A TOWN IN OHIO FLIPPED FROM BLUE TO RED IN 2016 TO SEE HOW THE
TRADE DEAL IS PLAYING OUT BEYOND
THE WASHINGTON BELTWAYS.
>> IMPEACHMENT, IRAN, THE
UPCOMING ELECTION.
UPCOMING ELECTION. WELCOME TO THE YEAR 2020.
DESPITE THE POLITICAL
TURBULENCE, CONGRESS JUST PASSED
LEGISLATION WITH RARE
BIPARTISANSHIP.
BIPARTISANSHIP. >> THE U.S. MCA.
>> U.S. MCA.
>> LIKE THE SONG YMCA.
>> U.S., MEXICO, CANADA.
>> Reporter: BOTH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS TAKING CREDIT FOR
THE U.S./MEXICO/CANADA
THE U.S./MEXICO/CANADA AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT. AKA NAFTA 2.0.
THEY MAKE CHANGES TO THE OLD
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE THREE
COUNTRIES WHICH HELP IMPROVE
LABOR STANDARDS AND BOOST
STRUGGLING INDUSTRIES LIKE
MANUFACTURING AND DAIRY FARMING.
>> INSTEAD OF JOBS LEAVING FOR
OVERSEAS, THEY WILL BE RETURNING
BACK HOME.
BACK HOME. >> Reporter: WHAT DO
WASHINGTON’S PROMISES MEAN FOR
COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY?
WILL THIS HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE
2020 RACE?
2020 RACE? IS IT BETTER THAN NAFTA FOR YOUR
BUSINESS?
BUSINESS? >> YES, IT IS.
PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT A LAYOFF OR A
MIGRATION SOUTH OF THE BORDER OR
CANADA.
CANADA. LET US LOOK AT INVESTING AND
EXPANDING THE FACILITY,
PROVIDING MORE JOBS TO THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> Reporter: HE HELPS RUN AN
AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURER IN OHIO.
IT’S ACTUALLY THE CHILD HOOD
HOME OF THE CURRENT U.S. TRADE
REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT
REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT LIGHTHIZER.
LIGHTHIZER. WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP HERE THE
IDEA HAD A ROBUST MANUFACTURING
SECTOR.
SECTOR. GOODS SHIPPED OUT OF OHIO’S
PORTS TRAVELING THROUGH THE ST.
LAWRENCE SEAWAY AND INTO THE
ATLANTIC.
ATLANTIC. AS FACTORIES CLOSED AND
COMPANIES RELOCATED, THE REGION
STRUGGLED TO RECOVER, BECOME
WHAT’S KNOWN AS THE RUST BELT.
>> GOOD PAYING AMERICAN JOBS.
>> Reporter: THERE WAS HOPE IT
WOULD BRING BACK THE
MANUFACTURING JOBS, BUT SOME SAY
IT DID THE OPPOSITE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS
COMMUNITY BLAME NASA FOR SOME OF
THE JOB LOSS THAT THEY HAVE SEEN
AROUND HERE.
AROUND HERE. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE OBJECTN THAT?
>> IT WAS JOB LOSS FROM THE
STEEL INDUSTRY AND AUTOMOTIVE
WHEN NASAFTA WAS ENACTED.
IT HAS BEEN CONTINUING AND
STAGNANT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME. >> Reporter: THERE WAS A DROP IN
MANUFACTURING JOBS.
MANUFACTURING JOBS. SOME ECONOMISTS AOTHER FACTORS
CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINE.
ONCE THE RECESSION HIT, THEY
REALLY FELT IT.
THE COUNTY SAW A STEADY DECLINE
IN BUSINESS AND POPULATION
GROWTH.
GROWTH. THOUGH THERE ARE SOME SIGNS OF
REJUVENATION, NEARLY 20% OF THE
COUNTY LIVES IN POVERTY.
THERE IS A LOT OF STRUGGLES
HERE.
HERE. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DECADES?
>> IT’S MY OPINION THAT OVERALL
DYSFUNCTION OF THE POLITICAL
PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES,
BOTH PARTIES WERE TALKING TO
THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THE HOPE OF THE REGION WAS THAT
THE ELECTION OF OUR CURRENT
PRESIDENT, IT WOULD CHANGE.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK PEOPLE
AROUND HERE HAVE SEEN THAT
CHANGE SINCE DONALD TRUMP WAS
ELECTED?
ELECTED? >> YES, I DO THINK THE WORK
FORCE IN THE REGION HAS SEEN A
CHANGE AND THE AMOUNT OF
ATTENTION GIVEN TO TRADE
AGREEMENTS TO ADVANTAGE THE
U.S., LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
>> WE WILL TERMINATE NAFTA AND
GET A BETTER AND STRONGER AND
FAIRER DEAL.
FAIRER DEAL. >> Reporter: TRUMP VISITED
ASSIST BUELAH ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL.
TRAIL. 12 DAYS LATER HE WON THE COUNTY.
ASSIST BUELAH WENT READY FOR THE
FIRST TIME SINCE 1984.
