[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA TRADE AGREEMENT

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, finally there is some good news here in 
Washington that we will actually get some important things done, and, 
particularly, I am talking about the USMCA, or the United States-
Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. I am hopeful that we can get that voted 
out of the Senate by tomorrow and get it onto the President's desk. 
This is a top priority for my constituents, who are farmers, ranchers, 
and manufacturers, as well as consumers, whose daily lives are impacted 
by trade with our neighbors to the north and south. We will soon be 
able to mark it as yet another win for Texas under this administration.
  For more than a quarter of a century, NAFTA, or the North American 
Free Trade Agreement, the predecessor to the USMCA, has been the 
guiding force in our trading relationships with Mexico and Canada. By 
virtually any measure, it has been a great success. The U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce estimates that 13 million American jobs have been created and 
are dependent on trade with Mexico and Canada. That is a big deal.
  A lot has changed over the last 25 years. In fact, then, the internet 
was in its infancy, smartphones didn't exist, and the only shopping you 
did was at a brick-and-mortar store. The way business is conducted 
today has evolved significantly. It is time we bring our trade 
agreements up to date.
  That is where the USMCA comes in. It preserves the basic hallmark 
provisions of NAFTA, like duty-free access to Mexican and Canadian 
markets, and it adds measures to modernize the agreement. Additionally, 
the USMCA includes strong protections for intellectual property, which 
is critical to protecting the incredible innovation that Americans 
create right here at home. It also cuts the redtape that has been 
preventing countless small businesses from tapping into foreign 
markets.
  It also accounts for e-commerce and digital products at a time when 
governments around the world are proposing all kinds of new taxes on e-
commerce. It is actually the first free-trade agreement with a digital 
trade chapter. That is why a lot of folks call the USMCA ``NAFTA-2.0.'' 
It is better, it is stronger, and it is up to date.
  I have no doubt that this agreement will be a boon to both our 
national and Texas economies, but I do have some concerns about the 
path it has taken to ratification. This product was essentially 
negotiated with the House and given to the Senate as a fait accompli, 
and I worry that that can set a dangerous precedent for future trade 
agreements. I hope that is not something we will allow to become a 
habit, but it doesn't diminish the fact that this trade agreement will 
bring serious benefits to my constituents and my State and continue to 
strengthen our national economy.
  I appreciate the President's commitment to strengthening our trading 
agreements with our neighbors and bolstering a stronger North America. 
The USMCA is a big win for all three countries involved, and it is a 
big win for the State of Texas.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.

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