On the recordDecember 19, 2019
I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, and perhaps one of the most successful in modern time. I am looking at this USMCA trade agreement. I said from the beginning that I would not have opened up NAFTA; it was good for Iowa agriculture, it was good for Iowa manufacturing, it was good for America in many areas. But the President promised that he would open it up and that he would prevail in his negotiations. He has followed through and he has kept his word. For a year and a half I have been having discussions with every entity that I can find that has been affected by this trade agreement. They all say, We are better off. They might say, We are marginally better off, but they say, We are better off, until you get to dairy, where we are a lot, lot better off than we were in the past. This is a terrific trade agreement. Whatever the nuances were afterwards where there were some changes that didn't affect, I don't think, the district that I represent, what this amounts to is this: It is a huge victory for the President of the United States, for Americans everywhere, for Iowans in the Fourth Congressional District, which is the number one agriculture producing district in all of America. We are happy. We are delighted. We are thankful to have this Christmas present coming to us. We say, Merry Christmas, Mr. President; Merry Christmas, America.
