Delgado Statement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) released the following statement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

"From my first day in Congress, I have made it a priority to hear from our farmers across upstate New York who are being squeezed by unfavorable economic conditions for agriculture. Ratifying the USMCA gives our farmers an essential tool during these uncertain times: stability. This trade agreement, which I intend to support, will maintain -- and in some cases increase -- access to critical markets in Canada and Mexico. The final agreement also includes strengthened protections for American workers and organized labor, as well as facility-specific enforcement mechanisms for these new terms." Rep. Delgado continued, "failure to ratify the USMCA would be backsliding -- closing off important international markets and creating even more competition for market share here at home. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I know this agreement is just one of many steps needed to help our farmers combat the downturn in the farm economy. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to focus on the needs and priorities of the nearly 5,000 farms and more than 8,000 farm operators in NY-19."

"This holiday season will be a bit brighter for America's dairy farmers as today's vote brings us one step closer to finalizing USMCA and securing a more certain future for the dairy industry," said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. "New York's dairy industry appreciates the work that Congressman Delgado has invested to ensure USMCA will provide expanded market opportunities and a more level playing field for dairy exports. Now we are counting on the Senate to act quickly and finalize USMCA in order to deliver its improvements to North American trade."

As a member of the Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Small Business Committees, Delgado has prioritized bringing the voices of small farmers to Washington. During his first year in office, Rep. Delgado established and met with his Agriculture Advisory Committee, toured more than 25 farms, and sat down with local farmers across the district to hear about localized infrastructure, technology needs, and sustainable farming practices. Earlier this year, Rep. Delgado introduced the bipartisan H.R. 2336, the Family Farmer Relief Act which passed both Houses and the President signed into law.

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