Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00OR C-SPAN OUT, OUR FREE APP.
00:00:05>> FORMER SENATOR DEBBIE
00:00:10STABENOW HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITH THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE ABDUL EL-SAYED.
00:00:14WE WILL HEAR THEIR OPPOSITION TO
00:00:18PRESIDENT TRUMP'S POLICY ON TERRACE AND U.S. MILITARY
00:00:21OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. --ON TARIFFS AND U.S. MILITARY
00:00:25OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. >> IS THIS WORKING? THERE IT IS.
00:00:30I'M NORMALLY A LOUDMOUTH ANYWAY SO THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING TO PUT A MICROPHONE IN MY HAND.
00:00:34I WOULD LIKE TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M BOB THOMPSON.
00:00:38I'M A SIXTH-GENERATION FAMILY
00:00:42FARMER FROM NORTHWESTERN IS BELL COUNTY. I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE
00:00:46PRESIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN FARMERS UNION. IT IS A POSITION THAT I TREASURE.
00:00:49I AM REALLY HONORED TO BE IN THAT POSITION.
00:00:54WE CALL IT THE FARMERS UNION,
00:00:56BUT MORE APPROPRIATELY, TECHNICALLY IT IS THE MICHIGAN
00:01:00FARMERS EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE
00:01:04UNION OF AMERICA. WE DEAL WITH ADVOCACY, WHICH WE
00:01:07ARE DOING TODAY, COOPERATION,
00:01:10AND EDUCATION. SO WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE IN THAT MOLD.
00:01:16FARMERS TODAY NEED A HAND UP.
00:01:21THEY DON'T NEED A HANDOUT.
00:01:22WE DON'T NEED GOVERNMENT MONEY
00:01:25OTHER THAN WHEN THE GOVERNMENT STRIPS IT FROM US FOR REASONS
00:01:30THAT ARE UNBEKNOWN TO US.
00:01:35WE NEED FARM BILLS, AS FORMER
00:01:42SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW KNOWS ALL TOO WELL. WE REQUIRE STABILITY.
00:01:44WE NEED TO ELIMINATE THE CONTINUAL CHAOS WE HAVE
00:01:49EXPERIENCED, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
00:01:53AND WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS A BETTER FARM BILL THAN CURRENTLY
00:01:57BEING PROPOSED IN EITHER HOUSE OR SENATE.
00:02:01I WANT TO POINT FOR A MOMENT TO
00:02:06THE DEDICATED STAFFS AT THE FARM
00:02:08SERVICE AGENCY AND NATURAL
00:02:11RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE ENTITIES WITHIN THE U.S.
00:02:15DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
00:02:16ANY FARM BILL THAT IS PASSED,
00:02:20ANY PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE PROGRAM THAT IS PROPOSED AND
00:02:25IMPLEMENTED, GOES THROUGH THOSE OFFICES.
00:02:27AND THEY HAVE BEEN DECIMATED BY
00:02:31POLICIES THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO
00:02:37THE AMERICAN WAY OF AGRICULTURE
00:02:40AND WAY OF ADMINISTERING THE
00:02:43FARM PROGRAMS.
00:02:48FAMILY FARMERS AND RANCHERS ARE IN A REAL CRISIS.
00:02:49COSTS ARE UP, PRICES ARE DOWN,
00:02:53FARM BANKRUPTCIES ROSE 46% IN A SINGLE YEAR. THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE INDIVIDUAL FARMER.
00:02:58IT'S A BROKEN SYSTEM THAT MAKES
00:03:00IT HARDER FOR FAMILIES TO
00:03:03EARN A FAIR RETURN FOR THEIR
00:03:08WORK. THE FARMERS UNION IS CALLING FOR OUR FARM BILL THAT WORKS FOR FAMILY FARMERS. THAT MEANS A SAFETY NET BUILT ON
00:03:12WHAT IT COST TO FARM TODAY,
00:03:16FOR MARKETS FREE OF CORPORATE
00:03:21MONOPOLIES, ON THIS LABELING SO PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM, AND STRONGER MARKETS
00:03:24AT HOME FOR WHAT FAMILY FARMS GROW. FAMILY FARMERS DESERVE A FAIR
00:03:29SHAKE. AND THIS IS THE TIME TO GET ON
00:03:32BOARD WITH LEADERS THAT ARE
00:03:34GOING TO HELP THESE THINGS COME
00:03:39ABOUT.
00:03:39AND WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO
00:03:44ANNOUNCE THAT WE NEED A LEADER IN THE U.S. SENATE WHO LISTENS
00:03:47TO RURAL COMMUNITIES, UNDERSTANDS THE CHALLENGES
00:03:50FACING MICHIGAN'S FAMILY FARMERS, AND IS WILLING TO FIGHT
00:03:54FOR OUR INTERESTS.
00:04:09DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED IS THAT LEADER. HIS CANDIDACY SHOWS --
00:04:13[APPLAUSE] HIS CANDIDACY SHOWS HE IS READY TO DELIVER THESE RESULTS ARE FAMILY FARMERS IN MICHIGAN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
00:04:17THEREFORE, I AM ANNOUNCING TODAY THAT THE MICHIGAN FARMERS UNION ENDORSES DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE THE NEXT SENATOR FROM
00:04:21MICHIGAN. [APPLAUSE]
00:04:25DID I SAY THAT RIGHT?
00:04:26[LAUGHTER]
00:04:29ALL RIGHT, NOW IT IS MY DISTINCT
00:04:34PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE FORMER SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW.
00:04:38I PROBABLY COULD RAMBLE ON A LOT, BUT THEY DID GIVE ME A
00:04:42LITTLE SOMETHING HERE TO READ, DEBBIE. I AM GOING TO STICK TO THE
00:04:46SCRIPT, KIND OF.
00:04:48SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW SERVED
00:04:50AS EITHER THE CHAIRWOMAN OR RANKING MEMBER OF THE U.S.
00:04:54SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY SINCE
00:04:562011.
00:05:00AND LED THE PASSAGE OF MORE FARM BILL BILLS AND ANY CURRENT MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
00:05:03SHE DID REDEFINE THE ROLE OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURE BY SUPPORTING MORE DIVERSE
00:05:07AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND COMMODITIES, MAKING HISTORIC
00:05:11INVESTMENTS IN LAND, WATER CONSERVATION, PROVIDING MORE
00:05:14NUTRITIOUS FOOD CHOICES FOR ALL AMERICANS, GROWING THE ECONOMIES
00:05:18OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CREATING A GREATER ROLE IN
00:05:24-- A GREATER ROLE FOR AMERICAN
00:05:26AGRICULTURE IN SOLVING CLIMATE CRISIS. AFTER 50 YEARS -- YOU ARE REALLY
00:05:30NOT THAT OLD. AFTER 50 YEARS OF PUBLIC
00:05:33SERVICE, SHE PROBABLY PASSED THE TORCH IN 2025 TO A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS.
00:05:37BUT HER WORK CONTINUES TO SHAPE
00:05:40OUR NATION'S FOOD AND FARM POLICY, IMPACTING GENERATIONS TO
00:05:42COME.
00:05:46I HAD THE PLEASURE OF -- IT'S GOING BACK A WAYS -- BUT I HAD
00:05:49THE PLEASURE OF BEING ON THE
00:05:54PODIUM WITH DEBBIE AT A FARM BILL NOW RALLY IN WASHINGTON,
00:05:58D.C.
00:05:59I THINK IT WAS 2012.
00:06:02SO, WE HAVE HAD A LONG RUN HERE.
00:06:07SO I WANT TO PERSONALLY SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID.
00:06:10YOUR LEADERSHIP WHILE YOU WERE IN THE SENATE AND YOUR ABILITY
00:06:13TO GET THINGS DONE WAS UNMATCHED IN ANYTHING THAT IS THERE TODAY.
00:06:16SO, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
00:06:20[APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
00:06:24THANK YOU, BOB. LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR BOB AS A LEADER. HE'S BEEN FANTASTIC. [APPLAUSE]
00:06:28HE'S BEEN FANTASTIC. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS HERE. I AM EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH
00:06:32ABDUL. YOU KNOW WE NEED A FIGHTER, RIGHT?
00:06:36ONE THING I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE ON, INCLUDING MIKE ROGERS AFTER THE DEBATE LAST NIGHT, ABDUL IS A FIGHTER,
00:06:40RIGHT? AND I WANT SOMEONE WHO IS GOING
00:06:43TO FIGHT FOR MICHIGAN. MICHIGAN FARMERS, MICHIGAN
00:06:47AGRICULTURE.
00:06:50YOU KNOW, I GREW UP NOT FAR FROM HERE IN CLAIRE.
00:06:53MY UNCLE WAS A DAIRY FARMER. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WHEN I
00:06:57WAS GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, UNCLE GEORGE, IT'S LIKE NOBODY WAS WORKING HARDER THAN UNCLE GEORGE.
00:07:01IT'S LIKE HE BARELY MADE IT THROUGH THANKSGIVING DINNER AND HE HAD TO GO BACK AND MILK, YOU
00:07:05KNOW. IT WAS LIKE, YOU PEOPLE WORK HARD. OUR FARMERS WORK HARD.
00:07:09TAKE MORE RISKS THAN ANYBODY
00:07:10ELSE, FRANKLY.
