Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) last weekend led a U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group Meeting in which bipartisan lawmakers discussed the importance of passing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Reps. Cuellar and McCaul both emphasized how the American economy relies on trade with Mexico and highlighted the need to ensure our trade agreements reflect the modern 21st century economy. You can read more about the meeting here.
Rep. Cuellar:
“Mexico is a critical partner to the United States and is crucial to our own prosperity. They are not only our economic partner, they are our neighbor and friend. It has been 25 years since we ratified NAFTA, and now it is our time to update this trade agreement to reflect our 21st-century economy… I will continue to work across the aisle to pass the USMCA to improve our relationship with Mexico and strengthen our economy for the American people…”
Rep. McCaul:
“…We had in-depth discussions on the mutual benefits of the USMCA including job growth and protections of intellectual property, and I am hopeful that the House will pass this critical agreement soon.”
The bipartisan call for passage of the agreement follows a call by Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA-03), who publicized her support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) in a speech delivered on the House floor last week. Rep. Axne urged her colleagues to continue working with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to “find agreement on the USMCA soon.” She also emphasized the importance of agriculture to Iowa’s economy and the benefits of USMCA to Iowa farmers. Her full speech with audio available here and key excerpts are below:
Rep. Axne:
“I visit each of the 16 counties in my district every month, whether its touring manufacturers, visiting with farmers, or stopping into small businesses. Everywhere I go the message is loud and clear: uncertainty is hurting our bottom line. Agriculture is the backbone of Iowa’s economy; 1 out of every 5 dollars in Iowa is produced from agriculture. Supporting our farmers is neither a partisan nor political issue – it’s simply the right thing to do.”
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“Between devastating weather events, ongoing trade wars, and the EPA’s unprecedented abuse of biofuel waivers – our farmers have been put through enough.”
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“They are asking for our help as elected representatives. We must answer their call and get this deal done right and without unnecessary delay. I thank my colleagues for the work that they have done and urge them to expedite negotiations and finalize this agreement soon to make sure we can make lives whole for the people suffering in the state of Iowa and across this country.”
Source : Farmers for Free Trade