>> 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