IS IT COMMON FOR CANDIDATES TO
VISIT HERE?
VISIT HERE? >> NO.
>> NO. I THINK THE LAST ONE THAT I HAVE
BEEN TOLD WAS JOHN KENNEDY.
>> Reporter: I VISITED RAY
GRUBER.
GRUBER. TO SAY HE IS A BIG HISTORY BUFF
IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
>> THIS IS MY PRESIDENTIAL WALL.
>> Reporter: HE HAS A LOT OF
HISTORY IN THIS AREA.
HIS FAMILY HAS LIVED IN ASSIST
BUELAH FOR GENERATIONS.
>> IN THE ’60s AND ’70s LIFE WAS
GOOD AROUND HERE.
THEN THE ’80s CAME AROUND.
I WAS LUCKY.
I DIDN’T GO THROUGH THE LAYOFFS.
>> Reporter: SOUNDS LIKE AN
ANOMALY?
ANOMALY? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> Reporter: ALSO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE LOCAL AFLCIO.
IT’S PART OF THE LARGEST LABOR
FEDERATION IN THE COUNTRY AND
ONE OF THE U.S. MCA’S BIGGEST
ENDORSERS.
ENDORSERS. IS THE USMCA A BETTER TEALDEAL F
THE WORKERS YOU REPRESENT THAN
NAFTA?
NAFTA? >> YES.
>> YES. MORE PROTECTIONS.
MORE PROTECTIONS. MORE STABILITY.
MORE STABILITY. THE PROOF WILL BE ONCE IT’S
ENACTED.
ENACTED. >> Reporter: WHO DO YOU CREDIT
THE DEAL TO?
CONGRESS OR THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> CONGRESS.
>> CONGRESS. WITHOUT LABOR SIGNING, NANCY
PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, IT
WAS NOT GOING FOR A VOTE.
>> Reporter: NOT EVERYONE
AGREED.
AGREED. USMCA, WHO DO YOU CREDIT THAT
TO, CONGRESS OR THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> WHITE HOUSE.
>> Reporter: A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
THERE IS A LOT OF PROVISIONS IN
THE USMCA, THINGS THAT THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING
FOR FOR A WHILE.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
>> IF THAT’S TRUE, THEY HAVE NOT
BEEN MESSAGING THEIR INVOLVEMENT
CORRECTLY.
CORRECTLY. THEY ARE STUCK ON A DIFFERENT
MESSAGE RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT
THE ECONOMICS.
THE ECONOMICS. IT’S ALSO ABOUT THE POLITICS.
AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO WIN
VOTES IN IMPORTANT SWING
COUNTIES.
COUNTIES. AS LONG AS THE SUBSTANCE AND THE
MESSAGING RESONATES.
MESSAGING RESONATES. THE USMCA TRADE DEAL, A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE --
>> THEY DID NOT GET COUNTRY OF
ORIGIN LABEL IN FOR BEEF AND
PORK.
PORK. >> Reporter: WHY IS THAT A
PROBLEM?
PROBLEM? >> WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE
RAISING CATTLE MAKE A LIVING.
IT’S GOING TO BENEFIT THEM AND
IT’S GOING TO BENEFIT THE
CONSUMER IF WE LABEL WHERE THE
FOOD COMES FROM.
>> Reporter: SHE RAISES CATTLE.
SHE HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF FARMS
DROP OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF
THE DAIRY FARM INDUSTRY HERE.
DO YOU THINK USMCA WILL BENEFIT
THEM?
THEM? >> NO.
>> NO. CANADA WILL ALLOW 2% OF THEIR
MILK USED TO BE IMPORTED FROM
THIS KROOEL.
THIS KROOEL. WE HAVE TOO MUCH MILK AND A TINY
LITTLE BIT ISN’T GOING TO DO
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> Reporter: THE USMCA WILL
STILL NEED TO BE RATIFIED, SO IT
COULD BE A WHILE BEFORE WE
UNDERSTAND THE WINNERS AND
LOSERS HERE.
LOSERS HERE. THAT GOES BACK TO THE POLITICS
OF THE DEAL.
IS IT ENOUGH TO CONVINCE VOTERS
THAT OUR POLITICAL LEADERS ARE
LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR BEST
INTERESTS?
INTERESTS? THERE IS AN ELECTION COMING
RIGHT UP.
RIGHT UP. WHO DO YOU THINK PEOPLE DON’T
UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY
AND COMMUNITIES LIKE IT?
>> I DON’T THINK THEY KNOW WHAT
IT’S LIKE TO WORRY ABOUT MONEY
ALL THE TIME.
AFTER DECADES OF BEING IN MIDDLE
AMERICA IN THE PLACE THAT THE
PEOPLE ON THE COAST DON’T LIKE
TO THINK ABOUT VERY MUCH, THERE
IS A LOT OF RESENTMENT THAT THE
GOOD JOBS ARE GONE, THE FARMS
ARE GONE, AND NOBODY ON THE
COAST REALLY SEEMS TO NOTICE OR
CARE OR THINK IT’S IMPORTANT.