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Passing Usmca

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 23, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Trade

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to reconsider the unilateral push forward with impeachment. We have important and timely bipartisan issues to work on, such as passing USMCA.

Canada and Mexico represent 34 percent of all U.S. exports--by far, our most important trading partners.

The North American Free Trade Agreement that we know as NAFTA was written more than 25 years ago, and the world has changed dramatically since its enactment. President Trump has made the modernization of trade between our three countries a top priority and has allowed us the chance to make some much-needed updates. USMCA upgrades and modernizes NAFTA. It will boost our economy, and it is a win for farmers, producers, and, definitely, consumers.

We have an opportunity to take action on trade, but the work must come first. It is our constitutional duty to start this process in the House. Delaying the enactment of USMCA hurts American jobs, border security, and agriculture, as well as innovation. We cannot afford to let this opportunity pass.

Mr. Speaker, let's begin the work in the Ways and Means Committee, and let's get this done. It is time to pass USMCA.

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