LATEST ON THE EXPECTED
IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP.
TODAY, THE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE VOTED ALONG PARTY
LINES TO FORWARD TWO ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT FOR A FULL VOTE.
THE FIRST CHARGES HIM WITH ABUSE
OF POWER, THE SECOND WITH
OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS.
THERE IS SOMETHING CONGRESS
AGREES ON ACROSS THE PARTISAN
DIVIDE AND THAT IS THE NEW
NAFTA, THE U.S./MEXICO/CANADA
AGREEMENT.
THE TRADE DEAL COULD GET A
THUMBS-UP VOTE FROM THE U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN
COMING DAYS.
WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMERS ARE
HOPING FOR SWIFT PASSAGE.
WISCONSIN 3rd DISTRICT U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRAT RON KIND
IS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE WAYS
AND COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
TRADE AND ROLLED UP HIS SLEEVES
TO GET THIS PACT UP TO SNUFF FOR
DEMOCRATS.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM LA CROSSE
AND CONGRESSMAN, THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR DOING SO.
>> MERRY CHRISTMAS, FREDERICA.
>> THANK YOU.
FIRST, YOUR REACTION AND
RESPONSE TO THE TWO ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE
LODGING AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> WELL, FRED, WE KNEW THESE
WERE VERY SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS.
AND AS A FORMER SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR I WANTED THIS TO BE
FACT AND EVIDENCE-BASED.
BUT I ALSO WANT BORN HERE IN
THIS COUNTRY BELIEVING NO PERSON
IS ABOVE THE LAW, INCLUDING THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
AND THE ALLEGATIONS ARE SERIOUS,
THAT HE WAS WITHHOLDING $400
MILLION WORTH OF MILL MILITARY AID
FROM ONE OF OUR ALLIES IN ORDER
TO GET THEM TO DO A POLITICAL
INVESTIGATION FOR HIS OWN
BENEFIT IN THE 2020 CAMPAIGN.
HE WAS ALSO WITHHOLDING WHITE
HOUSE PHONE CONVERSATIONS AND A
WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH THE
NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT.
IT'S ILLEGAL TO SOLICIT FOREIGN
COUNTRIES' HELP FOR YOUR OWN
BENEFIT IN AN ELECTION.
IT'S ALSO AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL
ABUSE OF POWER.
BUT HERE'S THE POINT.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING THIS PRESIDENT
AND HIS ADMINISTRATION IF THEY
HAD ANY OTHER EVIDENCE, ANY
OTHER FACTS THAT COULD SHOW THAT
THEY'RE INNOCENT IN THESE
ALLEGATIONS TO COME FORWARD.
BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT,
THEY'VE DONE JUST THE OPPOSITE.
THEY BLOCKED PEOPLE FROM
TESTIFYING.
THEY BLOCKED RECORDS AND
DOCUMENTS FROM BEING TURNED OVER
BASED ON VALID SUBPOENA
REQUESTS.
AND THAT'S BEEN UNFORTUNATE.
AND NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
>> HOW WILL YOU VOTE WHEN IT
COMES TO THE FLOOR NEXT WEEK?
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT STILL HAS
A FEW DAYS TO OFFER ANY
INFORMATION TO SHOW THAT HE IS
NOT GUILTY OF THESE ALLEGATIONS,
THAT HE WASN'T WITHHOLDING $400
MILLION WORTH OF MILITARY AID TO
GET A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO
METTLE IN OUR ELECTION PROCESS.
HE HAS TIME TO SUBMIT THAT
DURING A SENATE TRIAL TOO IF IT
COMES TO THAT POINT AND WE'RE
ASKING HIM TO PARTICIPATE AND
OFFER INFORMATION THAT MIGHT
SHOW HIS INNOCENCE IN THIS
MATTER.
BUT, AGAIN, THEY'VE BEEN
STONEWALLING, BLOCKING,
OBSTRUCTING A LEGITIMATE REQUEST
BY CONGRESS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF ALL THIS.
>> SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU
ARE AS YET UNDEHE UNDECIDED AS TO HOW
YOU WILL VOTE?
>> UNLESS THE CIRCUMSTANCES
CHANGE, THIS LOOKS PRETTY
PROBLEMATIC FOR THE PRESIDENT.
THEY'VE OFFERED NOTHING TO
REFUTE THE MULTITUDE OF
WITNESSES WHO HAVE COME FORWARD,
HONORING A VALID CONGRESSIONAL
SUBPOENA, AND CORROBORATING THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER REPORT THAT CAME
OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
DEMOCRATS DIDN'T INITIATE THIS.
THIS WAS BASED ON A NONPARTISAN
CAREER INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
WORKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
WORKING FOR THIS PRESIDENT, WHO
SAW HIM ABUSING THIS POWER AND
THEREFORE FILED A WHISTLE-BLOWER
REPORT.
THAT HAD TO BE TURNED OVER TO
CONGRESS AND WE HAD TO LOOK INTO
IT.
THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY
TO REFUTE THE ALLEGATIONS BEHIND
THESE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
BUT HE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO DO THAT
AND INSTEAD CREATE POLITICAL
WARFARE IN OUR COUNTRY OVER IT
>> .
THE LATEST WISCONSIN POLLING
SHOWS BY A 12-POINT MARGIN THIS
WEEK MOST PEOPLE DON'T SUPPORT
THIS.
