TED CRUZ INTERVIEW, HIS POSITION ON TPP TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AND TPA TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY 

Transcript

0:00

and we are now joined by senator Ted Cruz Texas Republican

0:04

and presidential candidate senator thank you so much for coming on the corner

0:09

report

0:09

I know you're very busy we really appreciate it

0:12

good morning jeff it's great it's great to be with the it's always great to be

0:16

with you

0:16

I okay so senator let me just saw a cut to the chase

0:20

trip I the house is about to vote in a on fast track authority

0:25

they are a lot of conservatives out there are very angry they don't want to

0:30

give this president

0:32

TPA they feel that we sent you

0:35

and fellow republicans up in the up to washington

0:39

to block him to stop him to curb his imperial presidency

0:44

and so my first question to you is this why would Ted Cruz

0:49

a staunch Obama critic give Obama

0:53

almost complete power to complete negotiations over the TPP

0:58

and then reduce the threshold for a vote on the TPP

1:03

from 67 votes to sixty votes

1:06

250 votes plus one why would you trust this president

1:10

honestly senator I wouldn't trust them to clean my point lift

1:14

if it was clogged if you came in with a plunger why would you trust him

1:18

with the national interest well jeff thank you for that question there's a

1:23

lot of substance there so so let's let's take the different pieces one at a time

1:27

but but let's start with with the first premise

1:31

I that we should be fighting Obama

1:33

and and I think it is fair to say there has been no body in the United States

1:38

Congress

1:39

the stood up and fought President Obama more that I had more consistently

1:44

over and over again this is not a lawless president who was abused his

1:48

power

1:48

and at every turn whether it is leading the fight to stop Obamacare weather is

1:54

leading the fight

1:55

to stop the debt ceiling from being raised without meaningful reforms

1:58

weather is leading the fight

1:59

stop President Obama's amnesty when most to the republicans

2:04

were not in the fight I had been reading the fight so you're preaching to the

2:11

choir

2:12

that we have to stop this president's abuse about

2:15

thats number one now let's talk about

2:20

PTA and PPP because unfortunately there so many acronyms

2:24

that this gets confusing and and it's getting a lot of people because

2:30

we naturally distrust this president a lot of people are very very concerned

2:33

and don't understand

2:35

the multiple pieces that are here GPA and DPP are two things that are very

2:40

very different

2:41

pp a is trade promotion authority

2:45

it's also known as fast track

2:49

fast track is the process by which trade agreements are approved by congress

2:54

Italian trade agreements have been done for eighty years

2:59

I through TPA what happens is that the

3:02

fun and congress sets out specific negotiating parameters

3:07

for the executive and free trade agreements

3:10

and if the executive follows those objectives

3:14

then when the trade agreement goes to congress

3:17

it is subject to an up-or-down vote a straight up-or-down vote with no

3:21

amendments

3:21

now history is demonstrated the only way to get

3:26

a trade agreement adopted is with fast-track

3:30

since FDR consistently for 80 years

3:33

presidents in both parties have had fast-tracked anytime fast-track has

3:37

lapsed

3:37

trade agreements don't get to go should and the reason for that

3:42

is that foreign countries are unwilling to negotiate an agreement if on the back

3:47

and in congress a whole buncha amendments could be stuck on on the end

3:50

so what congress is building on right now is TPA is the process

3:57

for negotiating free trade agreement now there is a second thing called PPP

4:02

and a lot of the discussion has focused on PPP

4:06

PPP is one specific trade agreement that's currently being negotiated

4:11

PPP stand for the trans-pacific partnership

4:14

I it's being negotiated with 11 other countries including

4:19

Canada Japan Australia New Zealand I

4:22

china is not one of those eleven countries I

4:26

right now there is no final language on PPP because TPP

4:30

is still being negotiated the different countries are gone back and forth the

4:33

administration is going back and forth

4:35

what the Senate has voted on St PA the process for free trade agreements not

4:41

PPP the specific per sec Pacific

4:44

trade agreement what i voted

4:47

on is TPA the process

4:51

that allows free trade agreement to be negotiated not

4:54

this person

4:55

agreement TPP I haven't decided I haven't taken a position

5:00

one way or the other on PPP because

5:03

for any trade agreement I wanna see what the final agreement is the

5:07

ago she added to assess whether it's a good thing or bad thing so I have not

5:11

taken a position

5:12

publicly or privately on PPP and I don't intend to until there's an actual

5:16

agreement

5:17

to radio now the

5:22

there were several things on your question that the need to address one

5:25

other thing he said

5:26

is why would you lower the threshold from 67 to 60

5:30

250 and and that's based

5:34

at Jeff on on a misunderstanding a lot of folks that are saying

5:38

PPAs somehow giving up the Senate Report power

5:41

