December 13, 2019

Rep. Raúl Grijalva on impeachment, USMCA and climate change

The Arizona congressman sat down with Christopher Conover at AZPM in November.

The same day U.S. House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump, they also paved the way for him to make good on his promise to replace NAFTA. Prior to those announcements, both issues came up when U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva sat down with Christopher Conover at Arizona Public Media in late November.

The congressman from Tucson said then that he believed the Democratic majority in the U.S. House would eventually vote to impeach the president. He disputed criticism from Republicans that Democrats had sidelined other issues in favor of the proceedings.

“We have sent 300 pieces of legislation to the Senate,” Grijalva said. “Those are all there. And for the president or any of the Republicans to say we are not doing anything. The abyss is the Senate.”

More than a year after North American leaders agreed on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace NAFTA, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the White House on a revised version of the trade pact. Conover asked Grijalva if delays in ratifying the USMCA have hurt workers in Arizona.

“Quite frankly, it would be good to get it at the beginning of the next session — see what we have in front of us,” Grijalva said. “I think that this fixation of this administration on tariffs and other means to try and control not only what’s imported and exported, but also as part of foreign policy when it comes to Mexico ... those issues I think have also complicated the situation.”

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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