[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8543-H8544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 USMCA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Budd) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my Democratic colleagues 
across the aisle to end their partisan impeachment inquiry and instead 
focus on an issue that will actually improve the lives of our 
constituents and supercharge the already roaring American economy; that 
is, bringing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the USMCA, to 
this floor for a vote.
  Mr. Speaker, ratifying this landmark trade deal would generate a 
whole host of benefits, including growing the economy by tens of 
billions of dollars and supporting hundreds of thousands of American 
jobs and giving farmers more access to sell their products beyond our 
borders.
  According to a recent report from the International Trade Commission, 
the USMCA would raise the United States' GDP by more than $68 billion 
and create nearly 200,000 new jobs. The study also found that the USMCA 
would have a positive impact on trade by increasing U.S. exports and 
imports to Canada and Mexico by billions of dollars.
  The benefits don't stop there. The agreement would benefit farmers 
across the country and in my district in North Carolina. Under the 
USMCA, U.S. dairy farmers would be able to more than triple their 
access to the Canadian dairy market. This would be a

[[Page H8544]]

huge win for Iredell County, the top dairy producing county in North 
Carolina, as our dairy producers will gain wider access to a bigger 
marketplace.
  Along with dairy, the USMCA would boost North Carolina's poultry 
producers--a $37 billion industry that supports nearly 150,000 jobs in 
my State. Early estimates show that poultry exports to Canada will grow 
astronomically because the agreement increases tariff rate quotas for 
U.S. poultry and egg exports to Canada. The agreement also eliminates 
barriers facing U.S. dairy and poultry exports to Canada which will 
further unleash economic growth.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a reason the USMCA enjoys broad support from 
Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. stakeholders, as well as a majority of 
this House on both sides of the aisle: Because the upside for our 
country is undisputed.
  Ratifying this agreement would be a historic victory for our economy, 
for our workers, and for our farmers.
  The President and his team should be commended for a job well done, 
and now it is time for this House to quit stalling and to act. The 
window to pass the USMCA is closing, and I stand ready to vote for this 
deal and to get it across the finish line.
  I ask my Democratic colleagues to suspend their blind hatred of this 
President and bring the USMCA to the floor for a simple up-or-down 
vote. We need to stop thinking about this in terms of giving President 
Trump a political victory and start thinking about giving the American 
people an economic victory. That is why we all were sent here in the 
first place.
  Mr. Speaker, let's pass the USMCA now.

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