>> THANK YOU. >> DEMOCRAT REPRESENT
WISCONSIN'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL AND THAT MAN WAS PETER BARCA,
WHO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED HE IS CHALLENGING STEIL AGAIN THIS
FALL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY,
PETER BARCA. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> YOU SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS SERVING AT SECRETARY DEPARTMENT
IN THE EVERS ADMINISTRATION. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE THAT
JOB AND RUN FOR CONGRESS THIS FALL?
DECISION. YEARS IN THE EVERS
ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE ACCOMPLISHED A GREAT DEAL. WE WERE ABLE TO CUT TAXES FOR
MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES, WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
TOOLS ON EVERYTHING FROM VAPING LAWS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
REGISTRIES, BECAUSE MY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT WORK
FOR ME TOLD ME THAT PEOPLE END UP, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, END UP
IN THE EMERGENCY ROOMS FROM THIS DANGEROUS VAPING.
ONE OF THE LAST BILLS HE SIGNED WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART
AND THAT'S USE THE TAX SYSTEM FOR ORGAN DONATIONS, SOMETHING
VITALLY IMPORTANT. AT THE END OF THAT BILL-SIGNING,
I HAD FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE U-W ORGAN DONATION CENTER, THEY SAID
SECRETARY BARCA, YOU HAVE TO TELL YOUR STAFF, YOU ARE GOING
TO SAVE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF LIVES THROUGH THIS
ASPECT. SO IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I LOVED DOING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF IT WAS A DIFFICULT
DECISION TO LEAVE, BUT LIKE MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA AND I HAVEN'T
TALKED TO ANYONE YET THAT DOESN'T FEEL WE HAVE A
DO-NOTHING, DYSFUNCTIONAL CONGRESS.
I DON'T LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT
ABSOLUTELY HAS TO CHANGE. WHEN I WORKED IN THE POLITICAL
SYSTEM, WHETHER IT WAS IN CONGRESS OR THE STATE
LEGISLATURE, I WAS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT BELIEVED YOU ROLL UP
YOUR SLEEVES, WORK WITH BOTH PARTIES, AND YOU SOLVE THE MAJOR
ISSUES OF THE DAY. RIGHT NOW THERE'S TOO MUCH
POLITICAL INTENSE PARTISANSHIP AND NOT ENOUGH EFFORT TO TRY TO
RESOLVE THE ISSUES OF OUR DAY AND TO MAKE PROGRESS FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, WHO I CARE DEEPLY
ABOUT. CONGRESS PASSED RECENTLY, AND
THAT WAS THE FOREIGN AID PACKAGE.
ON HOW YOU WOULD HAVE VOTE HAD YOU BEEN IN CONGRESS.
I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF THE BILL.
KIDS WITHGIVE ME A QUICK YES OR. WOULD YOU HAVE SUPPORTED THE AID
TO TAIWAN? >> YES.
>> UKRAINE? >> YES.
>> FORCING TIKTOK TO DIVEST FROM ITS PARENT CHINESE COMPANY?
>> YES. >> AND YES OR NO ON FUNDING FOR
ISRAEL. >> YES.
>> SO GIVE ME A PERSPECTIVE. REPRESENTATIVE FROM WISCONSIN
VOTED KNOX ON BOTH TIKTOK AND AID FOR ISRAEL.
WHY WOULD YOU HAVE SUPPORTED THOSE TWO ELEMENTS?
>> WELL, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY VOTED FOR IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
FOR THE ENTIRE BILL. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR ALLIES, AND IT'S VITALLY
IMPORTANT THAT AMERICA CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE IN THE
WORLD AND SUPPORT OUR ALLIES AND DEFEND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY
OVER THE LONG-TERM. THIS BILL DID ACCOMPLISH THAT,
I'M GLAD IT PASSED, AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT MEASURE.
>> SO LOOKING AT THE CAMPAIGN AHEAD, THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL
IS CONSISTENTLY REPUBLICAN DISTRICT.
BE ABLE TO PUT IT IN PLAY THIS FALL?
TWO YEARS AGO. IT'S A DISTRICT.
