SUPPORT, THEN IT WILL HAVE TO BE FUNDED TO APPLY IN EVERY STATE AND HOPEFULLY EVERY LOCALITY. THE SIZE OF THE GRANT WILL BE UP TO THE CONGRESS WHEN WE GET TO WORK ON THIS. BUT RIGHT NOW THERE’S JUST BEEN RHETORIC AROUND POVERTY. YOU SHOWED THAT CLIP OF MY COLLEAGUE, MY FORMER COLLEAGUE, PAUL RYAN. I WELCOME HIS DECISION TO TALK ABOUT POVERTY, BUT TALK ISN’T ENOUGH. HE HAS A BOOKLET. I HAVE A BILL. I’M IN THE RING, READY TO WORK ON MAKING THIS A REALITY, AND I WELCOME HIM INTO THAT RING, TOO.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NEXT WEEK WE’RE MOVING TO THE CONVENTION IN THIS DISCUSSION, BUT NEXT WEEK IT’S THE DEMOCRATS’ TURN. HOW WILL YOUR PARTY CONVENTION LOOK DIFFERENT IN YOUR MIND THAN WHAT WE’VE SEEN FROM THE GOP?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

NIGHT AND DAY, IF YOU WILL. THE CONVENTION — AND I SAW PARTS OF IT THIS PAST WEEK — WAS SO DIVISIVE ON THE PART OF THE REPUBLICANS. VERY LITTLE OF IT FOCUSED ON THEIR NOMINEE. MOST OF IT FOCUSED ON PERSONAL ATTACKS AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON. AND THERE WERE VERY FEW POLICY IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO RESPOND TO THE VERY REAL CHALLENGES THAT AMERICANS FACE. AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR SPECIFICS. YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR A GROUP OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE HAVE THE MOST QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED NOMINEE, PERHAPS THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD, BUT CERTAINLY IN MANY DECADES. YOU’RE GOING TO SEE UNITY. AND, YES, THERE WILL BE CONTRASTS DRAWN WITH WHAT AMERICA HAS SEEN THIS PAST WEEK, BUT IT WILL BE OUR CHANCE TO MAKE A VERY HOPEFUL MESSAGE, NOT A MESSAGE OF FEAR, TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. TAMMY BALDWIN, WE LEAVE IT THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

THANK YOU.