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Floor Speech

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Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam President, I would like to thank Senator Hagerty for coordinating this event and Senator Kaine and Senator Britt for standing up and supporting Vulcan Materials.

You know, supporting American businesses abroad should be a unifying position across political parties, and I thank our Democratic colleagues who have joined me in this effort for the past several months.

Unfortunately, we have seen just how little this administration cares about protecting American investments overseas. We could have corrected this problem. Specifically, I am talking about the unlawful actions taken by the Government of Mexico against Vulcan Materials Company, which is headquartered in Birmingham, AL.

Vulcan is the Nation's largest producer of construction inputs, including crushed stone, sand, and gravel. Vulcan is also a major producer of materials like asphalt and ready-mix concrete. The materials produced by Vulcan are used in nearly all forms of construction. This includes infrastructure repairs to a bridge or a road or when a new office building is built or a church that needs to be built. While headquartered in Alabama, Vulcan has 720 facilities and more than 12,000 employees in the United States of America. Its reach is international.

Vulcan has operated a quarry in Mexico since the eighties. This quarry supplies materials to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

Vulcan has quarried limestone legally in Mexico, on land that it owns and has paid for, for over 30 years. It has full ownership of the property in Mexico and owns the limestone reserves on the property--all paid for by Vulcan. Vulcan also operates a deepwater port in Mexico paid for by Vulcan. Vulcan operates that port because Vulcan built the port.

Over the course of 30 years, Vulcan Materials has paid billions in taxes to the Mexican Government. It has employed thousands of people over the years, providing them with healthcare and pensions, which is why I was shocked when, 2 years ago, the Mexican Government swooped in and announced it would pursue legal action against Vulcan overnight. After all that Vulcan has done for the country of Mexico, the Mexican Government swooped in to stop all their operations in just a few days. The Mexican Government's baseless claim was that the company is operating illegally in Mexico--after 30 years. That statement is categorically false.

Unfortunately, the Government of Mexico followed through with its threat and legal action. Mexican Government officials presented local Vulcan employees with orders to immediately cease operations on Vulcan's own land in Mexico.

I believe this shutdown ordered by the Mexican Government represents a baseless attack on U.S. companies and demonstrates a disregard for rule of law. It is why I joined Senator Hagerty in introducing the Defending American Property Abroad Act to impose retaliatory prohibitions that deter and punish any Western Hemisphere nation that unlawfully seizes American assets.

Clearly, Mexico's new President, Claudia Sheinbaum, didn't get the message that this is unacceptable. Under her leadership, the Mexican Government continues to pursue legal action against Vulcan.

Vulcan has been and continues to be subject to public harassment, intimidation tactics, and all kinds of harassment from the Mexican Government. The Mexican Navy sent troops to the entrance of the Vulcan facility for several days. The Mexican Navy flew Black Hawk helicopters and drones over Vulcan's property. The Mexican Navy sent patrol boats to Vulcan's harbor. The Mexican Government withheld the issuance of a routine customs permit for several months.

These actions by the Mexican Government are contrary to the most basic principles of international law and the free-trade agreements that bind our two countries together. Most notably, it goes against the USMCA--United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement--that was signed into law by President Trump.

However, the Mexican Government's attack on Vulcan is bigger than just one company. First of all, it undermines the rule of law in Mexico. It ignores international law and free-trade agreements. It weakens our bilateral relationship. It will discourage future U.S. investment in Mexico.

Over the last several years, we have all heard about the actions the Mexican Government has attempted to take against U.S. energy companies in Mexico. This action against Vulcan is just an example of how far Mexico is willing to go.

This will have a direct impact on the supply chain for major infrastructure projects in the United States and the entire world.

We cannot allow this to stand, and I know President Trump is not going to allow this to stand. He will not tolerate countries abusing the good work of American companies. As chief architect of the USMCA, President Trump won't allow any country in the Western Hemisphere to bully American businesses. It is a fight any country should think twice about starting.

In the meantime, I urge the Biden administration to take appropriate action at the Office of the United States Trade Representative and through diplomatic channels to ensure that Vulcan--a great, great, great American company--can maintain critical operations in Mexico.

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