MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: On Fast Track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Interview
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I`m joined tonight by Congressman Marc Pocan, Congressman from Wisconsin,
also with us tonight Larry Cohen, President of Communications Workers of
America. Gentlemen, great to have you with us tonight.
Congressman, you first, is this a last minute sell (ph) job by the
President because he knows he doesn`t have the votes?
REP. MARCH POCAN, (D) WISCONSIN: Well, you know, he`s finally
communicating with Congress. We`ve been complaining that we don`t know
what it`s in this law only about 600 people largely corporate CEO`s have
been involve in drafting of it. And yet, we`re suppose to somehow give up
our responsibility, our constitutional responsibility to have oversight
over this. And if we vote on fast-track, we take aware ability to amend
and we greatly limit our ability to debate this.
So I think they`re finally coming to realize that they haven`t sold this
deal is something that we think is going to protect American jobs and help
wages, and we`re highly skeptical on it. They`re right now, I think, in
clean up mode.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Cohen, you met with House Democratic leaders today and met
with the caucus to understand, what concerns did you raise and how do you
feel we`re -- they were receptive your concerns?
LARRY COHEN, COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA: Yeah. I thought they were
super and in fact it`s clear that I`d say 80 percent of House Democrats are
going to vote no. And it was great thing with them. And in terms of what
I talk about, the disparities and enforceability when the CEO`s that
Congressman Pocan when they have a problem with the trade deal, they get a
sue with a secret tribunal, and we get -- and they get reparations if their
profits are hurt. And what we get is a report.
Six years after it complains about Guatemala, we got a report. Last week,
three years after complaints about Honduras, we got a report. I met on
Friday with Mexican leaders and 20 years after NAFTA things are much worse
there than before. So the disparity on enforcement is a disgrace.
SCHULTZ: OK. Congressman, what would turn the Democrats to support the
President on fast-track which we give him the authority to do this trade
deal?
I mean, what do you need to hear? OK. So there`s a secret meeting OK so
you haven`t seen the whole thing but we all know what these trade
agreements do, what about that?
POCAN: Yeah. We want to see that this going to create fair trade not just
free trade. We want to make sure that we`re protecting American jobs. We
want to make sure that we`re helping wages in the United States that have
been stagnant during this recovery. We want to know that you don`t have to
secret tribunal through the investors states dispute settlements that
takeaway our ability to have the U.S. court systems takes something up.
We can be sued by a foreign multinational corporation and have the tribunal
run by corporate lawyers who, when are doing the tribunal, are representing
the corporations...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
POCAN: ... which is hardly a very fair system.
We want to know that we`ve got a trade deal that works for all hardworking
Americans and not just for the big multi-national corporation. If he can
address those issues we can have real conversation.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Cohen, why is the president putting so much stack in Michael
Froman? Who is this guy?
COHEN: Well, Michael Froman has been around. He worked in treasury. He
was at the National Security Council. They went to Citibank and now he`s
back as the U.S. trade representative. And our overall problem is that,
deals can work well for Wall Street, they don`t work for Main Street.
As the Congressman just said, we want deals -- fair trade means there at
least job neutral not that the imports way, you know, are much greater than
the exports and so we lose jobs. And them, our pay gets hell them by
comparisons with trade and what cause in countries like Vietnam...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
COHEN: ... at $0.75 an hour. We want a deal that benefits Main Street,
not Wall Street.
SCULTZ: And Mr. Cohen, do you think that the now it`s out there that every
union in America is on board to say no to fast-track? You think that`s
having an impact on the President?
COHEN: I think it`s having an impact on the Congress. I hope on the
President. It`s every union. It`s every major environmental group.
Last week 138 law school professors said that this investor`s stake dispute
settlement does not cut it. It`s every immigrants group of consequence.
It`s basically the entire base of Democratic Party and all of those who
believe in national sovereignty.
SCHULTZ: So it`s not just manufacturing, Congressman, the service industry
is going to get here, the call centers are going to be gutted. I just
don`t -- I don`t how the Democrats and I can say that there for the middle
class and then even think about giving this to stamp of approval. And
that`s really where we are on all of this.
Congressman Marc Pocan, Larry Cohen, President of Communication Workers,
great to have you with us tonight, I appreciate your time.
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