June 12, 2019

Trade agreement grandstanding

Topic: Issues

June 11, 2019: Grandstanding and foot-dragging are delaying ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Download the Ratifying the USMCA mp3

Read the transcript:

Grandstanding and foot-dragging. Two things that Congress actually is good at. But it’s sad. It’s sad that we are grandstanding over ridiculous things when there are so many important things ahead of us that we can take advantage of – that we need to take advantage of – that move forward farming and ranching and other industry in our nation.

The foot dragging happens on the USMCA – The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – the renegotiation of NAFTA, so to speak. President Trump and his administration worked diligently to get an improved agreement, not only for agriculture, but for technology and other industry. And yet, we have the foot dragging happening in Congress to ratify the agreement.

These same folks are the ones that are claiming that things are being ruined by the renegotiation with China, and “We’re never gonna be whole again.” Those are the same folks – leader Nancy Pelosi, more specifically – that are dragging their feet on ratifying a new agreement between three neighboring countries right here in North America.

It’s not the president nor his administration dragging this out. It is the fact that it will not be brought to the floor for a vote. And people are pretty certain that if it would get brought to the floor, it would pass. But yet, the grandstanders do not want to have a win for the United States at the hand of President Trump.

That’s a sad state of affairs. When we can make things better for this country, we let politics get in the middle.

So maybe it’s time that we, at NDFB and all of our members, and everyone, actually, even if you’re not a member, start calling Congress. I think we’re pretty safe with our delegation from North Dakota. They support the USMCA and want it ratified. But maybe we need to flood the phones of leader Nancy Pelosi and tell her it’s time to get away from the grandstanding, and pick them feet up and take a vote and ratify the new important agreement for all of America.