00:07:16THE FOLKS WHO WANT CLEAN AIR, WATER, HEALTHY SOIL MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, RIGHT? YOU HAVE A STAKE IN IT. NOBODY'S GETTING UP EVERY DAY
00:07:20AND LOOKING AT THE WEATHER MAP MORE THAN ALL OF YOU TRYING TO
00:07:24FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS MORE OF WHAT
00:07:28THIS SEVERE WEATHER AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS ALL ABOUT BECAUSE THEY'RE HITTING YOU OVER
00:07:31THE HEAD ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? AND SO, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
00:07:36THANK YOU FOR NOT WALKING AWAY. AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
00:07:40MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED
00:07:43TO SUCCEED BECAUSE WE ALL NEED
00:07:47TO EAT AND WE NEED HEALTHY FOOD
00:07:51AND WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OF YOU SUCCESSFUL. SO, IT'S BEEN MY HONOR TO BE YOUR CHAMPION FOR A LOT OF
00:07:55YEARS. AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT AD HOC
00:07:58POLICY OR STUPID POLICY, LIKE
00:08:03INCREDIBLE STUPID TARIFFS OR FIGHTING WITH CANADA.
00:08:06WE'RE FIGHTING WITH CANADA. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN THE
00:08:09DAIRY FARMERS, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THEM ON THEIR DAIRY POLICY.
00:08:13BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW,
00:08:14WE'RE FIGHTING WITH CANADA.
00:08:20AND THE REALITY IS, YOU'RE LOSING MARKETS.
00:08:22YOU'RE BEING PENALIZED. WE'RE NOT INVESTING IN YOUR
00:08:26RESEARCH THAT YOU NEED. WE'RE NOT DOING GOOD RISK MANAGEMENT INSTEAD OF INCREASING
00:08:30CROP INSURANCE AND HELPING YOU
00:08:32DIVERSIFY AND SO ON.
00:08:34THEY MAKE STUPID, STUPID DECISIONS, AND THEN THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COVER IT UP
00:08:38WITH A CHECK. RIGHT?
00:08:42WE KNOW THAT OVER 40% LAST YEAR OF FARM INCOME CAME FROM
00:08:45GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS. WHAT YOU WANT IS MARKETS, RIGHT?
00:08:48YOU WANT TO SELL. YOU WANT TO SELL, YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND SO ON.
00:08:52AND BY THE WAY, THOSE PAYMENTS
00:08:55ARE GOING MAINLY TO THE SOUTH, WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FIGHTS
00:08:57ALL THE TIME, THE BIG
00:09:00AGRIBUSINESSES, COTTON, RICE,
00:09:02PEANUTS IN THE SOUTH.
00:09:06NOT GOING TO SPECIALTY CRAFTS. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO OUR SMALLER FAMILY FARMS.
00:09:10SO, EVEN WHEN THEY GIVE A CHECK,
00:09:13IT'S NOT COMING TO MICHIGAN. SO, I'M HERE BECAUSE ABDUL GETS
00:09:16THAT.
00:09:20AND HE'S GOING TO BE THE 1-2 PUNCH WITH SENATOR ALISSA
00:09:24SOTKIN, WHO'S ON THE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE AND IS WORKING HARD FOR US.
00:09:28BUT WHETHER IT'S FOOD POLICY FOR OUR FAMILIES, WHETHER IT'S OUR
00:09:32LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION, WHETHER IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO
00:09:35ON OPENING MARKETS OR RESEARCH
00:09:38OR A RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY THAT ACTUALLY WORKS FOR YOU, SO IT'S THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT.
00:09:42BUT OTHER THAN THAT, JUST STEP
00:09:44BACK AND LET YOU GO DO WHAT YOU
00:09:46DO.
00:09:50THAT IS WHAT FARM POLICY SHOULD BE ABOUT. AND SO, I KNOW THAT ABDUL GETS
00:09:53IT. I KNOW HE'S GOT A SET OF POLICY POSITIONS THAT MAKE IT CLEAR
00:09:56THAT HE GETS IT. AND WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE OF
00:09:59IS THAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR MICHIGAN.
00:10:03STOPPING THE CHAOS.
00:10:06STOPPING THE CORRUPTION. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE
00:10:10CORRUPTION.
00:10:14AND THAT WE ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTING WHAT WE DO
00:10:18BEST IN MICHIGAN. IN MICHIGAN, WE GROW THINGS AND WE MAKE THINGS. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE GROW THINGS AND WE MAKE
00:10:22THINGS. AND THEN WE ADD INNOVATION AND WE GROW SOME MORE AND WE MAKE
00:10:25SOME MORE. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BEEN AN
00:10:29ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE OVER ALL
00:10:31THESE YEARS, AND WE NEED
00:10:37SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT JUST BUYING THE "GO BIG OR GO HOME" RHETORIC
00:10:39OF THE REPUBLICANS.
00:10:44BUT UNDERSTANDS THAT IT IS THE FAMILY FARM, THE RURAL COMMUNITY
00:10:49THRIVING THAT MAKES US STRONG. I'M HERE BECAUSE THIS GUY WILL
00:10:52DO IT RIGHT.
00:10:56ARE WE GOING TO HELP GET HIM TO THE SENATE? ALL RIGHT.
00:11:00[APPLAUSE]
00:11:07DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: THANK YOU SO
00:11:12MUCH. CAN I HAVE ANOTHER INCREDIBLE
00:11:16ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR INCREDIBLE FORMER SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW? SHE HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE FIGHT. THIS IS THE THING ABOUT IT.
00:11:20SHE IS STILL FIGHTING THE FIGHT. SHE RETIRED OUT OF THE U.S. SENATE AND SHE IS STILL FIGHTING THE FIGHT, AND IT SAYS SOMETHING
00:11:24THAT SINCE SHE HAS BEEN IN THE SENATE, WE HAVE NOT HAD THE KIND OF AGRICULTURAL POLICY WE NEED AND DESERVE IN THIS COUNTRY.
00:11:28THE REALITY OF IT IS THAT IT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP THAT SUSTAINED THE KIND OF POLICY THAT BENEFITED SO MANY FOLKS IN THESE
00:11:31COMMUNITIES. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
00:11:35HONORED TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS RACE. DENNIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WELCOMING US HERE. WE'RE HONORED TO BE HERE.
00:11:39BOB, I'M SO HONORED TO TO EARN THE ENDORSEMENT OF FARMERS UNION.
00:11:43IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.
00:11:46I KNOW JUST HOW HARD IT IS TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. IT IS TRUE DEEP LABOR FOUNDED IN A LOVE FOR THIS WORK.
00:11:51NOW, I WANT TO JUST CALL OUT A COUPLE FOLKS HERE WHO ARE ALSO RUNNING.
00:11:55WHERE IS BEN AMBROSE?
00:11:57BEN AMBROSE IS YOUR CONGRESSIONAL NOMINEE, AN
00:12:01INCREDIBLE FIGHTER FOR FARMERS, AN INCREDIBLE GUY. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THE STUMP WITH HIM A COUPLE OF
00:12:05TIMES, AND HE HAS MORE THAN EARNED OUR SUPPORT. SO, BEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
00:12:09AND WHERE'S LUKE AT?
00:12:12LUKE OVER HERE RUNNING FOR STATE HOUSE, I THINK IT'S DISTRICT 92,
00:12:16IS THAT RIGHT? SO, ALSO JUST AN INCREDIBLE
00:12:18FIGHTER FOR FOLKS. AND SO, PLEASE DO MAKE SURE THAT
00:12:21YOU GET TO MEET BOTH OF THEM. [APPLAUSE]
00:12:25I ALSO JUST WANT TO CALL OUT SOMEBODY VERY SPECIAL TO ME WHO
00:12:28IS HERE NOW. YOU ALL PROBABLY HAVE MET, BY WAY OF THE TELEVISION, MY
00:12:32GRANDPARENTS JEN AND JUDY JOHNSON.
00:12:37AND MY GRANDPA JAN, HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, MY UNCLE ERIC, IS HERE TODAY.
00:12:41[APPLAUSE]
00:12:46YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS FUNNY WHEN I INTRODUCE MY GRANDPA JAN OR MY UNCLE ERIC.
00:12:50PEOPLE SAY, WHAT DOES A DOCTOR FROM SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN KNOW ABOUT THE MID-MICHIGAN WAY OF LIFE?
00:12:54WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN SO
00:12:58GRATEFUL TO HAVE A LIFE THAT HAS
00:13:01INCLUDED THIS PART OF THE STATE
00:13:07AND TO HAVE INHERITED THE INCREDIBLE DEEP VALUES THAT MY
00:13:10UNCLE AND MY GRANDPA WERE RAISED ON. SO, I'M JUST SO HONORED. AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS
00:13:13SITTING WITH DENNIS, WE WERE AT
00:13:18THE STATE FAIR, HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT MY GREAT GRANDPA AND HOW HE TOOK SHOP WITH MY GREAT
00:13:22GRANDPA. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS FUNNY
00:13:27THE WAY THAT A NAME, IT TELLS THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE OR SOMETIMES HIDES THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE.
00:13:31SO YEAH, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU
00:13:33CAN LET FOLKS KNOW THAT ABDUL EL-SAYED ACTUALLY DOES HAVE
00:13:36MID-MICHIGAN ROOTS. SO, UNCLE ERIC, THANK YOU SO
00:13:39MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
00:13:40[APPLAUSE]
00:13:44YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SO BLESSED TO GET TO TRAVEL THIS INCREDIBLE
00:13:48STATE AND, WHEN YOU MEET PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WHETHER
00:13:51IT'S IN THE SHADOW OF A BEAUTIFUL BARN OR IN A CHURCH IN
00:13:54SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN OR A VFW HALL IN ESCANABA, THERE'S SOMETHING
00:13:58THAT WE MICHIGANDERS SHARE THAT
00:14:01IS A BEAUTIFUL COMBINATION OF
00:14:05THIS JUST INCREDIBLE EARNESTNESS. WE HERE IN MICHIGAN BOTH GIVE
00:14:09THE BEST AND EXPECT THE BEST. AND WE'RE ALSO GRITTY.
00:14:13WE KNOW HOW TO WORK HARD, WHETHER IT'S WORKING HARD IN THE
00:14:17SOIL OR WORKING HARD IN THE FACTORY.