EVEN WHEN I REPRESENTED IT, YOU HAD PARTS OF WAUKESHA COUNTY,
WHICH IS DEEP RED, VERY DIFFICULT FOR A DEMOCRAT.
THAT WAS TAKEN OUT. AND INSTEAD, PARTS OF MILWAUKEE
WERE PUT IN. IT STILL HAS ALL OF KENOSHA
COUNTY, VIRTUALLY ALL OF ROCK COUNTY, AND SO IT'S A VERY --
IT'S A TYPICAL PURPLE-TYPE DISTRICT THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR
SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, WHO HAVE MANY PEOPLE ENCOURAGED ME TO
RUN. IT TURNS OUT THAT KENOSHA,
RACINE, ARE THE MOST SWING PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, AN AREA I
REPRESENTED FOR OVER A DECADE BEFORE JOINING THE EVERS
CABINET, AND IF AND I HAVE A STG REPUTATION OF WORKING WITH BOTH
PARTIES AND GETTING THINGS DONE. I FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME FOR
CHANGE. S-ACCOUNTABILITY IS THE
CORNERSTONE OF DEMOCRACY. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE VERY BIG
PROBLEMS. BRING FORWARD.
PEOPLE CAN COUNT OFTEN ME TO GO TO BAT FOR PEOPLE.
IN MY HOME DISTRICT IN THE ASSEMBLY, I'VE ALWAYS WON BY
OVERWHELMING MARGINS BECAUSE I'VE HAD SUPPORT FROM DEMOCRATS,
INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
>> SO WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THE TOP OF THE TICKET, BRAZOS BN
VERSUS TRUMP, WILL HAVE, INCLUDING YOUR RACE?
>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, AND I REALLY CAN'T
WORRY ABOUT THAT. I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY OWN
RACE. DO-NOTHING CONGRESS, AND WE NEED
TO CHANGE THAT. I THINK PEOPLE BELIEVE IN
ACCOUNTABILITY. I'M A PERSON KNOWN FOR GETTING
THINGS DONE. IN THE LEGISLATURE, I WAS THE
LEADER FOR SEVEN OF MY -- SEVEN OF THE 10 YEARS THAT I WAS HERE,
AND I'M SOMEBODY THAT WAS KNOWN FOR STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE
IN MY HOME DISTRICT AND WE ACCOMPLISHED A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT. VIOLATES RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING, HAVING TROUBLE MAKING ENDS MEET.
YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO GET INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS, BUT
EVEN PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE HAVING TROUBLE.
THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO. WE CAN HAVE BUY AMERICA, WE'LL
TRY CHAMPION IN THE LEGISLATURE, I WAS THE LEAD AUTHOR.
ALSO IN THE CONGRESS, WHEN I WAS IN THE CONGRESS, I GOT A BUY
AMERICAN PROVISION, DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL, SO SHIPS
ENGINES WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE IN AMERICA AND THAT BROUGHT BACK
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE LAID OFF, AND MANY MORE WERE
HIRED. UNIONS ARE WHAT GAVE US A
PATHWAY TO THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THESE
DISASTROUS TRADE DEALS THAT ARE HURTING AMERICAN BUSINESSES,
HURTING AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS AND HURTING AMERICAN WORKERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I PLAN TO CHAMPION, BUT AS
A FORMER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE
ENTREPRENEURIZE, WORKFORCE WAS SAME THING DOWN IN THE FIRST
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL
CHAMPION IS IT'S RIDICULOUS TO HAVE REMOTE LEARNING
RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
AGO, BUT PEOPLE DESPERATELY NEED WORKERS, SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO
WORK, THEY'RE NOW RESTRICTED 15, 20 HOURS IN SOME CASES, BUT IF
THEY WANT TO WORK 30, FORCED 40A WEEK, GOD BLESS THEM.
I WILL STAND UP FOR OUR FREEDOMS, TAKING AWAY FREEDOMS
FOR WOMEN TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE DECISIONS.
PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO VOTE. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
>> ALL RIGHT. PETER BARCA, WE'LL FOLLOW THIS
THROUGHOUT THE FALL. THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE, ZAC, KEEPING YOUR I APPRECIATE, ZAC, KEEPING YOUR