[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 7, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S34]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Japan Trade Deal

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I have come to the floor today to 
start this new year by really encouraging my friends on each side of 
the aisle to approach this coming legislative session with some 
optimism because there are some good things we can do.
  We come to the floor and we hear about Iran and we hear about 
Soleimani. There are differences of opinion there. I am one of those. I 
represent a major military post, and I know that so many of our men and 
women in uniform said: You know what, this should have been done long 
ago. This is a known terrorist who has conducted terrorist attacks on 
six continents, even tried it here in the United States. They felt like 
the President was justified.
  We hear about impeachment, and of course we know it has been widely 
reported that our friends across the aisle and over in the House 
started 3 years ago trying to find something they could impeach Donald 
Trump on--just something. It was going to be emoluments, or it was 
going to be collusion, or it was going to be coercion, or it was going 
to be Russia, or it was going to be bribery. There had to be something 
there because, you know what, they just don't like the guy. They don't 
like him. So they have been at it nonstop. They let that get in the way 
of some good things that people would like to get done.
  For the next few minutes, I would like to encourage us to think 
beyond subpoenas and trial and negativity and witness statements and 
instead focus in on three things that are right in front of us: two 
successfully negotiated trade deals that will benefit farmers, 
manufacturers, and small business owners and producers not only in my 
State of Tennessee but across the entire country.
  In the Volunteer State alone, we have 967 foreign-based businesses, 
and they have invested $37.3 billion in capital improvements, and 
currently they employ more than 147,000 Tennesseans. That is good for 
our State. Trade is important to us in Tennessee, insourcing these 
jobs.
  Of particular importance to us is maintaining great trade relations 
with Japan. Do you know what is so amazing? We have so many people who 
didn't even know that the Japan trade agreement went into effect on 
January 1. The mainstream media was so busy focused on impeachment and 
other things that they didn't even realize this was a deal that will do 
a good job for us.
  Our former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, who is a Tennessean, Ambassador 
Hagerty, had negotiated this before he left. This recently agreed-to 
Japan trade deal will support 40,000 jobs that are already provided by 
Japanese companies. The new deal will also solidify Tennessee's 
relationships with Japanese partners like Nissan North America, Toyota, 
Bridgestone, Nidec, and Denso Manufacturing--all with a presence in 
Tennessee and all employing Tennesseans.
  It is going to create greater market access to Tennessee's 
agriculture products, specifically pork, cheese, and wine. It will 
eliminate or lower tariffs on 7.2 billion dollars' worth of U.S. 
exports, including beef, which will put Tennessee and American farmers 
on a level playing field with their competitors. That is a good thing 
for our agricultural community. I cannot overstate how big a win this 
is for Tennesseans and for Americans, and there is more on the horizon.