00:14:20WE KNOW HOW TO WORK. THE THING ABOUT IT, THOUGH, IS
00:14:24THAT ONCE PEOPLE EXPLOIT OUR
00:14:26EARNESTNESS AND OUR GRIT, WE
00:14:32DON'T TAKE KINDLY TO THAT. AND SO MUCH OF THE CHALLENGES IN
00:14:36OUR POLITICS RIGHT NOW ARE ABOUT HOW THE BIGGEST PLAYERS EXPLOIT THAT EARNESTNESS AND THAT GRIT.
00:14:40AND SO, WE ARE HERE TO ANNOUNCE
00:14:42A POLICY PLATFORM.
00:14:45FARMERS AGAINST BILLIONAIRES. THAT IS ABOUT STANDING UP FOR
00:14:49THAT EARNESTNESS AND THAT GRIT AGAINST THE POWER OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATIONS, AND FUNDAMENTALLY
00:14:53IT COMES DOWN TO A FEW VERY BASIC THINGS.
00:14:55YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN
00:14:59COMPETE IN A MARKET WITHOUT THE BIGGEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME RIGGING THAT MARKET AGAINST YOU.
00:15:03THAT IS TRUE REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
00:15:06IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING FAMILY FARMS AND THIS WAY OF LIFE FROM
00:15:09BEING TAKEN OVER BY A CORPORATION HEADQUARTERED IN SOME OTHER STATE.
00:15:13AND BEING TOLD THAT THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY
00:15:18FIRMING.
00:15:20-- REALLY FARMING.
00:15:25NO, YOU ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY FARMING. AND SO, IT'S ABOUT BREAKING UP BIG AGRICULTURAL CONGLOMERATES
00:15:29SO THEY CAN'T DOMINATE OUR MARKETS. IT'S ABOUT DEVELOPING MARKETS BECAUSE THE FOOD THAT YOU ALL
00:15:32GROW, PARTICULARLY SPECIALTY CROPS, THOSE ARE THE FOODS THAT WE WANT TO BE FEEDING OUR KIDS, BUT INSTEAD THE WAY THAT TOO
00:15:36MUCH OF THIS WORKS IS THAT THIS SYSTEM GETS RIGGED FOR THE BIG AGRIBUSINESSES AND THE BIG FOOD CORPORATION MANUFACTURERS WHO
00:15:40ARE FEEDING OUR KIDS ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS THAT WE KNOW ARE NOT AS HEALTHY.
00:15:44SO, WHY AREN'T WE OPENING UP MARKETS FOR OUR LOCAL FAMILY
00:15:48FARMS TO BE ABLE TO FEED OUR LOCAL FAMILIES?
00:15:52IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE INPUTS TO FARMING ARE AVAILABLE.
00:15:56WHEN A BIG CORPORATION POISONS OUR WATER WITH PFAST, THAT
00:16:00CORPORATION HAS THE
00:16:00RESPONSIBILITY TO CLEAN IT UP.
00:16:04[APPLAUSE] AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY DON'T.
00:16:08IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU BUY A PIECE OF FARM EQUIPMENT, THAT IS YOUR PIECE OF
00:16:12FARM EQUIPMENT AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO REPAIR IT WITH A WARRANTY.
00:16:16IT IS NOT OWNED BY THEM, ON LOAN TO YOU.
00:16:18IT IS YOURS, AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO IN AND REPAIR IT.
00:16:21[APPLAUSE] AND IF IT FAILS, THEY SHOULD
00:16:24HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. THAT WARRANTY SHOULDN'T BE VIOLATED BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY
00:16:28TRIED TO FIX THE THING BECAUSE YOU NEEDED IT WHEN YOU NEEDED IT.
00:16:31IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO CREATE A PATHWAY TO THIS WAY OF LIFE
00:16:34FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
00:16:36THE KINDS OF TRAINING PROGRAMS,
00:16:40THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT EMPOWER NEW FARMERS TO LEARN AND
00:16:44GROW ON THE JOB, THOSE PROGRAMS OUGHT TO BE INVESTED IN.
00:16:48THEY OUGHT TO BE SUPPORTED, AND WE OUGHT TO KNOW THAT THESE
00:16:52FAMILY FARMS ARE GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE INTO GENERATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
00:16:55AND THEN, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE USDA, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH THICKETS OF
00:16:59PAPERWORK, RIGHT? NOBODY GOES INTO THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DOING
00:17:03PAPERWORK. I THINK QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
00:17:05BUT TOO OFTEN WE HIDE A LOT OF PROGRAMS BEHIND THICKETS OF
00:17:08PAPERWORK THAT REALLY DON'T NEED TO BE THERE. AND I SAY THIS AS SOMEBODY WHO
00:17:12WORKED IN GOVERNMENT. TOO OFTEN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THAT PAPERWORK, THINKING, WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR THE PEOPLE WE
00:17:16ARE TRYING TO SERVE? SO, IT'S ABOUT THAT KIND OF REFORM.
00:17:20AND IN THE END, ALL OF THIS IS
00:17:21ABOUT PROTECTING FAMILY FARMS.
00:17:24IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING THIS WAY OF LIFE. IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING THESE
00:17:29SMALL BUSINESSES. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THIS
00:17:32ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE, THE DEVASTATION OF AN ECONOMIC
00:17:36POLICY THAT IS NOT COHERENT, HAM-FISTED, CHAOTIC, MEANT
00:17:40SPECIFICALLY TO ALLOW ONE PERSON
00:17:42TO ACCRUE POWER OVER BIG CORPORATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADING PARTNERS, IT IS
00:17:46DEVASTATING COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS.
00:17:50BECAUSE WHEN DIESEL HITS $7 A GALLON. I JUST TALKED TO BRIAN.
00:17:54WE WERE AT HIS ORCHARD. AND HE WAS TELLING ME IT WAS THE
00:17:56FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE THAT HE SAID, LISTEN, I DON'T WANT A
00:17:59FULL TANK OF DIESEL. JUST GIVE ME A HALF A TANK OF DIESEL. BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK WHAT THAT IS.
00:18:03THAT'S LIKE, MAYBE, MAYBE THERE WILL BE SOME GOD-GIVEN
00:18:07INTERVENTION BY WHICH THE PRICE OF DIESEL WILL GO DOWN BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN I NEED THAT DIESEL.
00:18:12IT'S NOT LIKE YOU DON'T NEED IT. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE HOPING
00:18:15AGAINST HOPE. AND IN THIS ECONOMY, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HOPE AGAINST HOPE.
00:18:19YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING POLICY ARE MAKING
00:18:22POLICY FOR YOU RATHER THAN AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE, OR AGAINST YOU, AND THAT TOO OFTEN
00:18:26IS THE SITUATION. SO, WHETHER IT'S THIS WAR IN IRAN OR IT'S THIS INSANE TARIFF
00:18:30WAR, NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE. AND TO THE SENATOR'S POINT, LIKE
00:18:34CANADIANS ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE I KNOW WHO PREEMPTIVELY APOLOGIZE. [LAUGHTER]
00:18:38YOU DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING. THEY WALK UP TO YOU AND SAY SORRY.
00:18:41[LAUGHTER] YOU'RE LIKE, FOR WHAT? YOU'RE LIKE THE NICEST PEOPLE IN
00:18:45THE WORLD, UNLESS WE'RE STANDING AROUND ON A HOCKEY RINK, IN
00:18:48WHICH CASE YOU ARE EXTREMELY FIERCE COMPETITORS, WHICH MAYBE
00:18:51WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF. SO, THIS IDEA THAT WE ARE IN
00:18:56THIS TRADE WAR WITH CANADA, THAT'S INSANE TO ME. OHIO, I'D BE OK WITH IT, BUT
00:19:00CANADA? [LAUGHTER]
00:19:04SO, LOOK, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
00:19:06TO THINK BEYOND THE PAST.
00:19:09AND I JUST GOT TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
00:19:12FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING THIS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT
00:19:16POLITICS IS FOR POLICY, THEY'D BE LIKE, HEY, HOW IS THIS BROWN
00:19:19MUSLIM DUDE TALKING ABOUT AG
00:19:21POLICY IN MID-MICHIGAN?
00:19:25AND I WOULD JUST REMIND ALL OF US THAT THE BEAUTY OF THIS
00:19:28COUNTRY IS HOW BIG IT IS.
00:19:31AND A GREAT GIFT THAT I HAVE
00:19:33FOUND AS I'VE TRAVELED THE STATE IS JUST SEEING HOW OPEN MINDED
00:19:37AND BIGHEARTED MICHIGANERS ARE.
00:19:41THAT EARNESTNESS, IT'S ABOUT EXPECTING THE BEST FROM ALL OF
00:19:43US. AND THERE ARE SOME SMALL MINDED
00:19:47PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE US SMALL LIKE THEM.
00:19:49YOU SEE THEM OUT THERE IN D.C.
00:19:53IN A HOUSE THAT IS WHITE.
00:19:55[LAUGHTER]
00:20:00OH YEAH, YEAH, THE PART THAT'S STILL UP, YEAH. [LAUGHTER]
00:20:02APPARENTLY IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME
00:20:04REALLY NICE DRAPES, APPARENTLY
00:20:15WHEN HE IS DONE WITH IT BECAUSE,
00:20:18OF COURSE, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OF OUR TIME. AND A HELIPAD.
00:20:22IT HAS A HELIPAD TOO FOR ALL OF OUR HELICOPTERS, RIGHT?
00:20:23>> EXACTLY.