now as you know I've spent my entire professional career

5:45

for two decades defending the US Constitution under the Constitution

5:51

there are two ways to make binding along number one you can pass a treaty

5:56

ratified by two-thirds of the Senate

5:57

or number two you can pass the legislation passed by majority in both

6:02

houses of Congress and signed by the president those are the only two ways

6:06

to make binding on america BPA uses the second constitutional path which is

6:12

a majority in both houses signed by the president which have laws made

6:16

an American part of the reason is it's been long recognized

6:20

that the Constitution's origination costs

6:23

applies to trade bills which means the House of Representatives has to be

6:28

involved

6:28

there's a reason why trade bills have historically not been down a street is

6:33

because the constitution says

6:35

that anything concerning the raising a revenues and trade bills concerned

6:38

parents which is raising a revenues

6:40

hand to originate in the house representatives so

6:44

the problem that's approving a trade agreement through both houses of

6:49

Congress

6:50

has been the way it has been done for roughly a century

6:54

and it is not giving the president more authority had people are saying over and

6:59

over again

7:00

why would you give President Obama

7:02

more power this is not getting President Obama more power and and I understand

7:06

that concern I don't

7:08

I do not trust this president any more than you do

7:11

and and I think the scars that I bear from standing and fighting against him

7:16

over and over again

7:17

demonstrate that I don't trust this president but at the same time

7:22

my top priority in the senate has been jobs and economic growth and when I ran

7:26

for the senate in Texas

7:28

Iran supporting free trade just like ronald reagan did

7:32

I believe free trade benefits America American farmers and ranchers

7:37

and and manufacturers that opening up foreign markets

7:41

helps create jobs here at home in and that's why I supported pp I haven't

7:46

taken a position

7:47

on TBP cuz we need to see what senator first okay arm

7:51

the senator just there's no question about it and I think this

7:55

you have led the fight on many issues that goes without saying

7:59

and I think this is why I've been a big supporter of yours

8:02

me my listeners have been a big supporter of yours and

8:06

honestly senator during no one doubts that I have to ask you know a couple

8:10

mother followed her shitter

8:11

have you read the trans-pacific partnership have you read the text from

8:16

beginning to end

8:18

the reason why I ask is as you know a good colleague Irv years a good friend

8:22

and ally on many issues

8:23

Senator Jeff Sessions a known as a straight shooter

8:27

he's read the treaty per forgive me the taxed

8:31

he says this is not a trade pact this is not your simple trade deal

8:36

we're not talking now after we're not talking the US Korean trade deal

8:41

were talking about something that is in many ways

8:44

a political economic Union it leads to a Pacific Union

8:49

it has a special TPP Commission

8:52

embedded with certain powers that would eventually Trump

8:56

american sovereignty on immigration on labor

9:00

on the environment on commercial policy and even on food

9:05

and so the question is this senator if you haven't read the tree from beginning

9:10

to end

9:10

and and people who have read the treaty and I read the wiki leaks which revealed

9:15

some in the secret immigration chapters

9:17

that are embedded within Obama trade it clearly creates an international

9:22

commission

9:23

why then would you vote for TPA

9:26

and lower the trash all 250 votes plus one

9:30

when you know then the president can bribe enough people

9:33

to get fifty plus one because this is now no longer a trade deal

9:38

you're creating now in many ways a supranational

9:42

entity closer to the European Union why would Ted Cruz do that

9:47

and trust this president when we know for the last six years

9:50

he has been negotiating this completely in secret

9:54

and he never has america's self-interest and heart

9:57

well again there's a lot a lot a substance and that question so let's try

10:02

to address it

10:03

one at a time first of all yes I have read PPP I have gone to the classified

10:08

setting in the capital and and read it

10:10

I'm and wanna the sources are

10:14

much over the concern is the fact that the text if PPP is classified

10:19

I think that is idiotic I have publicly called repeatedly

10:24

for the text pppp to be made public I i understand why people are naturally

10:30

deeply suspicious cuz at the Texas secret

10:33

this president has proven so lawless and so on trustworthy

10:36

that every possible parade of horribles you can come up with people naturally

10:41

assume

10:41

it's gotta be in there because at the Texas secret they don't trust this

10:45

president

10:46

I get that I don't trust this president either but I've read this trade

10:49

agreement

10:50

you read it senator you read it word for word every science sat down and read and

10:53

read the trade agreement

10:54

is is Senator Sessions lying I what he is saying is not accurate

10:59

that is not accurate on this trade agreement

11:03

now at least the current trend with this is being negotiated to the stress change

