[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, Montanans are growing restless, as Speaker 
Pelosi and the House Democrats continue to slow-walk a very important 
trade agreement for Montana and for our country. That is the United 
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
  In fact, just last week, I was in Billings to celebrate the Montana 
Farm Bureau Federation's 100 year anniversary--and, again, another big 
congratulations to the Montana Farm Bureau. As I was talking with folks 
at the farm bureau event, there were a lot of cowboy boots and hats. 
These are the farmers and ranchers of Montana, the salt of the earth 
folks. They are all asking the same question: Why is it taking so long? 
What is going on?
  Frankly, there is one answer: Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House 
Democrats are playing political games and holding up this trade deal. 
They are holding this trade deal hostage. It has been a year since the 
USMCA was signed by President Trump and leaders of Canada and Mexico--a 
year. Nancy Pelosi has had this signed trade agreement in her hands for 
about a year, and rather than deliver this win for our farmers and 
ranchers in Montana and across the United States, she is focused on one 
thing: impeachment--because, at the end of the day, this is about our 
farmers and ranchers. It is time we get the job done because, in 
Montana, agriculture is the No. 1 driver of our economy, and it is a 
large part of our Montana way of life.
  This trade agreement is expected to create over 180,000 new American 
jobs and to boost our GDP by over $70 billion. Canada and Mexico both 
are in high demand for our products like wheat, barley, beef. In fact, 
in 2018 alone, Montana had $731 million in total exports to Canada and 
to Mexico. For our producers and our ag-related industries in Montana, 
passing this trade agreement would help provide certainty and alleviate 
the challenges and obstacles they have faced over a very tough season.
  Mexico is ready. Canada is ready. The United States is ready. I can 
tell you, Montana is ready. Unfortunately, Nancy Pelosi is not. While 
the Democrats continue to obsess over impeaching our President, they 
continue to ignore the voices of our rural communities. This 
unnecessary reality TV show is nothing but a waste of time to stall the 
important work like the USMCA. Montanans are sick and tired of the 
politics and the partisan games being played here in Washington, DC, 
and frankly, I am, too.
  I am grateful for the leadership of my good friend and colleague,   
Greg Gianforte, who is standing up to House Democrats and fighting 
boldly for the USMCA. Realize, Montana has but one Member in the U.S. 
House of Representatives, and he is fighting a good fight over there.
  We are both fighting to ensure that the votes of Montana farmers and 
ranchers are heard loud and clear in both Chambers of Congress. The 
longer the House Democrats stall on this deal, the further we stall 
opportunity and economic growth in Montana and across our Nation.
  To Speaker Pelosi, to my colleagues in the House, enough is enough. 
Let's deliver the USMCA for the American people and for Montana farmers 
and ranchers.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, first of all, let me say that I totally 
agree with my friend from Montana on the importance of, after a year of 
deliberation--or maybe ``deliberation'' is too strong a word--more than 
a year since all three countries agreed on an agreement, that we still 
have not gotten a chance to vote on this agreement on the Senate floor; 
we have to wait for the House to do that. I want to do everything that 
I can to encourage the House to move forward with this. I think better 
trade policy can turn a good economy into a great economy, and we need 
to be working on that great economy.