In a pandemic it’s safer to vote by mail: Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, (D) Wisconsin joins the On the Move panel to discuss the latest in the presidential election and race to the White House.
Video Transcript
JULIE HYMAN: And you're going to stay with us as we speak to Senator Tammy Baldwin. She is Democrat of Wisconsin, joining us from Madison. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. And in fact, last year, you were the co-sponsor of a resolution that opposed privatization of the USPS.
The stated purpose behind some of the changes being done to the Postal Service are streamlining or making it more efficient. What do you think is really going on here? And what do you think the USPS is for? What kind of entity should it be?
TAMMY BALDWIN: Well, first of all, the US Postal Service is a very old and longstanding institution. It's one of the few federal agencies that is actually mentioned in the United States Constitution. And we have got to fight to-- fight against this sabotage that frankly is occurring, in my mind, at the direction of the president and his newly installed postmaster general, who's a mega donor to Trump and other Republicans.
And a lot of the things that are happening that have been reported to me, either by constituents who are seeing delays or by postal workers who are whistleblowing, are that the changes and re-organizations that are occurring do nothing to actually make the Postal Service more efficient or reduce costs.
This idea that they're disassembling million dollar equipment that is able to speedily sort big volumes of mail, that is not a cost-saving measure, I can promise you. And delays have real harm.
You already mentioned just now the concerns that I've been hearing from my own constituents, veterans who can't get their prescription drugs from the VA pharmacy delivered in a timely manner, small businesses who are relying more and more on the Postal Service to get their products to customers who feel too unsafe to come in person.
And of course, some people still rely on the Postal Service for paychecks or social security checks. These are essential to be delivered on a timely basis. And then, of course, the whole big election-- or issue of the elections. In a pandemic, it is safer to vote by mail.
The president and his wife have just ordered their absentee ballots from Florida. Why there is one set of rules and protocols for the president and something else for the rest of this country makes no sense to me. But clearly, they are trying to stir up fear, and concern, and anxiety.
ADAM SHAPIRO: Senator?
TAMMY BALDWIN: And it has as the result of concerns about the safety of voting by mail.
ADAM SHAPIRO: Senator, we know the facts. We hear you loud and clear. I'm thinking of Kellyanne Conway three years ago, you know, alternative facts, which, of course, are lies. Got to ask you, forgetting the facts, what can Congress really do? If the Senate, under Mitch McConnell, doesn't act, what gets done?
TAMMY BALDWIN: Well, I do think that there are a couple of promising things. First of all, it was the outcry of a bipartisan group of lawmakers last week that resulted in bringing to a halt this new postmaster general's removal of the stationery blue postal boxes. They observed on the ground post boxes being removed. And the postmaster general has now reversed course and will not be doing that.
The public outcry is going to be a very significant factor in getting action. So what needs to happen? There need to be hearings in both houses. And the Inspector General of the Postal Service is already engaged in a thorough review of what's been happening. The House this week is expected to mandate that none of the reorganization that's occurring affect the standards that exist for the expectation of timely delivery of mail.
And beyond that, we really need to get this new postmaster general testifying under oath. The senate committee that oversees the Postal Service is the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. My senior Senator Ron Johnson has not moved yet to bring in the postmaster general. I believe he should be subpoenaed if he refuses. But at least the ranking Democrat on that committee has opened an investigation, which is ongoing.
JESSICA SMITH: Hi Senator Baldwin, Jessica Smith here. I wanted to ask about stimulus negotiations. I know obviously Congress was not able to come to a deal, and President Trump took a few executive actions. And I wanted to talk about the unemployment insurance. It puts a lot of the burden on the states. What are you hearing in your state about that program? Is Wisconsin going to take part in that? Is this something that the state systems can handle?
TAMMY BALDWIN: So when I saw the four executive orders and reviewed them, I really think they don't do what they purport to do. It was a false hope that was released at a photo op event at the Bedminster Golf Club that Trump was golfing at that weekend. And so they've walked away from the negotiating table. He releases the four executive orders.
The one that is focused on assisting those who are unemployed by reason of this pandemic is unworkable for most states. It requires a 25% contribution from the states, although no additional stimulus has been directed to the states. Many have seen a vast reduction in revenues because of the pandemic and the slowing of the economy. They can't afford that contribution.
If that weren't enough, it sets up this new program through FEMA, not the Department of Labor, which runs the federal portion of the unemployment insurance program. And so you're basically building a new program from scratch. Even states that are eager to participate say it would take perhaps two to three months to sit this up, stand this up.
And the amount of money that has been identified and allocated by the present for the federal share would last maybe four to five weeks, and then it would be exhausted. This is really a fantasy.
I think it's more of a photo op and holding false promises before the American people, who many of whom are after the CARES Act unemployment insurance funding came to an end are desperate, are really desperate, unable to pay bills, rent, facing eviction, struggling to put food on the table. This is unacceptable.
And all I can do is hope that the true situation will become apparent to this president and Republicans in the Senate, and they will get back to the negotiating table, because we stand ready and willing to meet them.
RICK NEWMAN: Senator Baldwin, hi, Rick Newman here. I want to ask you about the presidential race. But first, some of us are curious about the statue over your right shoulder. We think it might be Bill Clinton. But we can't tell. Who is that?
TAMMY BALDWIN: That is Fighting Bob La Follette. So I'm so glad you asked. It's a bobblehead. Here we go, Fighting Bob La Follette.
RICK NEWMAN: Fighting Bob.
TAMMY BALDWIN: I sit in the very same senate seat that he held a century ago. He was a Republican. And he founded the Progressive party. And he was one of those great Progressives. So I am a big fan. And this is his autobiography and biographies, just a little side note about him.
RICK NEWMAN: OK.
TAMMY BALDWIN: But I actually, you know, we're going to talk presidential politics. We can--
RICK NEWMAN: Let me-- let me ask-- can I ask the question first?
TAMMY BALDWIN: Sure.
RICK NEWMAN: You are in a swing state, Wisconsin. And Joe Biden has mostly campaigned from his home in Delaware. Does he need to get out in the swing states and other parts of the country and campaign in a more or less conventional way? Or can he do this mostly from Delaware?
TAMMY BALDWIN: Well, first, let me just draw this stark contrast right now between a Democratic National Convention being hosted starting tonight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but mostly virtual, because Democrats and Vice President Biden are following the science and listening to the health professionals.
And they don't want to put residents of the state of Wisconsin or delegates to the convention at risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. In stark contrast, president Trump is flying to Wisconsin this afternoon. He's going to have an in-person rally. We so remember the rally he had in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where participants not wearing masks became ill. One supporter of his died as a consequence of contracting the coronavirus.
This is not-- that is not leadership. And I think Wisconsin voters see that. But additionally, in this virtual age, we can do state-specific campaigning. And Vice President Biden's campaign and Vice President Biden himself has participated in numerous events focused on our state, whether it's dairy farmers in Western Wisconsin, or a Milwaukee rally.
I and many of my colleagues have been promoting the Build Back Better platform that would revive the manufacturing economy in our state. And so we, Wisconsin as a key swing state, as you said, and there's a lot of attention being paid to the state of Wisconsin, the agenda that will help Wisconsin, and campaign activities in the state.
JULIE HYMAN: Well, Senator Tammy Baldwin, we thank you very much for joining us virtually, as well as Fighting Bob La Follette behind you. Appreciate that.
