FILLED WITH RACIAL VICISSITUDES.
DAVID: OTHER THAN THAT HE LOVES
IT.
A LOT OF FIERY BACKLASH FROM
DEMOCRATS ON REPUBLICAN EFFORTS
TO REFORM FOOD STAMPS MAKING
ABLE-BODIED RECIPIENTS WORK A
LITTLE MORE FOR THEIR BENEFITS.
MY NEXT GUEST SITS ON THE
COMMITTEE THAT WILL WRITE
PROPOSED CHANGES HOPES TO GET
THE BILL PASSED THROUGH THE
HOUSE SOON.
HERE IS CONGRESSMAN JODEY
ARRINGTON.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
I REMEMBER, WASN'T TOO LONG AGO,
BILL CLINTON, DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES WAS SIGNING
A WORK FARE BILL THAT FORCED
RECIPIENTS OF WELFARE TO WORK A
LITTLE, AS LONG AS THEY'RE
ABLE-BODIED RECIPIENTS.
DEMOCRATS WERE ONBOARD THEN.
WHY AREN'T THEY ON BOARD TODAY?
>> YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
HIS VERY WORDS WERE WE NEED
FOLKS TO NOT JUST GET A WELFARE
CHECK, MORE IMPORTANTLY GET A
CHECK FOR WORKING AND PRODUCING
AND NOT BEING DEPENDENT AND
STUCK IN THE CYCLE OF DEPENDENCY
AND POVERTY THAT WE'VE TRAPPED
SO MANY OF OUR WELFARE
RECIPIENTS IN.
OF THIS IS COMMON SENSE.
IT IS COMMON DECENCY.
THIS IS COME FASHIONPASSIONATE
POLICY, NOT JUST RESPONSIBLE
POLICY IF YOU'RE ABLE-BODIED AND
ADULT AGE 18 TO 59, YOU WANT TO
RECEIVE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
BECAUSE YOU NEED IT, YOU NEED TO
GET OUT AND WORK.
IF YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED, WE TAKE
ALL THE SAVINGS TO PLOW IT INTO
TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO --
DAVID: SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT DEAL
BUT IT DOES TELL YOU A LOT WHERE
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS NOW.
FOR DECADES, FOR GENERATIONS
DEMOCRATS WERE WARNING ABOUT
DEPENDENCY FROM TOO MUCH
WELFARE, GENERATION AFTER
GENERATION.
WAY BACK IN THE 1930S, THE GUY
PRETTY MUCH INVENTED WELFARE IN
THE UNITED STATES, FDR, WROTE
THE FOLLOWING, I WILL QUOTE IT
HERE, CONTINUED DEPENDENCE ON
RELIEF, WELFARE, REDUCES A
SPIRITUAL AND INTEGRATION
DESTRUCTIVE TO THE NATIONAL
FIBER.
TO DOLE OUT THIS WAY IS TO
ADMINISTER A NARCOTIC A SUBTLE
DESTROYER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
IT IS INIMICAL TO THE DICTATES
OF SOUND POLICY MORE THAN THAT
IT IS VIOLATION OF TRADITIONS OF
AMERICA.
WHO CAN DISAGREE WITH THAT?
I GUESS DEMOCRATS NOW COULD.
>> I HER WORDS LIKE HEARTLESS,
SHAMEFUL.
I THINK IT IS SHAMEFUL TO HAVE
POLICIES IN PLACE TO TRAP
PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF PULLING THEM
UP AND OUT TO REALIZE THE
GREATEST POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE
THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
TO ME THIS IS A BASE BEING
EXPECTATION I THINK FOR
TAXPAYERS, BUT I THINK IT IS
COMPASSIONATE POLICY.
AND IT'S A SHAME THAT I THINK
THE DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY JUST
POSTURING AND, THEY DIDN'T
PRESENT BY THE WAY ANY
AMENDMENTS.
THEY DIDN'T PRESENT ANY
SOLUTIONS.
THEY JUST TALKED ABOUT --
DAVID: THEY'RE POSTURING FOR THE
ELECTION.
THAT IS WITH THEY'RE DOING.
THE FACT THIS IS A PERFECT TIME
FOR THE PLAN.
I'M SURE BILL CLINTON WOULD
AGREE.
THIS IS A MOMENT THERE ARE MORE
JOBS THAN THERE HAVE BEEN IN MY
ENTIRE LIFETIME AVAILABLE.
IF YOU'RE AN ABLE-BODIED
AMERICAN, IT IS NEVER EASY TO
FIND A JOB THAN IT IS NOW.
I HAVE TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER
TOPIC.
NAFTA IS BEING RENEGOTIATED
RIGHT NOW.
AS WE ALL KNOW THE PRESIDENT
CAMPAIGNED ON A POLICY IS
AGAINST NAFTA PARTICULARLY, BUT
DEALS LIKE THAT.
DEALS THAT LUMPED A BUNCH
NATIONS TOGETHER IN A TRADE
DEAL.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
MOST RECENT NEGOTIATIONS ON
NAFTA?
>> WE, I THINK THEY'RE IN THE
LAST STAGES OF NEGOTIATING THE
DEAL IN PRINCIPLE.
I'M SURE A LOT OF DETAILS TO
WORK OUT.
I THINK THEY PROJECTED IN EARLY
MAY THEY WILL HAVE THIS DONE.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT
TO SAY, AFTER 20 YEARS, WE NEED
TO UPDATE AND MODERNIZE AND GET
A BETTER DEAL ALL AROUND FOR OUR
PRODUCERS AND MANUFACTURERS.
SO I'M GLAD HE IS DOING IT.
AND I THINK WE'LL END UP WITH A
THE BETTER NAFTA DEAL.
IT SERVED OUR ECONOMY AND
CONSUMERS WELL BUT I THINK THERE
ARE CHANGES TO NAFTA THAT WILL
AGAIN IMPROVE OUR MANUFACTURING
BASE IN AMERICA.
DAVID: YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
WITH THESE TRADE DEALS, THESE
MULTINATIONAL TRADE DEALS THEY
MAY BE OKAY WHEN THEY ARE SIGNED
BUT THEY EVOLVE IN WAYS THAT ARE
DISPROPORTIONALLY GOOD OR BAD
FOR SOME OF THE SIGNATORIES.
THE MEXICANS CAN SELL A LOT MORE
STUFF FREE OF ANY TARIFFS THAN
WE CAN TO MEXICO.
IT SEEMS TO HAVE EVOLVED VERY
BADLY OVER TIME.
AM I WRONG?
>> NO, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK THERE ARE OTHER, FOR
EXAMPLE, ON THE AGRICULTURE
SIDE.
TEXAS IS THE LARGEST AG
PRODUCING STATE IN THE COUNTRY
AND WE EXPORT A BILLION DOLLARS
OF AG PRODUCT TO MEXICO.
IF YOU GO INTO THE NORTHEAST
WHERE WE HAVE DAIRY PRODUCERS,
BUT TALK ABOUT THE CANADA SIDE
OF THIS, CANADA'S PROTECTIONIST
POLICIES OF SUBSIDIZING THEIR
DAIRY PRODUCERS, DUMPING IN
MEXICO HAS REALLY HURT OUR DAIRY
PRODUCERS.
DAVID: NEEDS RENEGOTIATION.
>> WE OFFERED THEM OPEN ACCESS
TO U.S. MARKETS.
YEAH, IT NEEDS TO BE
RENEGOTIATED.
