United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because this is a good day. I don't want to discuss yesterday. I don't want to discuss issues that divide us in this Chamber.

I want to discuss, today, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement because that has brought us together. When we come together, who wins in that situation? Not us as Members of the House of Representatives, not us here in Washington, D.C., but the American people.

I was reminded recently, this morning, that, about 2 years ago, we delivered on tax cuts, and I stood exactly right here, and I knew that was going to unleash the American economy. We have an economy now at an all-time high, with 50-year lows for unemployment and 1.4 million new jobs in America.

Today, we have come together for the American worker, the American farmer. We have united as Democrats and Republicans to do something good for our fellow citizens, and that is this updated United States- Mexico-Canada Agreement.

As I stood here 2 years ago and had a discussion with my good friend from New York, Mr. Crowley, who is no longer here, I declared in one voice saying, hell, yes, I am going to vote for those tax cuts, and, hell, yes, I am going to vote for this Mexico-Canada trade agreement, because what we are doing here is, again, unleashing the power of America. Standing together, it is amazing what we can accomplish.

Madam Speaker, I applaud Chairman Neal. I applaud the Democratic Trade Working Group. I applaud the other side of the aisle for standing with us today for the American workers and American farmers.

I also applaud President Trump for having the vision and the leadership to take on this issue when everyone told him it cannot be done.

Madam Speaker, I also applaud Kevin Brady, Vern Buchanan, and Devin Nunes, and members of the Committee on Ways and Means who stood forward and said: You know what we are going to do? We are going to make sure we stand for a principle we believe in. That is the American opportunity of a job in an economy that is growing and playing on a field across the world where we have a fair and level playing field of trade. Because, when we have fair, free trade, the American worker wins each and every day.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

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