>> WELCOME BACK TO THIS LIVE EDITION OF FLASH POINT WITH FOUR
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
CONGRESSMAN MITCHELL SAID DURING
THE BREAK YOU DIDN’T ASK ME
ABOUT MY VOTE.
I DIDN’T.
I DIDN’T. HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO VOTE.
>> MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THERE.
AND IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT,
EVEN THE SPEAKER SAID IT HAD TO
BE BIPARTISAN IN ORDER TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH IMPEACHMENT.
WE HAVEN’T ACHIEVED EITHER.
I’M GOING TO MEET NO BECAUSE IT
DOESN’T MEET THE STANDARD.
>> DEVIN: CONGRESSWOMAN DINGELL,
WOULDN’T YOU FEEL BETTER IF
THERE WERE A FEW REPUBLICANS, OR
DEMOCRATS VOTING THE OTHER --
WOULDN’T IT FEEL BETTER IF IT
WERE MORE BIPARTISAN EFFORT?
>> THIS IS A MORAL ISSUE I’M NOT
PUTTING MY FINGER IN THE AIR AND
SEEING WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS ARE
DOING.
DOING. I DIDN’T DO THAT LAST SUMMER.
IT’S AN IMPORTANT VOTE.
YES, I FEEL BETTER.
ONE THING I’M WORRIED ABOUT AND
REPEATEDLY SAYING FOR A YEAR.
RUSSIA IS TRYING TO DIVIDE US.
IT’S CLEAR IN THE MUELLER
REPORT.
REPORT. IT’S AN UNDERLYING THEME THAT
NOBODY TALKS ABOUT.
WE HAVE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
FROM DEMOCRACIES AROUND THE
WORLD SAYING THAT THEY KNOW THAT
RUSSIA IS TRYING TO DESTABILIZE
DEMOCRACIES, I’VE SAID IT TO
PAUL AND MANY FRIENDS ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE WE’VE GOT TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO PULL OURSELVES
BACK TOGETHER.
BACK TOGETHER. >> AND CHINA IS ALWAYS TRYING.
>> THAT’S WHAT HE ALWAYS SAYS TO
ME, YOU’RE RIGHT.
>> WE HAD A DECLASSIFIED
BRIEFING ABOUT ACTIVITIES OF
CHINESE GOVERNMENT AS RELATES TO
SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
I AGREE WITH RUSSIA, SO IS
CHINA, SEE IS NORTH KOREA.
>> NOT UKRAINE.
>> I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT
GO AHEAD.
GO AHEAD. >> ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT RUSSIA
HAS TARGETED WERE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, TO SUPPRESS
AND TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM
VOTING.
VOTING. SO, FOR ME, THIS LACKADAISICAL
ATTITUDE AND THIS EMBRACING OF
FOREIGN ENTITITIES FOR SOMETHING
THAT’S SO SACRED FOR BLACK
AMERICA AND THEY KNOW THAT OUR
VOTE IS SO CRITICAL THAT THIS IS
SOMETHING TO ME THAT IS -- IT
HITS THAT PERSONAL LEVEL OF MY
COMMITMENT OF OFFICE TO BE A
VOICE, TO STAND UP AND SAY NO
PRESIDENT -- I CAN TELL YOU AND
SAY THIS TO MITCHELL AND ANY
OTHER REPUBLICAN, BARACK OBAMA
WAS DOING THE SAME BEHAVIOR, I
WOULD BE VOTING TO IMPEACH HIM.
>> DEVIN: INTERESTINGLY,
CONGRESSMAN LEVIN, WE ENDED UP
WITH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE SOMEHOW
TANGLED UP IN THE DEBATE ABOUT
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. USMCA WAS PASSED INTO--
YOU’RE WAITING FOR A LOT OF THE
DETAILS ON THIS, THIS
REPLACEMENT FOR NAFTA WHICH
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN DEMANDING
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE NOW,
HOWEVER, THERE WAS THIS SENSE
AMONG SOME THAT IT ONLY PASSED
BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WERE DESPERATE
TO SHOW THAT YOU WERE DOING
SOMETHING OTHER THAN IMPEACHING
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. IS THIS THE RIGHT ANSWER TO
REPLACE NAFTA?