11:09

with the current draft that is in congress that I have read

11:11

does not impact change alter or affect US immigration law

11:17

there he is a brief section in

11:20

and the PPP that kind

11:23

earns issues and immigration but explicitly the United States doesn't

11:26

join that section

11:27

so it's it is a provisional a trade agreement between

11:31

other countries that the United States the way trainees work sometimes

11:35

countries join part of a treaty but not another party the tree

11:38

the immigration Party United States has explicitly not joined

11:42

beyond that I introduced legislation

11:46

when TPA was being considered I introduced an amendment to make explicit

11:50

that no trade agreement with impact immigration

11:52

unfortunately two senators

11:56

I Rand Paul

11:59

and Lindsey Graham objected to allowing that amendment come up to about so it

12:04

didn't get voted on in the Senate

12:05

however the house representatives publicly agreed to include that

12:10

amendment that I worked on with jeff Sessions

12:13

the house to represent as it publicly agreed to include that amendment in the

12:18

final text that they vote

12:20

be on at that notion I love

12:23

giving up sovereignty and an international body that can alter US law

12:29

yes I have spent 20 years

12:33

fighting to defend United States sovereignty there's no one in the senate

12:37

who has been a stronger opponent and international bodies taking away our

12:41

authority

12:42

as you recall you and i talked about the case may be in versus Texas

12:46

when I was the solicitor general a Texas the chief lawyer for the state of Texas

12:50

I stood up and fought the world court and the United Nations

12:55

which it issued an order but to the United States to reopen the convictions

13:00

a 51 murders I went before the US Supreme Court

13:03

on the other side was the world court was the United Nations

13:07

or 90 foreign nations and was the present at the United States who I would

13:12

note

13:13

unfortunately was a Republican George W Bush and I stood up to my own party

13:17

and to the world court in the land

13:19

sending US sovereignty and we won 6-3

13:23

and the supreme court rightly concluded

13:26

that the world court in the united nations have no authority to bind the

13:30

United States

13:31

and the president of the united states has no authority to give up our

13:34

sovereignty

13:34

so when it comes to defending sovereignty there is no one

13:39

who has fought the fight longer are harder then I have or more successfully

13:44

and it is simply Paul that

13:48

the TPP trade agreement

13:52

gives up our sovereignty there there is nothing in PPAR TPP that can give a

13:57

foreign body

13:58

the ability to make binding law

14:02

in the United States of America and under our constitution we talk about a

14:05

minute ago

14:05

there are two ways to make law it's not have a senate treaty

14:10

ratified by two-thirds of the Senate where you can have a law adopted

14:15

by both houses and signed into law by the president there is not

14:19

a third option and so I

14:22

fully understand the fears because we do not trust this president

14:26

and because periodically the Texas secret people are naturally believing it

14:31

does all these terrible things

14:33

much the TPP does not do that and it

14:40

tried to use this president tried to slip something in

14:44

it would have to be approved by congress and by the way under the terms of the

14:50

fast-track TPA

14:52

any trade agreement including the PPP

14:56

must be public at least sixty days attacks to that

14:59

before it is voted on so i'd call repeatedly they should make detective it

15:04

public today

15:05

but even if the administration doesn't follow what I'm calling for

15:10

the TPP cannot be voted on

15:13

until the text has been public for at least

15:16

sixty days which means you can read it word-for-word everyone else can we can

15:21

have a

15:21

all and robust debate about what senator senator I have to ask you just a couple

