Jim Hagedorn

I am not at all against or opposed to wind and solar. I support it. I think we should just be practical about it.

Our agribusinesses and farmers are the best in the world. They can compete with anyone.

We want to drop down those barriers for farmers, we want to expand our markets.

Let's expand trade. Let's make sure that we pass the United States-Mexico Free Trade Agreement.

We should have individual tax reform. Make it simpler, fairer, flatter.

I think everybody in the room is on the same team. We want this to work. We want to help out the folks in rural America.

We want to help out the folks in rural America and make sure that the people that happen to live outside of big cities have the same opportunities.

Today I rise to encourage the Speaker of the House to give expeditious consideration of the United States- Mexico-Canada Agreement. There is progress on this agreement being made. The country of Mexico, their senate just ratified it…

They should be able to go choose the mental health provider of their choice, not necessarily have to rely on the VA.

I support a grant program that would allow doctors to go into rural areas and to practice there.

I am for free trade, open trade, reciprocal trade, whatever you want to call it, but when the other side cheats or does things to undercut U.S. interests in our companies and agribusinesses, that is not right.

We are confident that passage and implementation of USMCA will deliver opportunity and certainty to Minnesota's farmers, manufacturers, labor force, and consumers.

The best gummy bears I have ever tasted are made by a company right in southern Minnesota. Last week, I visited Le Center and toured Maud Borup, a 112-year-old wholesale confections company that specializes in gourmet candy, baking kits…

I support the concept, for instance, that our veterans should be able to choose their own doctors and hospitals.

My parting statement is that rural America has been overlooked for far too long, and we are working real hard to turn that around.

Let's be honest, if we don't have people living in these areas, it doesn't really matter what industries we have, we are still going to suffer.

But I think that sometimes what gets lost is the problems are exacerbated because of bad government policies, mostly at the Federal level.

We do not criminalize people like they do in almost every other country around the world for overstaying visas.

Last week, the Communist Government of Cuba announced that it is launching widespread rationing of food due to the grave economic crisis in their country. Unlike citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, and countless other nations…

You are the embodiment of what it means to be a small business person.

I appreciate this bill. I think it is certainly unfortunate that we had to get to this point that the Executive Branch has been dragging its feet but the purposes of the original law and what is being done today are excellent.

For the protection of life, I urge that the Speaker immediately schedule this important bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is not recognized for debate. ____________________

Bringing certainty to the marketplace and expanding opportunities for our farmers would be very, very critical.

Where would we be if we couldn't have a vibrant agricultural base and we ended up having to import our food and things of that nature. We would be in big trouble.

Work for Welfare is a concept that is empowering for people. It is a fairness issue for the taxpayers, because if people are able-bodied to work, they should do so, just like the taxpayers do to make it possible.