John McCain on Trade Policy

Sen. John McCain lists some of today's work force problems - related to free trade - and mentions community colleges as part of the solution.

This interview took place on October 12, 2007, at Iowa Public Television. http://www.iptv.org/campaign08

Yepsen: Senator, talk about -- let's talk about some issues here. Talk about this trade question. Even polls now showing a lot of Republicans are not sure that free trade is working for America. What do you say to those who say it's been a one-way street?

McCain: I try to present some of the facts to them about the millions of jobs that were created, et cetera, et cetera.

But that's of no comfort to the worker in Dearborn, where we were just last night, who lost their job, who can't afford their health insurance, and has no pension, because this is -- this is a revolution of monumental propositions. It's unmatched anything since the industrial revolution, and there are people left behind.

Fifty thousand people today make their living off e-bay. That's no consolation to the United Auto Workers employee who lost his job and is not going to have their health care, et cetera.

We've got to take care of those who are left behind. Then they will be for free trade, including -- and I'm no big-government person. But if someone had a high paying job and they're an older person, 50, 55, about your age, then -- then -- and they had to take a much lower paying job, a much lower paying job, then why not compensate them for a while so that they cannot experience this traumatic change in lifestyle.

Job training programs and education: none of the federal programs work today. Our community colleges: here in Iowa, where's the strongest part of education? The community colleges.

Go to the community colleges. Have them design education and training programs and let them give these people another chance. Make health insurance affordable and available. Right now that is the biggest concern in any town hall meeting that I have.

And make sure that the next generation has social security, which right now they will not.

Category:

News & Politics

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• campaign08
• trade
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• training
• education
• workforce

[gregjr36]

John McCain has no touch of reality of the workers. NAFTA sucks thats why our economy is going down hill. NAFTA makes the rich richer and the poor without a job. He is following in the footsteps of Bush and thats Union-Busting. The only free trade involved with nafta is free trade of jobs both blue collar and white collar. Wake up America, get organized and fight Corporate and Political Greed.