>> LET ME SAY THIS.
I'M THE ONLY MEMBER OF CONGRESS
IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY
THAT DID SUPPORT TWO IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRIES, ONE AGAINST PRESIDENT
CLINTON AND NOW ONE WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAUSE I DO
TAKE MY ARTICLE ONE
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
SERIOUSLY.
CONGRESS IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION
THAT CAN STAND UP TO THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH SHES THE, THE PRESIDENT,
ARCHEDAND HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE TO CHOOSE AT THE END OF
THE DAY DO WE WANT TO LIVE IN
THAT DEMOCRACY OR DO WE WANT
SOMEONE WHO LIVES ABOVE THE RULE
OF LAW.
WHAT TYPE OF DEMOCRACY DO WE
WANT AT THE END OF THE DAY?
>> HOW WILL YOU VOTE?
>> UNLESS THE PRESIDENT COMES
FORWARD WITH FACTS THAT WOULD
CHANGE THE EVIDENCE THAT'S
BEFORE US RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE
AS AN INSTITUTION, CONGRESS, HAS
TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE TO THE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL ABUSE OF POWER,
THE UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES IN
TRYING TO SOLICIT A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT TO METTLE IN OUR
ELECTION.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP.
IT'S ABOUT FUTURE PRESIDENTS TOO
AND WHAT TYPE OF SIGNAL WE SEND
THAT'S ACCEPTABLE IN OUR
DEMOCRACY.
AND IT MAY BE A DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT THE NEXT TIME TRYING
TO ABUSE THAT OFFICE.
>> LET'S MOVE TO TRADE.
I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THERE
IS A DEAL BETWEEN THE
ADMINISTRATION AND DEMOCRATS IN
THE USMCA.
DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGNED ON
RIPPING UP NAFTA.
IS THIS THEN A WIN/WIN?
>> I THINK IT IS.
THIS IS A GOOD TRADE AGREEMENT.
I WAS INVOLVED INTIMATELY IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS.
IT WAS HARD NEGOTIATIONS THE
LAST FEW MONTHS.
BUT I THINK WE GOT A GOOD TRADE
AGREEMENT AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
MEXICO, CANADA ARE OUR TWO
BIGGEST EXPORT MARKETS.
WHAT THIS WILL MEAN FOR
WISCONSIN FARMERS, WE'RE GOING
TO GET GREATER DAIRY ACCESS TO
THE CANADIAN MARKET.
WE TIGHTENED UP SANITARY
STANDARDS SO CANADA AND MEXICO
CAN'T BLOCK OUR PRODUCTS LIKE
THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.
I THINK WE HAVE A STRONG WORKER
RIGHTS CHAPTER IN IT,
UNPRECEDENTED, AND EL ELEVATED
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS TO LEVEL
THE PLAYING FIELD SO WE CAN
COMPETE.
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, A
STRONG ENFORCEMENT CHAPTER NOW
SO IF CANADA AND MEXICO CHOOSES
NOT TO ABIDE, WE CAN PERHAPS HIT
THEM WITH SANCTIONS FOR ANY
VIOLATIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
YOU COULD HAVE A GREAT TRADE
AGREEMENT ON PAPER BUT UNLESS
YOU CAN ENFORCE IT, IT'S
MEANINGLESS.
I'M EXPECTING STRONG BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT.
WE'RE HOPING TO BRING THIS UP
NEXT WEEK IN CONGRESS AND THEN
SEND IT TO THE SENATE FOR THEIR
CONSIDERATION.
>> WHAT WILL IT MEAN
SPECIFICALLY FOR STATE DAIRY
FARMERS?
>> WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE
GREATER CLASS SEVEN ACCESS IN
CANADA RIGHT NOW.
CANADA WAS BLOCKING THE ULTRA
FILTERED MILK UP THERE.
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT
IMPROVEMENT FOR THAT AND I THINK
THAT'S IMPORTANT.
ALSO THE SPS STANDARDS I TALKED
ABOUT ARE IMPORTANT.
IT HAS TO BE BASED ON SOUND
SCIENCE AND NOT ARBITRARY
BLOCKING OF OUR EXPORTS.
>> HOW WILL ANY BENEFITS BE FELT
BY WISCONSIN FARMERS A YEAR FROM
NOW?
>> HOPEFULLY THROUGH INCREASED
EXPORTS WE CAN CLEAR SOME OF THE
SURPLUS THAT EXISTS THAT'S
DRIVING PRICES DOWN.
LISTEN, MEXICO, CANADA ALONE
CAN'T SOLVE THE FARM CRISIS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS DECLARED A
TRADE WAR AGAINST EVERYONE
ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THAT MEANS WE'RE LOOKING MARKET
ACCESS WITH AGRICULTURE,
MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS.
THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED, TOO.
I'M IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION
WITH THE TRADE TEAM TO FIND A
LANDING ZONE FOR THIS TRADE WAR
WITH CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES
ACROSS THE GLOBE THAT'S HURTING
OUR FARMERS AND MANUFACTURERS,
BUT ALSO DRIVING UP PRICES FOR
US CONSUMERS.
BECAUSE TARIFFS ARE TAXES ON THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
FOR SOME REASON, THE PRESIDENT
CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND IT'S INCREASING OUR COSTS
WHEN WE HAVE TO PURCHASE
SOMETHING.
>> CONGRESSMAN RON