United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, before the Senate shifts into the trial, we hope to complete an enormous accomplishment for this administration and, most importantly, for American families. It has now been more than 1 year--1 year--since President Trump hammered out the USMCA with the Governments of Mexico and Canada.

These two neighbors buy more than $5 billion of American goods and services every single year. They buy nearly 30 percent of all the food and agricultural products we export to the entire world, and for 90 percent of our manufacturing sectors, Mexico or Canada rank as the No. 1 or No. 2 export destination.

Over the past quarter of a century, 12 million U.S. jobs have come to depend on U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada. That includes many livelihoods in my home State of Kentucky, from agriculture to manufacturing, to aerospace and motor vehicles, to our signature industries, like distilled spirits.

That is why workers, families, and small businesses in Kentucky and around the Nation have been clamoring to get this deal done for a year now. In addition to all the American livelihoods that this commerce already supports, experts predict the USMCA will create 176,000 new jobs as well.

On behalf of all of these Americans, we were troubled to see Speaker Pelosi slow walk this agreement for the better part of a year. But, finally, late last year, the overwhelming bipartisan pressure to move forward made an impact on the House. So we are finally on the threshold of approving this agreement and sending it to President Trump's desk to become law.

Our colleagues on the Finance Committee have already approved it by an overwhelming margin. Other committees of jurisdiction are wrapping up their consideration as we speak. Very soon, we hope the Senate will be able to vote on the floor and put this landmark accomplishment right on the President's desk.

It will be a major win for Kentucky and for all 50 States, a major win for our country, a major win for the Trump administration, and a major win for those of us who are already ready to move past this season of toxic political noise and get back to doing even more of the American people's business.

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