Johnson Urges Pelosi to Hold a Vote on USMCA
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) along with Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Mike Conaway and 157 of his Republican colleagues, urged U.S House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi in a letter to bring the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to the floor for immediate consideration.
The letter highlights the broad consensus on the agreement’s benefits to agricultural producers, noting:
“Nearly every agriculture group in America has called on Congress to pass USMCA, which significantly improves trade relations with our two largest trading partners that together purchase about one-third of all U.S. agricultural exports. Under USMCA, U.S. agricultural exports alone are expected to increase by more than $2 billion annually…“
The text of the letter follows:
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Dear Speaker Pelosi:
The undersigned Republican Members strongly urge you to ensure that the House of Representatives takes up and passes the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement this year.
With just two weeks remaining, the House has so far squandered the first session of the 116th Congress.
Rather than working together to pass bipartisan measures that could be signed into law, House Democrats have instead obsessed over a partisan impeachment process of which the sole purpose is to overturn the decision of voters in the 2016 election. The little remaining time has largely been consumed by passing partisan messaging bills that have no chance of enactment, even in the case where common ground could easily have been found.
Thankfully, it is not too late for House Democrats to do the right thing. For starters, the House should finally stop dithering on USMCA and pass this critically important trade agreement.
Nearly every agriculture group in America has called on Congress to pass USMCA, which significantly improves trade relations with our two largest trading partners that together purchase about one-third of all U.S. agricultural exports. Under USMCA, U.S. agricultural exports alone are expected to increase by more than $2 billion annually, helping to build on the 325,000 American jobs that are already reliant on our nation’s exports to Mexico and Canada.
Significant new market access for U.S. dairy, chicken, eggs, and turkey producers is expected under the agreement while strides are also made in favor of our wheat farmers. These and other improvements will greatly benefit U.S. farmers and ranchers who are struggling under the weight of a recession that began in late 2014.
Expanding U.S. agriculture exports through truly free and fair trade agreements will help put American agriculture back on its feet.
Mexico is already our corn growers’ number one customer, while Canada and Mexico buy close to half of our pork products. And beef sales to our immediate neighbors are estimated to add about $70 per head to the bottom line of U.S. cattlemen. Under USMCA, the United States has a real opportunity to expand on these successes at a time when U.S. farmers and ranchers and rural America need help the most.
USMCA already contains the strongest labor provisions of any trade agreement considered by the U.S. to date, and the Trump Administration has worked diligently and in good faith to address these issues because the President is absolutely focused on ensuring a level playing field for all U.S. workers.
Passing USMCA is a chance for the House to chalk up one critically important victory for the American people, and we urge you to seize this opportunity.
Sincerely,
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I’m sure Pelosi took time out of her busy day to read Johnson’s letter. Much like Johnson takes time to read the letters from his constituents. Sure thing.
Johnson is the only member I’ve ever seen actually respond to peoples comments on Facebook, I’d bet he reads letter and emails too.
That is very doubtful. It’s also very hard to believe it’s actually Johnson responding to FB comments and not a staff member. He, like many other politicians do not care about us or what we think.
I happen to know that you are incorrect. Dusty does respond to constituents and he has a wry sense of humor.
There are times he responds. I recently received a letter from him about his support for Israel… with a name I had over five years ago.
He does not have time to read letters or emails from constituents. His staff does and briefs him, then they formulate a letter that’s sent out to everyone who has contacted his office on said issue. Dusty does not pick up the phone and speak with So,Dakotans or return any of those calls. Please.
Politicians care mostly about who is paying them – their donors.
Here is what I know: Senator Jim Abdnor read every piece of written correspondence from a Senate colleague or a member of the House of Representatives. I am also confident Senate Leadership read everything Senator Abdnor sent to them as I directly heard them reference it on many ocassions.
Finally, I’d be shocked if Pelosi didn’t have at minimum a process which summarizes, compiles Member correspondence into subject matters, and actual copy of all correspondence from all Members of Congress. I might not agree much with her but I think her smart enough to grasp at all times the issues and priorities of every 435 member of Congress.
I cannot believe as a life long Republican that I am defending Nancy Pelosi, but she is doing her job, Dusty Johnson is not. The USMCA, as concurred by a national farm group, is one of the worst trade agreements in U.S. history and the current Trump party masquerading as Republicans are defending it so they can put their name on yet another ridiculous Trump “fake” accomplishment. Pelosi is not bringing it to the floor for the simple reason that, like NAFTA, the USMCA has no protections and investigatory measures to address Mexican dumping into the U.S. market on agriculture and other products and why there is no planned debate or vote until the USTR changes the bill to address these issues. Furthermore, the USMCA is nothing more than NAFTA 2.0 with a Republican signature on it and offers just small increases in U.S. agriculture exports to Canada and elsewhere, small time increases that make it as useless as NAFTA. It also will drastically increase the cost of new cars in the U.S. which Johnson, Rounds, and Thune doesn’t want you, the consuming American, to know and in fact will hurt the auto industry for decades to come.
Johnson was given this information before he got elected and continues to ignore and repel advice from experts in the field of trade making him a candidate for one of the worst U.S. Representatives in South Dakota history, a wannabe career politicians with zero acumen in the issues that matters to all Americans, including the South Dakota farmers and the people of South Dakota.
I will be on the radio in the near future explaining the dangers of Donald J. Trump to South Dakotans on Trump’s conspiracy trade wars and trade agreements that are being developed and marketed by the most uneducated advisors on trade issues, i.e. Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Larry Kudlow, and the Ambassador himself of the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, all whom have a deep history of anti-trade and conspiracy theories, just like Donald J. Trump. Trump’s actions are always about him, not you, the American citizen and especially, the American farmer who stand to lose their markets forever or at least decades.
Anyone wanting to email me please do so for more information. I’ve been harmed greatly by the lack of mechanisms above under NAFTA and shows me the Republicans spent zero time on the drafting of the USMCA and analyzing its effects. It’s another Trump political stunt.
I just heard there is movement on the USMCA on enforcement, but only labor enforcement and nothing on Mexican dumping. Unlike what Johnson parrots as a Republican talking point above, there will not be a $2 billion advantage for the US but rather the effects of the USMCA will approach zero in GDP and job gains. If you listen to Fox News you will hear nothing but Trump spin, nothing else. I’m afraid Pelosi will bring this bad trade deal to the floor for a vote to show Americans that the Dems are doing something during the impeachment process and our congressmen are too dumb to see it. This is entirely about Trump’s kowtowing to the American labor unions, the AFL-CIO, something Republicans always rejected as an unwritten plank in their platform.