00:20:29DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: THEY WANT TO MAKE US SMALL LIKE THEM. AND THEY WANT TO POINT TO THE
00:20:33DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US. BUT THE INCREDIBLE THING ABOUT AMERICA IS THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AROUND THE SIMILARITIES
00:20:36THAT WE ALL SHARE. THAT BITE, I HAD A JONAH GOLD APPLE OFF THE TREE ON THE FARM. AND WALKING IN, I WAS LIKE,
00:20:41HONEYCRISP ARE THE BEST APPLES. HE'S LIKE, PLEASE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. IT'S JONAH GOLD.
00:20:44WHICH I JUST HAVE TO SAY IS A MISSED MARKETING OPPORTUNITY. IF THEY NAMED IT GOLDEN
00:20:47JONATHAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY BETTER. [LAUGHTER] BUT ANYWAY, BUT YOU TAKE THAT BITE OFF A TREE OF THIS
00:20:51DELICIOUS APPLE AND YOU THINK THAT IS DELICIOUS NO MATTER WHO IS TASTING IT. THOSE THINGS BRING US TOGETHER.
00:20:54AND I KNOW JUST HOW BIG MICHIGAN IS BECAUSE MICHIGAN MADE MY
00:20:57FAMILY, RIGHT?
00:21:11THE IDEA THAT A ERIC JOHNSON AND A ABDUL EL-SAYED HAVE SHARED LIVES TOGETHER, HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN BECAUSE OF MY UNCLE'S INVESTMENT IN MY LIFE, MY
00:21:15GRANDPARENTS' INVESTMENT IN MY LIFE, I HOPE HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE, LIKE THAT'S US AT OUR BEST.
00:21:19AND I'VE JUST BEEN SO GRATEFUL THAT AS I'VE TRAVELED THIS STATE, PEOPLE HAVE EMBRACED THE IDEA THAT WE CAN HAVE NICE
00:21:23THINGS, BUT WE CAN ONLY HAVE THEM TOGETHER, AND IT'S IN REACHING BEYOND THOSE DIVIDES, NOT DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES, BUT
00:21:27ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF OUR DIFFERENCES, TO GET THE THINGS THAT WE CAN ONLY HAVE TOGETHER,
00:21:31THAT'S THE BEST OF US.
00:21:35NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, YOU DESERVE TO KNOW YOU GOT A GOOD
00:21:38JOB THAT PAYS A GOOD WAGE. THAT IF YOU'VE HAD A FARM IN
00:21:42YOUR FAMILY, IT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR YOU. THAT YOU NEED HEALTHCARE WHEN
00:21:45YOUR BODY GETS SICK. IT DOESN'T MATTER THE SKIN COLOR ON THAT BODY.
00:21:49YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE A DOCTOR BECAUSE WE ALL BLEED THE SAME COLOR.
00:21:53YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN BREATHE CLEAN AIR AND DRINK CLEAN WATER, THAT YOUR KIDS GO TO GOOD SCHOOLS.
00:21:57THAT IS ALL OF US. AND THE FOLKS WHO DIVIDE US,
00:22:00THEY WANT TO DIVIDE US SO THAT THEY CAN PICK APART AND TAKE A
00:22:03BIT MORE, THAT A BILLIONAIRE CAN MAKE A SECOND BILLION INSTEAD OF ALL OF US HAVING THE BASIC MEANS
00:22:07OF A DIGNIFIED LIFE, THE THING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS COUNTRY, THE AMERICAN DREAM.
00:22:11SO, I'M JUST REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
00:22:14CONVERSATION WITH THE ROUNDTABLE. AND, LET'S GO ON AND KICK IT
00:22:17OFF. I WANT TO JUST ASK THE FIRST
00:22:21QUESTION. THERE'S ONLY ONE MIC HERE, BUT I'M GONNA ASK THE FIRST
00:22:25QUESTION. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND JUST IN
00:22:27DEPTH THE WAYS IN WHICH THIS
00:22:30ADMINISTRATION'S TARIFF POLICIES
00:22:32HAVE HIT YOU ALL AS FARMERS, AND I'LL ASK YOU AS YOU TAKE THE
00:22:36MIC, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN SHARE A BIT ABOUT HOW
00:22:38IT'S AFFECTED YOU.
00:22:41>> HI, MY NAME IS MARK.
00:22:47I AM A RURAL CROP FARMER ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY.
00:22:51SECOND-GENERATION FARMER. FAMILY HASN'T BEEN IN THE GAME
00:22:52TOO LONG.
00:22:57I HAVE A BARN BUT IT'S NOT MY FAMILIES. SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO. BEFORE I TOUCH ON THE TARIFF
00:23:00ISSUE, I WANT TO COMMENT. THE INSPIRING COMMENTS FROM BOTH
00:23:03OF YOU, REALLY. ABDUL HAS SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO
00:23:06TAKE ON THIS MANTLE FROM DEBBIE OF BEING A DEMOCRAT WHO IS WELL
00:23:10KNOWN IN RURAL CIRCLES, AND MOVING IN THE AGRICULTURAL
00:23:14CIRCLES BUT I HAVE FOR A LONG
00:23:18-- AGRICULTURAL CIRCLES THAT I
00:23:23HAVE FOR A LONG TIME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN DISCOURAGING IS THERE IS SUCH A
00:23:26DIVIDE. THIS URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE. THEY ARE ALWAYS SEEKING DIVISION.
00:23:30THE IDEA THAT CAN'S OWN THE RURAL AREAS AND FARMERS ARE REPUBLICAN. BUT I HEARD SO OFTEN WHEN DEBBIE WAS IN OFFICE, DEBBIE STABENOW
00:23:34WAS ONE DEMOCRAT THAT REPUBLICANS KNEW AND RESPECTED. SHE WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
00:23:38AND ABDUL I THINK CAN REALLY TAKE OVER THAT MANTLE OF BEING
00:23:42LIKE, HEY, I AM A DEMOCRAT AND I MAY BE A BROWN MUSLIM GUY, BUT SOMEHOW I'M ALSO HERE FOR RURAL
00:23:46FARMERS.
00:23:51AND BRINGING US TOGETHER, BECAUSE THE POLITICS OF DIVISION IS THE THING THAT HAS BEEN RIPPING US APART.
00:23:55THE RURAL-URBAN DIVIDE, PINNING THESE AREAS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
00:23:59SO, THANK YOU BOTH FOR FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THAT.
00:24:02TARIFF POLICIES, IT HAS HURT THE
00:24:04COMMODITY PRICES.
00:24:24SO, THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN DOWN SINCE THE FIRST TRUMP TERM AND ITS CONTINUED SINCE THEN, AND IT'S JUST PRETTY SIMPLE MATH.
00:24:28IT DOES NOT KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF INFLATION. SO, EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP AND UP AND COMMODITY PRICES HAVE
00:24:32BEEN RATHER FLAT. THEN I HAD A PERSONAL STORY. I NEEDED A PART FOR MY PRESSURE WASHER, AND THE COMPANY THAT MADE MY PRESSURE WASHER IS FROM
00:24:36CANADA. I CALLED AND THEY WERE LIKE, IT IS THIS LITTLE VALVE, IT IS $100, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS
00:24:40GOING TO BE A $35 MERCHANDISE FEE AND A $13 HARBOR FEE, PLUS THE 55% TARIFF.
00:24:43SO, IT MADE THAT PART $203.
00:24:49SO IT IS LIKE DOUBLE. THIS WAS A WHILE AGO, BEFORE WE WERE REALLY ANGRY WITH CANADA. IT HAS JUST GOTTEN WORSE SINCE.
00:24:53BUT THIS IMPACT IS ACROSS-THE-BOARD, SO IT'S BEEN
00:24:56REALLY DEVASTATING.
00:25:00LIKE I HALF JOKE ABOUT, YOU CAN
00:25:04LAY THE GRAPH OF CEO COMPENSATION VERSUS MIDDLE-CLASS
00:25:08EMPLOYERS AND PUT THAT RIGHT WITH FARM COMMODITY PRICES,
00:25:12WHICH ARE FLAT, AND THE COST OF EVERYTHING, ALL OF OUR INPUTS
00:25:15HAVE GONE STRAIGHT UP. ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO FIGHT BACK
00:25:19AGAINST THESE THINGS, TO BRING US TOGETHER, AND TO MAKE A FOOD SYSTEM THAT IS HEALTHY FOR
00:25:23EVERYONE. I AM HAPPY TO SUPPORT ABDUL IN
00:25:25DOING THAT WORK.
00:25:28[APPLAUSE]
00:25:30DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: JUST TO VERIFY FOR OUR FRIENDS IN THE
00:25:34PRESS, YOU WOULD NOT DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES AS WINNING? >> NO.
00:25:38I'M NOT SICK OF THE WINNING YET.
00:25:40DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: YOU ARE NOT SICK OF THE WINNING YET?
00:25:44ARE YOU SICK THAT YOU ARE NOT WINNING? >> I DON'T CONSIDER WINNING
00:25:47BEING IN DEBT AND HOPING I CAN STILL KEEP THE FARM.
00:25:49DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: DONALD TRUMP SAYS YOU ARE WINNING AND HE SAYS
00:25:53HE IS DOING THIS ALL FOR YOU. >> NEW YORK BILLIONAIRE. NOT FOR FARMERS. SHOCKING.
00:25:58DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: WHO KNEW?
00:26:02>> EXACTLY. >> HI. BRIAN PHILLIPS.
00:26:05SIXTH GENERATION FRUIT GROWER IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF GRATIOT
00:26:09COUNTY.
00:26:11YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TARIFFS.