REPLACE NAFTA? >> WELL, I’M DIGGING INTO IT
INTENSIVELY THIS WEEKEND WHAT
THE ACTUAL CHANGE WAS THAT WAS
MADE BECAUSE OF THE HOUSE
DEMOCRATS DEMANDING IT.
AND WHAT THE IMPLEMENTING
LEGISLATION WILL LOOK LIKE.
PERSONALLY I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
VOTE FOR IT UNLESS I’M SURE THAT
THE EFFECT OF THE NEW NAFTA WILL
BE TO BREAK UP THE PROTECTION
CONTRACTS AND PHONY UNIONS IN
MEXICO SO WORKERS THERE CAN
ACTUALLY HAVE FREEDOM, CAN FORM
UNIONS, CAN RAISE THEIR STANDARD
OF LIVING, UNLESS WAGES AND
BENEFITS RISE IN MEXICO, THE
JOBS OF THE MIDDLE CLASS IN THIS
COUNTRY ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
BE SUCKED OUT OF THIS COUNTRY
INTO MEXICO AND WE CAN’T HAVE
THAT.
THAT. SO WE’RE ANALYZING IT THIS
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. THAT’S REALLY OUR HOMEWORK.
>> DEVIN: I’VE LOST TRACK OVER
THE YEARS HOW MANY TIMES YOU AND
I HAVE TALKED ABOUT NAFTA AT
THIS TABLE.
THIS TABLE. >> I’M TRULY PROBABLY -- I MEAN,
AS COMPLICATED AS ANDY IS,
THOUGH I PROBABLY LEAN MORE
TOWARDS -- I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND BE CLEAR
WHEN WE VOTE FOR THIS, THIS IS
NOT GOING TO BRING--
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IT
IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, LABOR
ENFORCEMENT ON THE
PHARMACEUTICAL AREA, AND THAT’S
BEEN DONE, THERE’S SOME CONCERNS
IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS WHICH
HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE
ENVIRONMENTALISTS ABOUT, BUT
NAFTA 1.0 SHIPPED JOBS OVERSEAS,
THEY’RE NEVER COMING BACK.
IF THIS STOPS THE FLOW OF JOBS
TO MEXICO I’LL VOTE FOR IT.
BUT THIS I NOT ENOUGH.
IT’S A BEGINNING, IT’S A FIRST
STEP.
STEP. IT’S BETTER THAN NAFTA 1.0, BUT
WE HAVE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT
WE’VE GOT TO DO.
>> DEVIN: IT’S INTERESTING,
CONGRESSMAN, PRESIDENT TRUMP
CALLED NAFTA THE WORST TRADE
DEAL EVER.
DEAL EVER. IT LOOKS LIKE 85 TO 90% THE SAME
THING, CAN IT BE THAT MUCH OF A
REVOLUTION IF IT--
>> I GUESS I DISAGREE WITH YOUR
ASSESSMENT.
ASSESSMENT. IT INCREASES DOMESTIC
REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTS IN
AUTOMOBILES, FOR EXAMPLE AND
WHAT’S HIDDEN THERE, IF IT
WASN’T SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN
NAFTA, THEN IT WAS DEEMED TO BE
NORTH AMERICAN.
NORTH AMERICAN. FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
UNIT THE WONDERFUL SCREEN IN
YOUR CAR, IT BECAME NORTH
AMERICAN DESPITE THE FACT IT’S
NOT PRODUCED IN NORTH AMERICA IN
MOST CARS.
MOST CARS. IT’S A SIGNIFICANT SETS OF
ISSUES HIDDEN IN THERE,
AGRICULTURALE ALAL COMPONENTS TH
HELP WITH DAIRY AND VARIETY OF
FOLKS IN NAFTA.
MY LOST HIS JOB BECAUSE OF NAFTA
AND HE HAD TO MOVE ELSEWHERE AND
RETIRE EARLY.
RETIRE EARLY. NAFTA WAS DESTRUCTIVE.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT
IMPROVEMENT.
IMPROVEMENT. IF YOU CAN GET SOMETHING IN
CONGRESS THAT’S BETTER THAN
WHERE IT’S AT.
TAKE IT.
TAKE IT. WE HAVE ISSUES WITH CHINA AND
THINGS ADVERSITY DEALING WITH
AMERICA.
AMERICA. IF WE CAN’T GET THIS DONE, WHO
ELSE IS GOING TO NEGOTIATE ON
TRADE.