15:25

more follow-up question sir

15:27

when we did our town hall together I remember explicitly I ask you point

15:32

blank about the TPA in the TPP

15:34

it and you said to me and we have the Cape

15:37

the UID not read the entire text the UN red

15:41

parts of the tax not all the tax and that

15:45

you said but not to worry cuz this was just according to you

15:48

a standard trade pact listen to senator jeff Sessions

15:53

I just because I'm either someone's lot someone's getting the information wrong

15:57

so it's either you or Senator Sessions here is what senator session said

16:01

on-the-record quote

16:02

he's talking now about arm

16:05

about the TPA and he says in particular

16:09

he said that vs is not

16:13

a trade deal it is much more

16:16

%uh the treaty as he puts it close to having been to the closed room to review

16:21

the secret acts

16:22

on the TPP it is clear it more closely resembles a treaty then a trade deal

16:27

he goes on to say quote the implications of this new Pacific Union

16:33

are extraordinary and ought to be discussed

16:37

in fall in public before congress

16:40

even contemplates fast tracking its creation

16:43

and preset pre surrendering its power to apply the constitutional two-thirds

16:48

treaty vote

16:49

he then goes on to say reviewing the secret taxed

16:53

plus the secret guidance document that accompanies it

16:57

reveals that this new transnational commissioned the PPP Commission

17:02

chartered with a living agreement clause

17:05

would have the authority to amend the agreement

17:08

after its adoption to add new members

17:11

and two issue regulations impacting labor

17:15

immigration environmental and commercial policy

17:18

senator is Senator Sessions making all this up

17:22

number one number two the week just

17:26

I'm free trade in general we're not talking about something

17:30

hypothetically we've had free trade deals now for the last

17:34

twenty-five years we've amassed eleven-point two trillion dollars

17:39

in trade deficits now I know texas has benefited

17:43

it's true three million jobs the border states have done well

17:47

but if you go to Ohio if you go to Wisconsin if you go to illinois

17:51

if you go to Michigan if you go to pennsylvania

17:54

fifty-five thousand factories have been closed

17:58

526 million jobs manufacturing jobs

18:01

have been lost our manufacturing base has been gutted

18:05

senator we've tried free trade and it's an

18:08

absolute disaster why would we sign on

18:12

to another mega-deal when we've had such a disaster

18:16

for the last 25 years and for god sakes

18:20

if there is this international commission by now voting for TPA

18:25

you can't amend it you can strike it down

18:29

it's now up to one up-or-down vote you put yourselves in a straitjacket

18:33

why would you do that them well yet again there's there's a lot of substance

18:38

there so let me try to go

18:39

one at a time through the different things he said first of all

18:43

up with regard to jeff Sessions just as a good a good friend of mine he and I

18:48

have

18:49

thought side by side on a great many issues

18:53

I'm and I like and respect

18:56

jeff Sessions very much I'm what he

19:00

is describing their about what this will do is simply not accurate

19:03

I respect is he is but it's not accurate I had read

19:10

this agreement now what I told you in the town hall is this is a sec seven

19:14

hundred-page agreement

19:15

I'm a careful enough lawyers I'm not gonna represent the years I have studied

19:20

yet the way one word for weeks and weeks on and two the way one word during the

19:25

sixty days when it is public

19:27

I'm in a sec 700-page agreement can there be

19:30

is things buried in a footnote in a the that one doesn't see sure

19:35

II Weatherly concede that by

19:39

it is not accurate to say this is

19:42

undermining our sovereignty and any agreement did undermine our sovereignty

19:47

I would fight against tooth-and-nail it is

19:50

simply false to say this would create some transnational body