00:26:14TARIFFS IMPACT US ON THE SELLING SIDE AS WELL BECAUSE MICHIGAN
00:26:18DOESN'T EXPORT A HUGE AMOUNT OF APPLES. WE DO SOME, BUT WASHINGTON, THE
00:26:22BIGGEST APPLE GROWING STATE IN THE COUNTRY, EXPORTS A LOT OF
00:26:25APPLES. WELL, THE TARIFF POLICY HAS
00:26:29DISRUPTED THEIR MARKET, SO WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THOSE APPLES? NOW THEY ARE COMING BACK HERE
00:26:32AND DRIVING OUR PRICES DOWN BECAUSE WE CAN'T SELL THEM TO OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WE NORMALLY
00:26:36DO.
00:26:38SO, IT IMPACTS US ON THE COST SIDE, IT IMPACTS OUR MARKETS, I
00:26:42KNOW IT IMPACTS GRAIN FARMERS. CHINA HAS TOTALLY CHANGED HOW
00:26:47AND WHERE THEY BUY GRAIN COSTS.
00:26:50-- HOW AND WHERE THEY BUY GRAIN CROPS.
00:26:54IT IS NOT HELPING. AND THE CHAOS, THE UNKNOWING, NEVER KNOWING FROM ONE SECOND TO
00:26:58THE NEXT WHAT A TARIFF RATE MIGHT BE. WE ORDERED EQUIPMENT EARLIER
00:27:01THIS YEAR.
00:27:05SOME OF IT WAS BUILT HERE IN MICHIGAN, SOME OF IT IS BUILT IN NEW YORK, SOME OF IT IS BUILT OVERSEAS.
00:27:09AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL AFTER IT WAS ALREADY HERE HOW MUCH YOU ARE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR IT
00:27:12BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW IF THE TARIFFS WOULD CHANGE BETWEEN THE TIME YOU ORDERED IT AND THE TIME
00:27:15IT GOT SHIPPED AND THE TIME IT
00:27:17ARRIVED.
00:27:21THE CURRENT POLICIES ARE NOT HELPING US IN ANY WAY.
00:27:27>> I WILL LET THE OTHER THREE
00:27:29SPEAK ON THIS.
00:27:33>> I HEARD A SIMILAR THING. AS FAR AS FERTILIZER, I HAD A SALESMAN TELL US THEY ARE NOT
00:27:37QUOTING ANY PRICES NOW ON FERTILIZER. IF YOU WANT TO BUY IT TODAY,
00:27:41THEY WILL GIVE YOU A PRICE. USUALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, I WOULD
00:27:45LIKE TO BOOK SOME FERTILIZER FOR THIS FALL. MAYBE I HAVE SOME STORAGE. OR I WANT TO BOOK SOME FOR NEXT
00:27:49SPRING. THEY WON'T GIVE YOU PRICES FOR THAT. IF YOU WANT TO BUY SOME TODAY,
00:27:53THEY WILL TELL YOU. BUT THAT IS AGAIN THE
00:27:58UNCERTAINTY IN THE SYSTEM.
00:27:59DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: DIESEL.
00:28:03STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WHO HERE HAD HEARD OF THE STRAIT
00:28:07OF HORMUZ BEFORE EIGHT MONTHS AGO?
00:28:11AND NOW IT IS THE THING. BUT IT WAS NOT A PLACE THAT
00:28:15MOST OF US WERE TALKING ABOUT. NOW EVERYONE IS WONDERING HOW
00:28:19MANY BOATS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? I HAD MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ASKED ME
00:28:22ABOUT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT BUT IT IS NOT A PLACE WE SHOULD
00:28:26HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO.
00:28:28NOW SEVEN DOLLAR DIESEL, BRIAN, YOU SHARED YOUR STORY ABOUT WHAT
00:28:31THAT MEANS FOR YOU. BUT YOU THINK ABOUT THE INPUT
00:28:36, COSTS OF BOTH YOUR PRODUCTION, BUT THEN ALSO MOVING FOOD AND WHAT THAT THEN MEANS TO A
00:28:39MARKET.
00:28:40IF APPLES COME FROM HERE TO
00:28:44SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WHERE YOU MIGHT SELL, THAT ADDED PRICE OF
00:28:47DIESEL IS HITTING THE SHELF, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE SELLING FEWER APPLES ABOVE AND BEYOND
00:28:51THE WASHINGTON APPLES THAT ARE FLOODING OUR MARKET.
00:28:55I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW THIS WAR AND THAT PLACE THAT YOU
00:28:58NEVER HAD TO TALK ABOUT IT
00:29:03-- HAD TO TALK ABOUT 8 MONTHS
00:29:07AGO THAT IS 6000 MILES FROM HERE IN MID-MICHIGAN IS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS
00:29:11RIDICULOUS WAR WE HAD NO BUSINESS FIGHTING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
00:29:15>> YEAH. THE WAR THAT WE DIDN'T NEED, AND
00:29:19THERE'S NO PLAN TO GET OUT OF IT.
00:29:23THERE IS REALLY NO -- YOU CAN'T COMPREHEND HOW WE ARE QUITE EVER GOING TO GET OUT OF IT.
00:29:27IF WE DO GET OUT OF IT, WE WILL BE IN A WORSE POSITION THAN WE
00:29:29WERE BEFORE.
00:29:32SO, IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE DIESEL DOES DRIVE UP THE COST OF
00:29:36EVERY SINGLE THING IN AMERICA. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT IS.
00:29:40BECAUSE EVERY TRUCK THAT IS ON
00:29:41THE ROAD, WHETHER IT IS
00:29:47DELIVERING AN AMAZON PACKAGE OR DELIVERING FOOD TO MARKET OR BRINGING IN SUPPLIES TO YOUR BUSINESS, IT IS DRIVING UP THE COST.
00:29:52IT IS TRUE THAT THIS IS THE
00:29:54FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SAID -- I
00:30:02DIDN'T JUST CALL MY FUEL SUPPLIER AND SAY, I NEED ANOTHER TANK OF DIESEL FUEL.
00:30:05IT JUST SEEMED -- SORRY. [LAUGHTER] LIKE CHAOS. [LAUGHTER]
00:30:09SO, YEAH, IT DRIVES THE COST OF
00:30:10EVERYTHING.
00:30:14THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY ALSO DRIVES A LOT OF COST IN FARM
00:30:18CHEMICALS AND THINGS WE USE ON THE INPUT SIDE.
00:30:21SO, IT HITS US FROM ALL CORNERS, AND IT'S NOT HELPING.
00:30:24AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT.
00:30:28BUT WE NEED TO TRY TO FIND A
00:30:29WAY.
00:30:33>> I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S A REASON
00:30:36WHY NO PRESIDENT EVER ATTACKED
00:30:38IRAN EVER, BECAUSE EVERYBODY
00:30:44KNEW THERE WAS A STRAITS AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT HAPPENED. IT IS NOT LIKE HE IS THE
00:30:47TOUGHEST GUY AROUND, RIGHT? THAT WAS WHAT NETANYAHU WAS
00:30:50WHISPERING IN HIS EAR. YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT NOBODY ELSE HAS DONE.
00:30:53WELL, THERE'S A REASON NOBODY ELSE DID IT. [LAUGHTER] IT WAS STUPID.
00:30:57[LAUGHTER]
00:31:01BUT, ANYWAY, I ALSO JUST WANT TO
00:31:03EMPHASIZE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF EVERYTHING
00:31:07GOING UP, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ON THE FARM, THEY ARE NOT
00:31:10DOUBLING THE PRODUCTION OF THE
00:31:12HARVEST BECAUSE OF DIESEL, BUT THEY ARE BUYING THE FOOD AT THE
00:31:15STORE. SO, JUST TO UNDERLINE THAT AS
00:31:19WELL, THE TRUCKER WHO IS GETTING IT TO THE STORE.
00:31:21EVERY MOVE THAT ENDS UP AT THE GROCERY STORE WITH PEOPLE
00:31:26LOOKING, GOING, OH MY GOSH.
00:31:29LOOK WHAT THIS IS. PEOPLE ARE BUYING FOOD ON THEIR
00:31:32CREDIT CARD NOW. THEY ARE BUYING GAS ON THEIR CREDIT CARD NOW.
00:31:36AND THE INTEREST RATES GOING UP.
00:31:42AND I WOULD JUST SHARE, I WAS AT A GAS STATION FILLING UP AND I
00:31:46SAW THE PERSON BEFORE ME HAD PUT
00:31:50TWO DOLLARS, TWO DOLLARS IN THERE. YOU THINK, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?
00:31:54SOMEONE TRYING TO GET THE LAST
00:31:55MILE TO WORK?
00:32:00OR TRYING TO GET THE LAST MILE
00:32:01TO PICK THE KIDS UP AT DAYCARE?
00:32:07WE ARE DOWN TO NOT ONLY FILLING
00:32:09UP HALF ON DIESEL, BUT SOMEBODY
00:32:12TRYING TO -- LIKE LET ME GET
00:32:17, JUST A LITTLE BIT FARTHER HERE BEFORE I LOSE ALL THE GAS. I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
00:32:21DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: I WANT TO
00:32:25TALK ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN AGRICULTURAL
00:32:27ISSUE, BUT IN EVERY CONVERSATION
00:32:35THAT I HAVE HAD AND BEEN ABLE TO SHARE WITH A FARMER, IT COMES
00:32:38UP, WHICH IS THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION, AND THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A SEASONAL ENDEAVOR. AND OFTEN TIMES, THE FOLKS WHO
00:32:42DO THIS WORK COME ON PROGRAMS THAT MAKE THEM PERFECTLY LEGAL,
00:32:46BUT BECAUSE ICE HAS ENGAGED IN A
00:32:51POLICY OF IN EFFECT TARGETING
00:32:55PEOPLE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT NOT BE DOCUMENTED, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE
00:32:59AFRAID OF BEING DETAINED ILLEGALLY.
00:33:02SO, IT'S BECOME A LOT HARDER TO GET LABOR WHO IS WILLING TO DO
00:33:06THIS WORK.
