COMMITMENT 2020 SPECIAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS.
CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE.
TONIGHT, CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN.
ADAM: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE SERIES.
I’M ADAM SEXTON.
OUR GUEST THIS EVENING IS DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE TIM RYAN OF OHIO.
WE WILL BE GETTING TO KNOW THE CONGRESSMAN TONIGHT AND WHERE HE STANDS ON KEY ISSUES.
AT THE START OF OUR SHOW, I’LL BE ASKING THE CANDIDATE SOME QUESTIONS.
AND THEN AFTER A BREAK, WE’LL HAVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, IN A TOWN HALL FORMAT.
BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THAT, LET’S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE CANDIDATE’S BIOGRAPHY.
TIM RYAN WAS BORN IN NILES, OHIO , IN 1973 AND WENT TO JOHN F KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL IN WARREN OHIO.
, HE EARNED HIS BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE FROM BOWLING GREEN, BEFORE COMING HERE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE TO GET HIS LAW DEGREE FROM THE FRANKLIN PIERCE LAW CENTER NOW THE UNH
, SCHOOL OF LAW.
RYAN WORKED AS A CONGRESSIONAL AIDE IN THE U.S. HOUSE, THEN SERVED IN THE OHIO STATE SENATE.
IN 2002, HE WAS ELECTED AS A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM OHIO, AND HAS BEEN RE-ELECTED EIGHT TIMES.
RYAN IS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, IS A CO-CHAIR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ADDICTION TREATMENT AND RECOVERY CAUCUS, A MEMBER OF THE BIPARTISAN TASK FORCE TO COMBAT
THE HEROIN EPIDEMIC, AND CO-CHAIR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL MANUFACTURING CAUCUS WHICH SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY’S MANUFACTURING BASE AND REFORM TRADE POLICIES.
HE HAS WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS, INCLUDING ONE ABOUT THE RETURN OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY FARM.
CONGRESSMAN RYAN IS MARRIED AND HAS THREE CHILDREN.
IT REPRESENTED RYAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING -- REPRESENTATIVE RYAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
WHAT MADE YOU LOOK AT THIS FIELD OF DEMOCRATS AND ESSAY, I GOT THIS -- AND SAY, I GOT THIS?
REP. RYAN: I CAN WIN.
I CAN BEAT DONALD TRUMP.
I DO VERY WELL IN MY CONGRESSIONAL RACES.
WE HAVE GOT TO BEAT HIM, WE HAVE GOT TO WIN PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN.
WE HAVE GREAT CANDIDATES, BUT I KNOW I CAN BEAT HIM AND GET THE ECONOMY SQUARED AWAY.
I UNDERSTAND THE OLD ECONOMY BECAUSE I COME FROM THE RUST BELT AND I HAVE SEEN IT UNWIND.
WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I KNOW I CAN USE THE POWER OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO GET THE JOB DONE FOR US.
ADAM: A LOT OF VOTERS ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND PRESIDENT TRUMP WON ON AN ANTI-WASHINGTON MESSAGE.
WHEN VOTERS ARE ASKING WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO WASHINGTON THAT IS DIFFERENT, WHAT DO YOU SAY?
REP. RYAN: UNITE THE COUNTRY.
I GET ALONG WITH REPUBLICANS WELL.
I REPRESENT A DISTRICT WHERE I DID WELL AND A LOT OF PEOPLE VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP.
WE ARE NOT GETTING ANYTHING DONE IF WE DON’T COME TOGETHER.
YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST 10 POINT PLAN.
IF WE DON’T UNIFY, WE ARE DONE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO IS REBUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS.
WE ARE WEAK BECAUSE WE ARE SO DIVIDED.
RUSSIA LIKES THE FACT WE ARE DIVIDED.
THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS COME TOGETHER.
I CAN UNITE THIS COUNTRY AND SET A BOLD AGENDA THAT WILL REBUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS.
ADAM: HOW DO YOU FIND A BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS IN WASHINGTON?
REP. RYAN: I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO CAMPAIGN ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.
I DON’T KNOW IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE A NOVEL IDEA, BUT LAY OUT SOME PLANS.
WE DON’T NEED THE 10 POINT PLAN, BUT I THINK A BIG VISION, AROUND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE 30 MILLION BY 2030.
I WANT US TO MAKE THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES, I WANT US TO MAKE BATTERIES, THE CHARGING STATIONS.
IS THAT A DEMOCRAT IDEA?
IS THAT A REPUBLICAN IDEA?
HOW DO WE BRING THE FREE MARKET AND THE GOVERNMENT AND THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PHILANTHROPY AND VENTURE CAPITALISTS TOGETHER AROUND THE BIG AGENDA?
THAT IS THE JOB OF THE UNITED STATES -- RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
I FEEL LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS FIDDLING AROUND ON HIS PHONE, BASHING FORMER FIRST LADIES ON THE MIDDLE CLASS IS ERODING.
ADAM: YOU MENTION THE PRESIDENT DID WELL IN PARTS OF YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN 2016.
HE DID SO MAKE AMERICA GREAT WITH A MESSAGE OF MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT MESSAGE?
REP. RYAN: WE ARE FALLING BEHIND.
THE UNDERLYING CURRENT OF THAT, WE ARE NOT DOING WELL.
OF THE MIDDLE CLASS IS NOT DOING WELL.
THE TOP 1% CONTROLS 90% OF THE WEALTH.
40% TO 50% OF FAMILIES CANNOT WITHSTAND A $400 OR $500 EMERGENCY RATE I THINK HE TAPPED INTO THAT ANXIETY.
WE JUST LOST JOBS AT A GENERAL MOTORS FACILITY WITH NOTHING TO REPLACE IT.
THERE IS NO PLAN BECAUSE HE IS FIDDLING AROUND STARTING CULTURE WARS, RACE BAITING, WHATEVER HE IS DOING.
HIS GENIUS IS HIS ABILITY TO MARKET, BUT WE DO NOT NEED A MARKETER, WE DO NOT NEED SOMEBODY WHO CAN STAR IN A REALITY TV SHOW.
WE DON’T NEED A SUPERSTAR OR A SAVIOR, WE NEED A GRINDER.
SOMEONE WHO WILL GET IN THE FOXHOLE WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS.
ADAM: DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERN THE AMERICAN -- REPUBLICAN PARTY IS MOVING TOO FAR LEFT -- DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TOO FAR LEFT?
REP. RYAN: WE NEED CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, HEALTH CARE REFORM, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION.
THE THRUST OF THE CONVERSATION HAS TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC ANXIETY AVERAGE PEOPLE ARE FEELING.
I CANNOT EXPLAIN ENOUGH TO PEOPLE AND I DO NOT HAVE TO IN PLACES LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE OFINA’ UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NATIONAL STRESS LEVEL IS.
IT IS HUGE.
THE ECONOMY IS DOING WELL, SUPPOSEDLY, AND THE STOCK MARKET IS DOING WELL.
YET THE ANXIETY LEVEL IS HIGH.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE LIKE IF THE ECONOMY TAKES A DOWNTURN?
THAT IS MY CONCERN AND IF OUR MESSAGE AS DEMOCRATS IS NOT A ROBUST, WE ARE GOING TO REBUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS, WE ARE GOING TO CUT WORKERS IN ON THE DEAL.
IF WORKERS WHO PLAY HARD AND TAKE BY THE DEALS DO NOT TRUST DEMOCRATS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY.
THEY WILL TRUST ME AND I WILL GET BACK IN THEIR CAMP.
ADAM: RIGHT AFTER THE BREAK, WE WILL HAVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE JOIN THE CONVERSATION.
STAY WITH