19:55

that could change US laws now

19:59

you mentioned we've had free trade agreements in the past away free trade

20:02

agreements

20:03

have worked in the past is there had been tribunal so the two countries agree

20:08

we're gonna lower tariffs were gonna lower tariffs on a week

20:11

will lower tariffs on we coming and our country lower tariffs on we coming into

20:16

your country

20:16

our farmers gunship week back and forth to each other pass trade agreements and

20:22

the TPP is like this

20:23

include a tribunal that if one other countries

20:27

jacked up tariffs on we didn't violate

20:30

the agreement the other country can go to enter

20:34

an international arbiter and J they're violating their agreement to lower

20:38

tariffs on wheat

20:39

and the consequences at the International every tribunal says you're

20:42

right

20:43

they're not following the agreement the consequences

20:46

under the agreement the other country can jack up its tariffs as well

20:52

without violating the agreement now regardless of what the tribunal says

20:57

that the tribunal says

20:58

you can or can't jack up your terrace

21:02

each country always rain retains the sovereignty to decide its own laws

21:07

the Tribunal has no authority to change

21:12

anything to change one word are

21:15

any law in America under our Constitution is

21:18

only the US government they can do so now you made a day a second point

21:23

about free trade and and yeah beyond you I perhaps made may disagree on on the

21:29

benefits of free trade I am very much

21:31

a ronald reagan free-trader that I believe american farmers and ranchers

21:35

and manufactures when we open up for markets

21:38

we compete and do better but let me point out you're absolutely right when

21:43

you say

21:44

they're working men and women have been a hammock across this country

21:49

but it hasn't been because a free-trade one of the worst things that happened

21:53

is use see democrats you see union bosses blame the job losses were saying

21:59

on free trade

22:00

you wanna know why we got a job losses we got a job losses

22:03

because Obamacare we've got job losses because a crippling

22:07

regulations we got job losses because sell it in the Obama EPA they're

22:11

destroying small businesses are hammering jobs

22:14

and what I'm trying to do he's bringing back the sort of environment

22:19

let's take for example energy we are experiencing an incredible energy

22:25

Renaissance

22:26

in america a shale revolution and yet the Obama administration's doing

22:30

everything they can

22:32

to feel that energy red revolution now I am fighting

22:36

for unleashing the energy resources we have in america

22:40

and what that will do which re-creating millions of high-paying jobs if we get

22:45

the federal government had a way to stop being an

22:48

enemy American energy independence

22:52

that will bring back millions of high-paying manufacturing jobs

22:56

blue-collar jobs factory jobs

22:59

steel industry will let us compete with nations like China

23:04

not based on low-cost labor but are abundant

23:07

low-cost energy that we have here and and

23:11

lessen the Obama administration would love to

23:13

her sorry to cut you off but we all know about 50 seconds left so please just

23:17

finish go ahead please finish up our

23:19

what I was saying the Obama administration would love for all of us

23:22

to blame the crippling job losses under under its administration on free trade

23:27

that is not because it is the abuse of power the taxes the regulations

23:31

Obamacare

23:32

and we need a fight to stop it senator

23:35

I'm sorry and I we are all on more times than US sovereignty in the constitution

23:39

our senator here stand up guy thank you very much for coming on the corner

23:44

report we really appreciated

23:46

arm hopefully we will have you back on again if we have any more questions

23:51

but thank you so much senator thank you Jeff got my god bless you take care

Check out this episode!