00:33:08I WANTED TO ASK IF ANY OF YOU HAD EXPERIENCED THIS AND WHAT IT
00:33:12HAS MEANT FOR YOUR OPERATION.
00:33:17>> I DON'T HAVE AN OPERATION.
00:33:21BUT I KNOW BRIAN -- >> I MEAN, FRUIT GROWERS ARE NOT
00:33:26DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF FRUIT OR
00:33:30VEGETABLE GROWERS USE A LOT OF
00:33:32LABOR, AND MUCH OF IT IS PEOPLE
00:33:35WHO CAME HERE FROM MEXICO OR CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THEY ARE
00:33:38AFRAID.
00:33:41EVEN IF THEY HAVE THE CORRECT PAPERWORK THEY'RE STILL AFRAID
00:33:45, BECAUSE THEY MAY GET GRABBED UP AND THEN HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET BACK OUT OF IT.
00:33:48SO, WE'VE DEFINITELY HAD A MORE DIFFICULT TIME THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TRYING TO GET THOSE
00:33:51PEOPLE TO COME BECAUSE THEY'RE NERVOUS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW
00:33:55IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE SAFE. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR
00:33:58THAT I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN WITH OUR TEAM WHEN WE GOT TO HARVEST
00:34:01TIME AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, WHAT DO WE DO IF ICE COMES TO THE
00:34:04FARM? WE HAD A LITTLE MINI ICE
00:34:07TRAINING LIKE, WHAT WOULD WE DO? NEVER THOUGHT I'D HAVE TO, YOU
00:34:10KNOW, HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CAN YOU TELL A FEDERAL
00:34:14AGENT THEY CAN DO OR CAN'T DO ON YOUR FARM.
00:34:17SO YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY IMPACTING ALL THAT HAND LABOR,
00:34:21ALL THE VEGETABLES THAT GET HARVESTED, ALL THE FRUITS THAT GET HARVESTED.
00:34:24ALMOST ALL OF THAT IS DONE BY HAND, AND SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE
00:34:28PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO DO THAT HARD WORK DAY TO DAY, AND IT'S MADE IT HARDER TO GET
00:34:32PEOPLE TO COME.
00:34:37AND I KNOW THE LABOR LAWS, THE
00:34:39H-2A VISAS.
00:34:42A LOT OF THE FRUIT GROWERS ARE USING PEOPLE LIKE THAT WHO COME IN TEMPORARILY AND THEN GO BACK
00:34:45TO THEIR COUNTRY. BUT EVEN THEN, WE'VE HAD
00:34:48INSTANCES HERE IN MICHIGAN WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ON AN H-2A
00:34:51PROGRAM HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY ICE, ON A BUS, AND EVERYBODY HAD TO SHOW THE PAPERS, AND IF THE
00:34:55PAPERS WEREN'T QUITE THE WAY THEY LIKED IT, NOW PEOPLE ARE
00:34:58DETAINED. SO, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A
00:35:00PROBLEM FOR US.
00:35:03>> I CAN CHIME IN ON THIS. I WAS JUST AT A MEETING HERE THE
00:35:07DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WITH SOME
00:35:11PEOPLE FROM THE WESTERN SIDE OF
00:35:15THE STATE OVER ASPARAGUS
00:35:16GROWERS.
00:35:20AND ASPARAGUS GROWERS, THAT
00:35:21HARVEST IS ESPECIALLY HAND DONE.
00:35:26AND IT IS GETTING TO THE POINT
00:35:29WHERE IT TAKES AROUND 12 TO 15
00:35:33YEARS ONCE YOU SET THE ASPARAGUS
00:35:34OUT TO REALLY GET YOUR RETURN ON
00:35:38THE COMMODITY, AND THERE ARE A
00:35:40NUMBER OF FARMS OVER IN THAT
00:35:43AREA THAT ARE DWINDLING BECAUSE
00:35:45THEY JUST DON'T SEE THE
00:35:48STABILITY AND THE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE
00:35:52THE LABOR IF THEY DO PUT THE MONEY INTO THE INVESTMENT TO
00:35:54PROVIDE THAT.
00:35:59AND IF YOU LOSE THOSE FARMS,
00:36:03THEN YOU'RE JUST DEPENDING ON OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY OR
00:36:07WORLD FOR YOUR FOOD THAT WE HAVE
00:36:10ENOUGH OF THAT COMING IN NOW.
00:36:16DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOU SHARING
00:36:20YOUR EXPERIENCE. YOU ALL GROW THIS STUFF THAT WE LITERALLY PUT INTO OUR KIDS'
00:36:24BODIES. I MEAN, IT IS THAT FOUNDATIONAL.
00:36:27AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE STATE.
00:36:30YOU RELY ON FARMING.
00:36:33AND YOU WANT FOOD THAT IS LOCAL
00:36:36AND YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT YOUR
00:36:38FOOD IS FRESH, IT IS BEING GROWN
00:36:43WITH DIGNITY, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO GREW IT WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE
00:36:46OFF OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID.
00:36:50AND YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT YOUR PUBLIC POLICY IS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR KID,
00:36:53A, HAS THAT FOOD, BUT B, THAT ALL OF THIS SYSTEM WORKS.
00:36:57AND WE'RE WATCHING AS THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERSEEING THAT
00:37:01SYSTEM ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT
00:37:04PUT THEIR INTERESTS AND THE
00:37:06ADDED BILLION OF A FEW OVER THE WELL-BEING OF ALL OF US, ALL OF
00:37:10US WHO EAT THAT FOOD AND FEED THAT FOOD TO OUR KIDS, WHO GROW THAT FOOD AND WHO SUSTAIN THE
00:37:14FARMS THAT PRODUCE IT.
00:37:17SO, YOU ALL ARE DOING LITERALLY THE LORD'S WORK. I'M REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR
00:37:21YOU JOINING US. I'M SO HONORED FOR THE FARMERS
00:37:25UNION ENDORSEMENT.
00:37:27I'M SO HONORED TO BE JOINED BY
00:37:29SENATOR STABENOW, WHO I'M ALMOST CERTAIN SHE HAS A SMALLER SHOE
00:37:33SIZE THAN ME, BUT HER SHOES ARE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY HARD TO FILL.
00:37:36[LAUGHTER] AND WE HAVE WORK TO DO.
00:37:39SO, MY ASK IS THIS.
00:37:41WE'VE GOT 25 DAYS, 25 DAYS LEFT
00:37:44TO WORK, AND I KNOW IN COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS, YOU ALL
00:37:47EVERY DAY MEET PEOPLE WHO MADE A DIFFERENT POLITICAL CHOICE THAN
00:37:50YOURS.
00:37:53AND I'M ALMOST CERTAIN IT MEANS, I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE STATE, THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WITH WHOM YOU HAVE
00:37:57NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH IN TWO YEARS.
00:38:00OR, SAY, SIX YEARS.
00:38:04OR POSSIBLY EVEN 10 YEARS. AND I'M ASKING YOU IN THESE NEXT
00:38:0825 DAYS TO GO AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
00:38:12BECAUSE I THINK FOR A LOT OF US, YOU LOOK AT THAT POLITICAL CHOICE AND YOU SAY, HOW COULD
00:38:17YOU? THERE'S SO MUCH HE EVEN SAID HE WAS GOING TO BREAK AND SO MUCH
00:38:21HE'S BROKEN SINCE. HOW COULD YOU? AND I THINK WE HAVE A CHOICE RIGHT NOW ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
00:38:25WE'RE MORE INTERESTED IN INDICTING SOMEBODY FOR A BAD DECISION THEY MADE THAT THEY
00:38:28CANNOT TAKE BACK. OR WE HAVE A CHOICE TO INVITE
00:38:32THEM TO A GOOD DECISION THEY HAVE YET TO BE ABLE TO MAKE.
00:38:36AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE REBUILD
00:38:38THIS THING IS BY BEING ABLE TO
00:38:40CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.
00:38:44NOT DESPITE BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE DIFFERENCES. AND SO, I'M ASKING YOU TO
00:38:48CONNECT TO THOSE FOLKS. REACH OUT. DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS.
00:38:52HOW'S THE FALL TREATING YOU? IS MICHIGAN EVER GOING TO WIN A
00:38:56GAME WITHOUT CHEATING? [LAUGHTER]
00:39:00I SAY THIS AS A WOLVERINE.
00:39:06>> OR GO MICHIGAN STATE. >> CAN'T SAY THAT. NO, NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. [LAUGHTER]
00:39:10YOU COULD SAY "GO GREEN," BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S GOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
00:39:13[LAUGHTER]
00:39:16BUT REACH OUT AND ENGAGE THEM
00:39:19AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT
00:39:21WHERE WE GO FROM HERE, BECAUSE THIS CHOICE IS FOR ALL THE
00:39:24MARVELS.
00:39:28-- IS FOR ALL THE MARBLES.
00:39:31THE INDIVIDUAL I DEBATED FOR AN HOUR YESTERDAY HAS ONE INTEREST.
00:39:33WHICH IS GETTING BACK TO POWER TO GET BACK OUT OF POWER TO MAKE
00:39:36MONEY LIKE HE MADE LAST TIME HE WAS IN POWER.
00:39:39PUBLIC SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT ENRICHING YOURSELF.
00:39:41[APPLAUSE]
00:39:46AND SO, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. ARE YOU -- I MEAN, LOOK, NO
00:39:51MATTER WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU VOTED, IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR GAS IS CHEAPER IF YOU VOTED FOR TRUMP. IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR GROCERIES ARE
00:39:55CHEAPER IF YOU VOTED FOR TRUMP. IT'S NOT LIKE DIESEL ISN'T DESTROYING YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR
00:39:59FARM IF YOU VOTED FOR TRUMP. SO WE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE
00:40:03THOSE DISCUSSIONS. SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL.
