HYDE-SMITH ARGUES FOR US-MEXICO-CANADA TRADE PACT PASSAGE
Miss. Senator Critical of Congressional Democrats’ Yearlong Delay to Ratify 21st Century Trade Agreement
VIDEO (clip): “No good reason for the House to have held up this 21st century trade agreement.”
VIDEO (full statement): Senator Hyde-Smith Argues for Passage of USMCA Trade Pact.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today argued that continued delays by Democrats to obstruct passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is hurting Mississippi and other states that sell agricultural and manufactured goods to America’s two largest trading partners.
Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, on Wednesday called on congressional Democrats to allow a vote on the USMCA, the renegotiated trade pact that will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“USMCA takes us into the 21st century, updating antiquated rules to prohibit the theft of trade secrets, reward American innovators, and improve cross-border e-commerce, while also providing increased market access for American businesses and benefits for American workers in more traditional sectors like agriculture and manufacturing,” Hyde-Smith said.
“Today, the American people should ask why it has taken more than a year for the House and Senate to take up, debate, and pass an agreement that will boost the American economy and job creation. Manufacturers, farmers, and other businesses in my state of Mississippi certainly want to know,” she said.
Hyde-Smith, who was the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, said the USMCA would allow Mississippi “to increase the market penetration of its manufactured goods and agricultural products into foreign markets.” Canada and Mexico import the most products from Mississippi, which exported $11.8 billion in goods in 2018.
“Bottom line, the USMCA represents an important new tool for Mississippi to expand its ability to sell more of what we produce to consumers abroad,” Hyde-Smith said. “There is no good reason for the House to have held up this 21st century trade agreement, and it is time to finally take a vote, send it to the Senate, and get it done.”
The USMCA has languished in the House of Representatives since President Trump announced the pact on Oct. 1, 2018.
The following is the text of Hyde-Smith’s remarks to the Senate:
Mr. President, the American people elected President Trump based, in part, on his promise to negotiate better trade deals with foreign nations, first among them our largest trading partners Canada and Mexico.
The President and his administration wasted no time in working with these two neighbors to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement to reflect today’s economic realities. Those talks produced the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which the President unveiled more than a year ago.
When NAFTA was written more than a quarter century ago, the internet was in its infancy, and few could have foreseen the increasingly globalized and digital economy we have today.
USMCA takes us into the 21st century, updating antiquated rules to prohibit the theft of trade secrets, reward American innovators, and improve cross-border e-commerce, while also providing increased market access for American businesses and benefits for American workers in more traditional sectors like agriculture and manufacturing.
Market access is very important to agriculture and to our nation's economy in general. Ninety-five percent of the world's population lives outside these United States. Without good trade agreements that give us free access to the world marketplace, we cannot prosper in agriculture or any other business that depends on exports. The USMCA will result in a fairer deal for U.S. businesses and consumers.
Today, the American people should ask why it has taken more than a year for the House and Senate to take up, debate, and pass an agreement that will boost the American economy and job creation. Manufacturers, farmers, and other businesses in my state of Mississippi certainly want to know why we haven’t done that.
The truth of the matter is that House Democrats have delayed taking action because they want, first, to deny President Trump a “win” for as long as possible, and, secondly, to secure last-minute favors for big labor.
It is ironic that these same Democrats and big labor groups now oppose USMCA because of environmental protections or labor rights. The truth is that they’re largely responsible for the original NAFTA, which they now claim incentivized a mass exodus of U.S. companies to Mexico and decimated our manufacturing sector.
Unfortunately, Democrats’ inexcusable foot dragging is just hurting American consumers and businesses.
For years, Mississippi has worked aggressively to increase the market penetration of its manufactured goods and agricultural products into foreign markets. My state exported $11.8 billion in goods in 2018—a 61 percent increase over the past decade. Foreign trade accounts for almost 10 percent of Mississippi’s GDP.
More than 50,000 workers in large manufacturers, medium and small businesses, and farms played a role in producing these goods for use around the world, but primarily to Canada and Mexico, my state’s largest trade partners.
Bottom line, the USMCA represents an important new tool for Mississippi to expand its ability to sell more of what we produce to consumers abroad.
There is no good reason for the House to have held up this 21st century trade agreement, and it is time to finally take a vote, send it to the Senate, and get it done.
We all are benefitting from the strongest U.S. economy and lowest jobless rate in decades. Congress needs to do its job to help maintain and strengthen this economic growth. USMCA will create more certainty for businesses, and increase business confidence improves the state of the world economy.
Let’s pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and spend more time on accomplishing as much as we can on issues that will actually make a difference in the lives of the American people.
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