CONVERSATION.
% >> POLICE REFORM IS JUST ONE OF
% THE POLICY POINTS WISCONSIN U.S.
% REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN HAS
% BEEN PUSHING THIS WEEK.
% HE PRAISES THE SUPREME COURT
% DECISION THAT PROTECTS GAY,
% LESBIAN AND TRANSGENDER
% EMPLOYEES FROM DISCRIMINATION
% BASED ON SEX, WHILE SAYING THERE
% IS MORE TO BE DONE.
% REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN JOINED
% US EARLIER THIS WEEK TO TALK
% ABOUT THOSE ISSUES AND THANKS
% VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
% >> YEAH.
% THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
% GLAD TO.
% >> FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO GET
% YOUR REACTION TO THE SUPREME
% COURT RULING BLOCKING THE TRUMP
% ADMINISTRATION FROM DEFERRING
% THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR
% CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS.
% >> YEAH.
% IT'S BEEN A GOOD WEEK FOR THE
% SUPREME COURT ON A FEW FRONTS
% AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE
% THE PRESIDENT WAS USING A GROUP
% OF PEOPLE TO BE POLITICAL
% LEVERAGE IN HIS DEMAND FOR A
% WALL.
% AND YOU NEVER CAN USE PEOPLE
% LIKE THAT.
% AND THE PRESIDENT OF COURSE DID.
% AND THE SUPREME COURT OVERRULED
% THAT ABILITY FOR HIM TO TRY TO
% MAKE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE
% MAYBE SINCE THEY WERE TWO WEEKS
% OLD, TWO MONTHS OLD, TWO YEARS
% OLD, THEY MAY NOT SPEAK THE
% LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY THAT
% THEY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM, AND
% THEY WERE BROUGHT HERE THROUGH
% NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
% TO SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DEPORT
% PEOPLE LIKE THAT MADE NO SENSE.
% NOW THE SUPREME COURT MADE SURE
% THAT DONALD TRUMP ALSO
% UNDERSTANDS THAT.
% >> WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PEOPLE
% IN WISCONSIN?
% >> WELL, IT MEANS I THINK THAT
% ANYONE WHO'S A DACA RECIPIENT OF
% WHICH THERE ARE MANY.
% I'VE HAD INTERNS IN MY OFFICE,
% PEOPLE WE'VE BROUGHT TO THE
% STATE OF THE UNION.
% WE'VE HAD OTHERS THAT ARE VERY
% ACTIVE AS FRONT LINE ESSENTIAL
% WORKERS.
% IT TELLS THEM THAT THEY DON'T
% HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOME
% POLITICIAN USING THEIR LIFE AT
% POLITICAL FODDER.
% IT PROVIDES A SENSE OF RELIEF.
% THE REAL RELIEF WILL HAPPEN WHEN
% THERE'S A NEW ADMINISTRATION AND
% NEW APPROACH TOWARD IMMIGRATION.
% JOE BIDEN SAID ON HIS FIRST WEEK
% IN OFFICE, WE'LL MAKE SURE DACA
% RECIPIENTS AREN'T USED AS
% POLITICAL LEVERAGE.
% THAT'S AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL TO
% PEOPLE SO THEY CAN LIVE THEIR
% LIVES.
% >> ON POLICE REFORM, BOTH THE
% HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE VERSIONS
% OF BILLS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO
% HEAD TO THE FLOOR NEXT WEEK.
% WHAT'S YOUR EXPECTATION THAT
% COMMON GROUND ON THESE CAN BE
% FOUND?
% >> WELL, I WOULD HOPE SO.
% I'VE SEEN SOME POLLING THAT WEEK
% THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING AND VERY
% HEARTENING THAT THE PUBLIC GET
% IT.
% THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE HAD
% RACISM THAT HASN'T GONE AWAY.
% ALL THE RALLIES AND THE FIGHTS
% FROM THE '60s, WE SHOULD BE
% MUCH FARTHER THAN WE ARE AND
% HERE WE ARE DECADES LATER AND
% PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY CREATED OR
% TREATED AS EQUAL UNDER THE LAW
% IN TOO MANY CASES.
% BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY
% IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE
% LEGISLATION THAT ADDRESSES
% THINGS LIKE CHOKEHOLDS AND
% NO-KNOCK WARRANTS FOR DRUG
% CASES, THAT KEEPS TRACK OF THE
% POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE CAUSING
% PROBLEMS, THAT DOES ALL THE
% THINGS THAT WE NEED TO.
% THAT'S IN THE HOUSE BILL THAT
% WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING UP NEXT
% THURSDAY.
% BUT SOME OF THOSE ARE GOING TO
% BE IN THE SENATE BILL.
% WE'LL HAVE TO COMPROMISE TO THE
% FINAL BILL.
% BUT PUBLIC SUPPORT IS THERE AND
% I THINK WE NEED TO RISE TO THAT.
% >> WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THE
% HISTORIC SUPREME COURT RULING
% THIS WEEK THAT PROTECTS GAY AND
% TRANSGENDER WORKERS?
% >> YOU KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER ISSUE
% THAT I WAS VERY HEARTENED TO
% SEE.
% YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULDN'T BE FIRED
% FROM YOUR JOB SIMPLY FOR WHO YOU
% ARE OR WHO YOU LOVE.
% AND THAT'S WHAT THE SUPREME
% COURT SAID.
% THE PROBLEM IS THE MAJORITY OF
% STATES, YOU COULD BE FIRED FOR
% WHO YOU LOVE.
% YOU COULD LOSE YOUR HOUSING FOR
% WHO YOU LOVE.
% AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER
% RAMIFICATIONS WHEN YOU DON'T
% HAVE A LAW LIKE WISCONSIN HAD.
% WE WERE THE FIRST STATE IN THE
% NATION IN 1982 TO HAVE A LAW
% PROTECTING GAYS AND LESBIANS BUT
% NOT TRANSGENDER AT THAT TIME.
% IT TOOK SEVEN YEARS FOR ANOTHER
% STATE TO HAVE A LAW LIKE THAT.
% SO THEM SAYING IN THE SUPREME
% COURT PROTECTS PEOPLE ON
% EMPLOYMENT, BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH
% MORE TO STILL DO AND THAT'S WHY
% WE HAVE THE EQUALITY ACT IN
% CONGRESS.
% IT PASSED THE HOUSE WITH
% BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
% MITCH MCCONNELL HAS TAKEN IT TO
% KENTUCKY AND BURIED IT.
% WE CAN GET THAT DONE WITH A
% DIFFERENT SENATE AND A DIFFERENT
% PRESIDENT.
% >> WHAT WOULD THE EQUALITY ACT
% DO?
% >> THE EQUALITY ACT IS A
% CATCH-ALL OF EVERYTHING THAT'S
% NOT COVERED BY MARRIAGE EQUALITY
% UNDER THE LAW SO THAT NO MATTER
% WHERE YOU LIVE, WHAT STATE IN
% THIS NATION, YOU'D BE TREATED
% THE SAME.
% INCLUDES DISCRIMINATION IN
% HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, WHOLE BUNCH
% OF AREAS.
% IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE BILL.
% AGAIN, WHEN WE PASSED IT IN THE
% HOUSE, WE HAD BIPARTISAN
% SUPPORT.
% SO THE PUBLIC IS WITH US ON THE
% BILL.
% IT'S UNFORTUNATELY SOME
% POLITICAL LEADERS STILL USE THIS
% AS A POLITICAL LEVERAGE POINT.
% AGAIN, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD
% EVER USE PEOPLE AS LEVERAGE.
% >> ON COVID, YOU'RE BLASTING
% PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR HOLDING THIS
% RALLY SATURDAY IN TULSA, BUT
% ALSO FOR HAVING PEOPLE WHO
% ATTEND IT SIGN LIABILITY
% WAIVERS.
% BUT THE QUESTION MIGHT BE WHY
% SHOULDN'T PEOPLE GET TO MAKE THE
% CHOICE WHETHER TO ATTEND, FIRST
% OF ALL.
% AND, SECOND OF ALL, WHETHER
% THEY'RE OKAY WITH SIGNING THIS
% WAIVER.
% >> WELL, I THINK IT'S
% IRRESPONSIBLE FOR ANYONE,
% ESPECIALLY THE PRESIDENT, WHO
% KNOWS -- SHOULD KNOW BETTER WHEN
% IT COMES TO COVID-19 THAT YOU
% CAN'T HAVE A RALLY IN AN AREA
% WITH INCREASING CASES IN AN
% INDOOR ARENA WITH 1,000 OR MORE
% PEOPLE.
% HE'S TALKING 10,000 PEOPLE.
% AND YOU KNOW IT'S SO BAD THAT
% YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO SIGN A
% WAIVER SO YOU CAN'T SUE YOU.
% EVERYTHING ABOUT IT STINKS.
% AND, YOU KNOW, HE SHOULD HAVE
% BETTER SENSE.
% BUT BY NOW WE'VE SEEN DONALD
% TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF
% SENSE.
% SO THEREFORE I'M SAYING THROUGH
% THE RALLIES ACT THAT IF YOU TRY
% TO DO THAT IN A CONDITION IN A
% COMMUNITY WITH 14 DAYS OR MORE
% OF INCREASING CASES, WHICH IS
% HOW WE MEASURE THIS, IN AN
% INDOOR FACILITY WITH 1,000 OR
% MORE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE NOT
% ALLOWED TO HAVE A LIABILITY
% WAIVER TO PROTECT YOURSELF
% BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
% BETTER THAN TO HAVE THE EVENT IN
% THE BEGINNING.
% A LOT OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AROUND
% THE COUNTRY DON'T WANT THESE
% RALLIES BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE
% BEST INTEREST FOR THE PUBLIC IN
% THOSE COMMUNITIES.
% THE PRESIDENT CAN FLY IN AND
% OUT.
% BUT THE PEOPLE IN TULSA OR
% WHEREVER ELSE IS RALLY IS BEING
% HELD ARE GOING TO LIVE THERE
% WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE
% ACTIONS.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
% REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN,
% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> SURE.
% TH