00:40:06WE CERTAINLY WILL BE. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE. TO DENNIS FOR HOSTING US, THANK
00:40:10YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
00:40:13MAKE SURE YOU TALK TO LUKE AND BEN WHO ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
00:40:16DOING GREAT WORK HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
00:40:20TO BOB, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP.
00:40:24SENATOR STABENOW, THANK YOU FOR
00:40:26ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
00:40:29YOU HAVE THE MOST IMPACTFUL RETIREMENT I THINK I'VE EVER SEEN.
00:40:33SHE'S JUST BEEN EVERYWHERE AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT SHE CAME OUT
00:40:37HERE WITH US TODAY. AND FOR US ON THE TEAM, THANK
00:40:41YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOU WHO JOINED US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU
00:40:44DO FEEDING US AND CREATING INCREDIBLE BUSINESSES IN YOUR
00:40:48LOCAL COMMUNITY. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING
00:40:52YOU ON NOVEMBER 3, AND THEN I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING BACK TO VISIT OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS TO
00:40:55BE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE BUILD TOGETHER THE KIND OF PUBLIC
00:40:58POLICY FOR OUR STATE, FOR OUR
00:41:02COUNTRY THAT DIGNIFIES THE PEOPLE WHO DIGNIFY US WITH THE FOOD WE EAT EVERY DAY.
00:41:05THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THE GENERAL FLAVORS OF AN
00:41:09APPLE ARE SWEET AND SOUR, RIGHT? THEN YOU HAVE SOME HINTS OF
00:41:12FLORAL.
00:41:15SO, THE ORDER IN WHICH THE FLAVORS HIT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE APPLE. SOME APPLES HIT YOU WITH THE
00:41:19SOUR AND THEN THE SWEET, AND FLORAL. THIS ONE HAS HIGH FLORAL AND SWEET, THEN HITS YOU WITH THE
00:41:23SOUR ON THE BACKEND. THE OTHER THING IS THE MOUTHFUL
00:41:29-- THE OTHER THING IS THE MOUTH
00:41:31FEELS NOT TOO DENSE. SO WHEN YOU CHEW IT, IT IS NOT
00:41:35LIKE YOU CHEW AND IT RUNS OUT OF FLAVOR AND YOU'RE STILL CHEWING. YOU CHEW FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT AND EVERY CHEW CREATES MORE
00:41:39FLAVOR AND THEN YOU SWALLOW. AND IT'S GOT REALLY GREAT CRISP, BUT THE CRISP ISN'T TOO MUCH.
00:41:43IT IS THE PERFECT MIX BETWEEN SWEET AND FLORAL AND SOUR, THE
00:41:47RIGHT AMOUNT OF DENSITY FOR A GOOD APPLE, AND I HAVE MINE
00:41:51RIGHT OFF THE TREE SO I'M KIND OF CHEATING HERE, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD APPLE. >> ARE WE TAPING THIS FOR A
00:41:55COMMERCIAL? [LAUGHTER]
00:41:59>> JUST FIVE MINUTES, SO VERY QUICKLY.
00:42:01>> SORRY.
00:42:08>> I WON'T SPECIFICALLY GO INTO THE DETAILS, BUT CAN YOU TELL MORE ABOUT THE BAN. >> WHEN IT COMES TO DIESEL
00:42:12PRICES? YEAH. DIESEL IS ONE OF THE MOST
00:42:15IMPORTANT INPUTS AND OUR ENTIRE -- IN OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY.
00:42:19IT'S WHAT GETS SOMETHING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, SO LONG AS YOU ARE DOING IT IN A TRUCK.
00:42:24IT IS ONE OF THOSE COSTS OFF THE TOP THAT EATS INTO THE MARGIN OF
00:42:27EVERY FARM, AND IT EATS INTO OUR
00:42:29PERSONAL MARGINS BECAUSE WHEN WE
00:42:34ARE BUYING OUR GROCERIES, WE ARE LITERALLY PAYING FOR THE DIESEL
00:42:37THAT SHIPPED THE GROCERIES TO US.
00:42:40SO, EVERYBODY IS AFFECTED.
00:42:47-- SO EVERYBODY GETS SCREWED IN
00:42:55AN ECONOMY. THE REASON DIESEL IS SO EXPENSIVE IS ONE REASON. WE ARE FIGHTING A WAR WE
00:42:58SHOULDN'T BE FIGHTING. IT HAS CREATED THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THE IRANIAN REGIME NOW UNDERSTANDS IT CAN CHOKE OUT OUR
00:43:02ENERGY SUPPLY, AND IT'S MAKING OUR DIESEL MORE EXPENSIVE. SO, WE ARE ALL PAYING. FARMERS ARE PAYING, WE ARE ALL
00:43:06PAYING A BIT MORE.
00:43:10AND THAT BIT MORE CAN BE THE
00:43:14DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR FAMILY FARM SURVIVING OR IT GOING DOWN. FOR A LOT OF THESE FAMILY FARMS,
00:43:17THAT IS THE QUESTION. DO THEY SURVIVE NEXT YEAR OR DO THEY SHUT DOWN? DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER GENERATION
00:43:21THAT INHERITS THE FARM OR DOES IT END HERE?
00:43:25THAT BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP DECIDED TO TAKE US INTO A WAR. >> A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
00:43:28RAISE YOUR HAND. >> DAVID WELLS WITH BLOOMBERG
00:43:32NEWS.
00:43:33A LOT OF THE VOTERS ARE
00:43:39-- A LOT OF THE VOTERS IN THESE FARMING REGIONS ARE REPUBLICAN VOTERS.
00:43:42HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO ACTUALLY TURN? IT IS A TOUGH THING TO DO IN AMERICA.
00:43:45OBVIOUSLY YOU SEE SOME VULNERABILITY WHERE YOU CAN GET
00:43:48SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR YOU. THERE'S A LOT OF DEMOCRATS HERE
00:43:52TODAY. WHERE ARE THE REPUBLICANS?
00:43:55DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: WE GO EVERYWHERE AND TALK TO EVERYBODY.
00:43:59THAT IS HOW WE RAN OUR PRIMARY, THAT IS HOW WE ARE RUNNING IN THE GENERAL.
00:44:03WE ARE GOING TO BE SPENDING THE NEXT THREE DAYS AND THEN THE NEXT FIVE DAYS NEXT WEEK ALL OVER OUR STATE.
00:44:07BECAUSE WE GO EVERYWHERE, WE TALK TO EVERYONE. I KNOW THAT FOR SOME FOLKS, THEY
00:44:11ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR ME. THAT IS THE NATURE OF DEMOCRACY.
00:44:14BUT I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT JUST RUNNING AS THE
00:44:17DEMOCRAT IN THE RACE. I'M RUNNING AS A CANDIDATE WHO
00:44:21DOES NOT TAKE MONEY FROM CORPORATIONS, WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT LIFE HAS GOTTEN WAY TOO
00:44:25HARD FOR WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE, AND WHO HAS THOUGHT THROUGH WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO TO TAKE IT ON.
00:44:29YOU PROBABLY SAW THE DEBATES,
00:44:33YESTERDAY, RIGHT? I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT POLICY, HE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ME.
00:44:37I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT
00:44:39NO MATTER WHEREVER I GO WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT POLICY.
00:44:43YOU WOULDN'T THINK THE DOCTOR FROM DETROIT HAS THOUGHT THROUGH AGRICULTURAL POLICY, BUT WE
00:44:46THOUGHT THROUGH IT, AND FRANKLY IT COMES DOWN TO THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT ARE THE REASON
00:44:50THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD
00:44:54GROCERIES, CAN'T AFFORD GAS CAN'T SEE A DOCTOR. , IT IS THE POWER OF A VERY FEW CORPORATIONS TO CHOKE EVERYBODY
00:44:58ELSE IN OUR ECONOMY. THAT IS THE STORY WHEN IT COMES TO MEATPACKERS AND THE PRICE OF
00:45:00MEAT, OR WHAT A CATTLE RANCHER CAN MAKE SELLING THEIR CATTLE TO
00:45:04A MEATPACKER.
00:45:05IT IS THE SAME STORY WHEN IT
00:45:09COMES TO THE RULE THAT THE PRICES FOR ALL OF THE INPUTS OF
00:45:12FARMING HAVE DONE TO THE ABILITY
00:45:15TO RUN A FAMILY FARM.
00:45:18I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND, WE CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN A POLITICIAN
00:45:22WHO IS GOING TO BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO ACCOMMODATE DONALD
00:45:26TRUMP OR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO MAKE POLICY THAT IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER.
00:45:30THAT REALLY IS THE CHOICE HERE. I WANT TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY.
00:45:34THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLITICIANS WHO BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY ARE SAYING AND THE ONES WHO
00:45:38HIDE.
00:45:41I IMAGINE YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A
00:45:43WHILE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SEEN THE
00:45:47MIKE ROGERS EVENTS. HOW WERE THEY? DOES HE TALK ABOUT IDEAS? >> SOMETIMES.
00:45:51[LAUGHTER] >> OBVIOUSLY BOTH PARTIES ARE RESPONSE WILL FOR DRIVING THE FEDERAL DEBT UP TO $40 TRILLION.
00:45:55HOW DO YOU ADDRESS VOTERS WHO
00:45:58WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VERY EXPANSIVE FEDERAL AGENDA THAT YOU PUT FORWARD,
00:46:02CRADLE-TO-GRAVE THIS, CRADLE-TO-GRAVE THAT.
00:46:05DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: LET'S JUST
00:46:07COMPARE RECORDS -- >> WITHOUT DRIVING UP THE DEBT EVEN MORE.
00:46:12DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF DETROIT.
