Fox News "Sunday Morning Features" - Interview with Elissa Slotkin

Interview

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REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): Thank for having me.

BARTIROMO: You are an expert in this field.

You did three tours in Iraq yourself. What is your reaction to what took place in Saudi Arabia?

SLOTKIN: Well, I mean, for me, I was a militia analyst in particular.

So I traveled around Iraq, looking at the connection between the Iranian government and the Shia militias that were firing at U.S. forces and plotting against our bases. So I have seen the playbook before.

And Iran provides materiel, training advice, counsel on how these groups around the Middle East can improve their capabilities. I have no special knowledge on who is responsible for the attacks, but I would not be shocked if it was,you know, a local group, a Houthi group that was enabled and supported by Iranian training and leadership.

BARTIROMO: OK, so that's what Secretary Pompeo said: Make no mistake, this is -- this has Iran's fingerprints all over it.

You're saying, it doesn't necessarily have to be the leadership of Iran. They're just supporting local Houthi rebels.

SLOTKIN: Yes.

I mean, if you -- listen, we have a problem with Iran in the way that they tend to sow chaos around the region. This is their playbook. And I think they -- this is what we're going to see more and more, I fear, in warfare, is just this lack of accountability, Iran saying: It's not us. It's not us.

But, truthfully, in the intelligence, my guess, my assessment is, it's probably something different.

BARTIROMO: This is disabling the world's single most important piece of oil infrastructure.

We're expecting oil prices to skyrocket tomorrow morning, when the global markets open for trading. Should the America be worried that this output is being shut off? The Saudis had to stop half of their output.

SLOTKIN: I started studying to be a Middle East analyst a long time ago.

And when I started, it was like, if Saudi oil gets hit, we have a serious problem. What we have done in the United States to increase our own output has created a totally different strategic situation. So we will watch. I don't think the markets will go crazy.

BARTIROMO: Yes. Yes.

SLOTKIN: And the United States now has a lever to pull if we want to help stabilize prices.

BARTIROMO: That's a very good point.

SLOTKIN: Yes.

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BARTIROMO: Welcome back.

And we're back with Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin.

Let me ask the congresswoman about USMCA.

Have you gotten any sense from Nancy Pelosi? Is she going to bring it to the floor?

SLOTKIN: Yes.

I mean, I think we have had amazing numbers of meetings on this, both with Speaker Pelosi, but also with the negotiator, Ambassador Lighthizer. He's been great from the administration's side.

I have seen a lot of negotiations. This one is solvable. But what we need to make sure is that NAFTA 2.0 is better than NAFTA 1.0, especially coming from Michigan, so, enforcement, making sure that if the Canadians are the Mexicans violate, don't live up to the agreement, there's actually strong enforcement.

And then we need the labor standards in Mexico to come up, because, otherwise, we're going to see jobs continue to move from Michigan down to Mexico. That doesn't work for my state.

BARTIROMO: There is a measure in this USMCA that requires any U.S. worker to make $16 an hour.

SLOTKIN: So, there's the right language in there, but it's enforcement.

BARTIROMO: OK.

SLOTKIN: So what happens if that doesn't happen?

We can't kind of tiptoe around it.

BARTIROMO: If you get that enforcement in there, will you vote yes?

SLOTKIN: If I get enforcement and better labor standards, and it's not in some side agreement, it's in the base agreement, so I can believe it and my voters believe it, then I would sign it.

BARTIROMO: Why -- why aren't we hearing this from the Democratic candidates? How are you dealing with this constant push by the progressives to be all the way to the left?

You're from Michigan. I know this is a working town. You have constituents who want to see both sides get together and get something done.

SLOTKIN: Yes.

I mean, for me, especially from the district I'm from, I have a mandate to work across the aisle. People are just sick of the vitriol, of this tone and the tenor of politics.

And I -- we had the debates, the Democratic debates in Michigan. They came to Detroit. And I wrote an op-ed. And I said, hey, if you're interested in looking at what happens in Michigan, we got to hear your plan for the future of work, right?

BARTIROMO: Good for you.

SLOTKIN: The economic vision, affirmative plan. You got to be practical, right? Michiganders are a practical people.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

SLOTKIN: We like to get things done, because that's what we have to do every single day.

And then you got to be civil and have decency, right?

BARTIROMO: Yes.

SLOTKIN: We have got to be able to disagree respectfully.

If you do those things, I think that's a ways forward down the road to winning Michigan.

BARTIROMO: I love the fact that you said your dad is a Democrat and your mom...

SLOTKIN: The opposite.

(LAUGHTER)

SLOTKIN: My dad is a Republican. My mom, who's passed away, was a -- my dad was a Republican. My mom is a -- was a Democrat.

We always got along in Michigan. In Michigan, we fight over sports.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

SLOTKIN: We don't fight over politics in the past.

(LAUGHTER)

BARTIROMO: I like that.

SLOTKIN: But now it's become so polarized, it's -- you know, it's tough.

BARTIROMO: And I know you're working on prescription drugs.

SLOTKIN: Yes.

BARTIROMO: Prices.

SLOTKIN: Prescription drug pricing.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

SLOTKIN: I mean, that's what people pull me over in the grocery store about.

BARTIROMO: Yes.

SLOTKIN: And moms who say: My son is rationing his insulin.

BARTIROMO: Yes. Well, this is a big issue.

It is great to have you this morning.

SLOTKIN: Thank you so much.

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