TRADE. >> DEVIN: AND WRAP THIS INTO
CHINA AND REFER TO A DETENTE
WITH CHINA.
WITH CHINA. >> THE ONE THING THAT WE’VE SEEN
IS DEFLECTING, DEFLECTING.
THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME THAT THE
PRESIDENT MUST CREATE SOME SMOKE
SCREEN.
SCREEN. ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THIS
TRADE DEAL IS THAT OUR LABOR
VOICE, THOSE ON THE GROUND AND
IMPACTED, THE WORKERS, THAT’S
SOMETHING THAT I’VE BEEN IN
CONTACT WITH OUR LABOR LEADERS,
ASKING FOR THEIR CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW THE COMMUNICATION
WORKERS, THESE CALL CENTERS, YOU
KNOW WHEN YOU CALL ANY HELP
DESK, IT’S USUALLY NOT AN
AMERICAN ANSWERING THE PHONE AND
THOSE JOBS ARE GONE AND WILL
THIS FIX EVERYTHING?
NO.
NO. ARE WE MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION?
DIRECTION? YES.
YES. IS THIS THE TIME TO DO IT?
I WOULD QUESTION THAT.
I DON’T THINK THAT WE’RE READY
TO PUSH THE BUTTON ON THIS, BUT
WE MUST DO BETTER THAN NAFTA.
AND SO, THE FACT THAT WE’RE ALL
AT THE TABLE, I MEAN, SOMEBODY
NEEDS TO GIVE US A THAT-A-BOY,
WE’VE GOT THE DEMOCRATS, THE
REPUBLICANS AND THE WHITE HOUSE
ALL IN THE SAME ROOM WORKING ON
THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT’S CRITICAL
TO OUR ECONOMY AND THE WORKERS
ARE THE ONES THAT’S GOING TO
SINK OR SWIM WITH THE DECISIONS
WE MAKE HERE.
IT’S CRITICAL.
IT’S CRITICAL. >> DEVIN: DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN
ON WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH CHINA
ON THIS?
ON THIS? YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT CHINA A LOT.
>> SURE, CHINA’S ATTITUDE AND
BEHAVIOR ON TRADE HAS BEEN
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR YEARS.
THE WAY DONALD TRUMP’S GONE
ABOUT DEALING WITH THIS HAS BEEN
INCOHERENT AND VERY
UNPRODUCTIVE.
UNPRODUCTIVE. HE HAS CAUSED A HUGE TRADE WAR
WITH CHINA.
WITH CHINA. >> DEVIN: ISN’T HE FINALLY DOING
SOMETHING ABOUT IT FOR INSTANCE,
THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT
AND THE CURRENCY MANIPULATION?
HE’S FINALLY DOING SOMETHING,
WASN’T IT?
WASN’T IT? >> WITH ARE ARE THE EUROPEANS?
WHERE ARE THE JAPANESE?
WHERE ARE THE AUSTRALIANS?
WHERE ARE OUR ALLIES.
THE ONLY WAY TO GET CHINA TO
CHANGE ITS BEHAVIOR IS TO ALL
COME TOGETHER AND CONFRONT THE
ONE -- THE BAD ACTOR AND SAY,
NONE OF US ARE GOING TO ACCEPT
THIS.
THIS. THE PRESIDENT’S DOING IT THE
OPPOSITE WAY, HE’S FIGHTING WITH
ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND OUR
ENEMIES ON TRADE AND IT’S CAUSED
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. WE’RE IN A MANUFACTURING
RECESSION.
RECESSION. >> DEVIN: I’VE GOT ABOUT 30
SECONDS LEFT.
SECONDS LEFT. IS THERE ANYBODY AT THE TABLE
THAT BELIEVES THAT THERE’S A
CHANCE THAT THE PRESIDENT’S
GOING TO BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE?
I NOW HAVE 15 SECONDS.
IS THAT A CHANCE, A POSSIBILITY
AT ALL?
AT ALL? >> I DO.
>> I DO. >> DEVIN: YOU DO, ALL RIGHT.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> 2020.
>> 2020. >> ELECTION 2020.
>> DEVIN: THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE AND SPENDING THIS SUNDAY
WITH US.
WITH US. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS.
>> MERRY CHRISTMAS.