00:46:16EVERY YEAR THAT I WORKED IN GOVERNMENT, WE HAD A BALANCED BUDGET AND WE IMPROVED THE
00:46:18EFFICIENCIES OF OUR OPERATIONS. EVERY SINGLE YEAR. TAKE THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S
00:46:22OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE. WE DROVE THE RESPONSE TIME DOWN
00:46:26FROM TWO HOURS TO 20 MINUTES. WHILE HE WAS IN CONGRESS, THE
00:46:30FEDERAL DEBT WENT UP $12 TRILLION.
00:46:33SO, MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THE
00:46:40WHOLE $40 TRILLION FEDERAL DEBT WAS ACCRUED WHILE MIKE ROGERS WAS IN CONGRESS.
00:46:44AND HE WANTS TO TELL YOU HE IS
00:46:48SOMEHOW FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. ASK YOURSELF WHY. IT IS BECAUSE WHENEVER REPUBLICANS ARE IN OFFICE, THEY
00:46:52DO TWO THINGS. THEY CUT TAXES FOR THE RICHEST PEOPLE SO THERE'S LESS MONEY IN AND THEY TAKE US TO WARS WE HAVE
00:46:56NO BUSINESS FIGHTING. MIKE ROGERS ANSWERED EVERY FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE IS THAT
00:47:00THERE IS A WAR FOR THAT. HE HAS BEEN FLOGGING THE IDEA OF
00:47:02A WAR AGAINST IRAN FOR DECADES. WE ARE FINALLY THERE AND NOW HE
00:47:06IS FLIP PLOPPING. WHY? BECAUSE HE UNDERSTANDS IT WAS A
00:47:10DUMB IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE AND
00:47:11HIS POLL NUMBERS ARE SAGGING.
00:47:14BUT IT WAS NEVER ACTUALLY ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE.
00:47:19FORGIVE ME FOR THINKING THAT MAYBE INSTEAD OF GOING TO WAR OR ALLOWING THE BILLIONAIRE TO MAKE A SECOND BILLION DOLLARS, MAY BE
00:47:23IN THIS COUNTRY WE COULD HAVE HEALTH CARE, WE COULD HAVE GOOD
00:47:25SCHOOLS, FUNCTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IF YOU MADE
00:47:29A BILLION DOLLARS, THAT'S GREAT FOR YOU, BUT MAYBE EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY TOO.
00:47:35-- MAYBE EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD
00:47:38BE ABLE TO PLAY AT CAPITALISM, TOO.
00:47:41THAT IS NOT THAT HARD. THAT IS ALSO A WAY TO RUN A BALANCED BUDGET AND TO INVEST IN THE MEANS OF AN ECONOMY THAT
00:47:45WORKS FOR PEOPLE. JUST BECAUSE THE ECONOMY WORKS FOR A BUNCH OF BILLIONAIRES AND YOU HAVE TOPLINE GROWTH DOESN'T
00:47:49MEAN IT'S WORKING FOR EVERYBODY.
00:47:51GO ASK THE FOLKS TRYING TO MAKE A FARM WORK IN 2026.
00:47:54>> LAST QUESTION. >> TALKING ABOUT WARS, A LOT OF THESE PRICES AND PRESSURES THIS
00:47:57YEAR THAT ARE PUT ON FARMERS IS BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL CONFLICTS
00:48:01THAT WE DON'T REALLY SEE AN END TO.
00:48:03FARMERS DON'T SEE AN END TO. HOW CAN WE BRING THEM THAT
00:48:06TEMPORARY RELIEF? WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE MEANTIME?
00:48:10WHAT CAN YOU DO AS SENATOR IN THE MEANTIME?
00:48:12DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: WHEN WE TALK
00:48:16ABOUT THE OIL -- THE PRICE OF
00:48:19OIL AND GAS, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS WE CAN DO. NUMBER ONE, I THINK WE DO NEED
00:48:23TO SUSPEND THE GAS TAX. THAT IS AN OBVIOUS FIRST THING. SECOND, I DO THINK WE NEED TO
00:48:26PUT A LIMITER ON THE AMOUNT THAT
00:48:28OIL AND GAS COMPANIES CAN PRICE
00:48:31GOUGE US IN THIS MOMENT. BECAUSE WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IS WHEN YOU HAVE A LIMITED SUPPLY OF THINGS, THE CORPORATIONS WHO
00:48:35CONTROL THAT SUPPLY TEND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY OFF OF IT.
00:48:38THAT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME THERE IS A RUN ON ANY GIVEN COMMODITY. AND I DO THINK IN A NATIONAL
00:48:42EMERGENCY LIKE THIS, THE IDEA THESE OIL AND GAS CORPORATIONS CAN CONTINUE TO PRICE GOUGE US
00:48:45IS A PROBLEM.
00:48:47I THINK THOSE ARE TWO EASY THINGS OFF THE TOP.
00:48:51BUT ALSO, LET'S JUST END THE WAR. MAYBE I'M OLD-FASHIONED,
00:48:55SENATOR, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU WERE IN THE U.S.
00:49:00SENATE WE HAD CONTAINED THE NUCLEAR THREAT FROM IRAN. >> YES, WE DID.
00:49:04DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED: UNDER THIS DIPLOMATICALLY NEGOTIATED
00:49:07CIRCUMSTANCE KNOWN AS THE JCPOA.
00:49:09AND IT DID NOT REQUIRE THE LOSS
00:49:13-- AND IT DID NOT REQUIRE THE BLOODSHED THE LOSS OF LIVES FROM , OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN.
00:49:17IT DID NOT REQUIRE A SITUATION WHERE WE BOMBED A GIRLS SCHOOL.
00:49:20WE HAD JUST DONE IT BY WAY OF
00:49:23HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT DIFFERENCES AND FOUND OUT A WAY TO ADDRESS THEM.
00:49:27AND DONALD TRUMP, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T LIKE ANYTHING PRESIDENT OBAMA DID, HE TORE IT UP WHEN HE
00:49:31FIRST CAME TO POWER, THEN HE
00:49:33CAME BACK AND DECIDED TO DO A WAR THAT HAS GOTTEN US INTO THE
00:49:37WORST CIRCUMSTANCE, AND WE ARE
00:49:38ALL PAYING FOR IT.
00:49:42THAT IS THE CRAZY THING ABOUT IT. WE ARE ALL PAYING FOR IT.
00:49:45WE ARE ALL PAYING FOR IT AND EVEN MIKE ROGERS KNOWS IT.
00:49:50BECAUSE HE'D CHEER AND LEAD THE
00:49:52WAR CALLING IT A DAY WIN, WIN,
00:49:56WIN. NOW HE IS TRYING TO BACK PEDAL AS FAST AS HE CAN AND PRETEND LIKE HE THINKS THIS WAR NEEDS TO
00:49:59END, AS IF WARS JUST END, AS IF PEOPLE DON'T START THEM AND IN THEM.
00:50:02WHY DON'T YOU CALL YOUR FRIEND AND TELL HIM TO SHUT DOWN THIS STUPID WAR WE SHOULD BE
00:50:06FIGHTING? BUT HE WON'T BECAUSE HE IS WEAK AND COWARDLY. THIS IS WHAT COWARDLY PEOPLE DO.
00:50:09I JUST WISH THE WAR WOULD END, AS IF IT WAS THE RAIN. IF YOU WANT TO BE A U.S.
00:50:13SENATOR, STAND UP. BUT YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU WANT
00:50:15POWER.
00:50:18AND YOU WANT POWER SO YOU CAN MAKE MONEY. THIS IS WHO MIKE ROGERS IS. IT'S ONE THING TO BE STUPID.
00:50:22DONALD TRUMP IS STUPID. HE CAN'T CONTROL THAT ABOUT HIMSELF.
00:50:26IT'S WHO HE IS. BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO BE COWARDLY, TO KNOW THAT STUPID THINGS ARE BEING DONE AND YOU
00:50:30CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM AND DO NOTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE SELF-SERVING AND SELF-INTERESTED. AND IF WE HAVE THAT AS OUR NEXT
00:50:35UNITED STATES SENATOR, DON'T BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU WATCH A LOT OF THESE FAMILY FARMS SHUT DOWN
00:50:38BECAUSE YOU ARE ALLOWING THE DUMBEST MAN IN THE ROOM TO MAKE PUBLIC POLICY FOR US.
00:50:42>> THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE. THANKS, GUYS.
00:50:44>> THANKS.
00:50:52[INDISCERNIBLE CONVERSATIONS] [CAPTIONS COPYRIGHT NATIONAL
00:50:56CABLE SATELLITE CORP. 2026] [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY. VISIT NCICAP.ORG]
00:51:00♪ >> DEMOCRACY IS ALWAYS AN UNFINISHED CREATION.
00:51:04>> DEMOCRACY IS WORTH DYING FOR.
00:51:07>> WE ARE HERE IN THE SANCTUARY
00:51:11OF DEMOCRACY.
00:51:12>> GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES FALL
00:51:16ONCE AGAIN TO THE GREAT DEMOCRACIES.
00:51:17>> FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY MUST BE
00:51:22CONSTANTLY GUARDED AND PROTECTED.
00:51:23>> WE ARE STILL, AT OUR CORE, A
00:51:27DEMOCRACY. >> THIS IS ALSO A MASSIVE
00:51:31VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY AND FOR FREEDOM. ♪
00:51:35>> AROUND SUNRISE THIS MORNING
00:51:39FEDERAL AGENTS DO ON MINNESOTA
00:51:42DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN BILL HA
00:51:46-- ACCORDING TO A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON, THE
00:51:49SWEEP AS PART OF AN ONGOING FEDERAL INVESTIGATION THAT IS
00:51:53CRIMINAL IN NATURE BUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE INVESTIGATION
00:51:55HAVE NOT BEEN MADE CLEAR. THE PROBE ACCORDING