Rob Portman: “I am on the floor today to talk about international trade. What a week it has been. In the same few days, we are seeing…”

“I am on the floor today to talk about international trade. What a week it has been. In the same few days, we are seeing the culmination of nearly 3 years of effort by this administration to deliver wins for American workers, for businesses, for farmers, and for consumers with regard to our three biggest trading partners, China, Canada, and Mexico. This is a big week. While the media is focused on impeachment--and I can say that because as I walked in that is all the reporters wanted to talk about--here we are on the floor talking about something that directly affects the constituents we represent. I think it is very positive in all three areas--China, Canada, and Mexico. In a way, it is like the World Series and the Super Bowl of trade all in the same week because these are big agreements that make a big difference. The U.S.-Mexico agreement is being finalized, and it will be voted on tomorrow. Second today is the signing of phase one of the China agreement, something many of us have been focused on over the past few years and wondered whether we would get here, and here we are. As a former trade lawyer and as a former U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush and as someone on the Trade Committee, which is the Finance Committee here, I follow these issues closely. Most significantly, I come from Ohio, which is a State that depends on trade and depends on that trade being fair to our workers, our farmers, our service providers, and our small businesses.…”