Usmca that might come as a result of these negotiations that can improve the outcome of American Workers im happy to consider. Its important to remember that usmca is better than nafta by nearly every standard, including labor and environment. So i hope discussions between House Democrats and ambassador lighthizer is an exercise in getting to the yes that i feel Speaker Pelosi wants to get to. One particular area where everyone can agree is that enforcement across the board is a key compromise that must be hammered out. Factors outside of farmers hands such as an oversupply of grain in the global market, an unusually wet spring across the midwest, and natural disasters like flooding have all contributed to increased uncertainty and less profitability for farmers and leading to anxiety among those same farmers. Passing the usmc will help alleviate some of that uncertainty and anxiety for the years ahead by providing stable export market for american corn, soybeans, pork and dairy to name just a few examples of the benefits not only to farming but the rest of the agenda foR Manufacturing and services. I yield the floor. Mr. Hoeven id like to thank the senator from iowa not only for all his work on behalf of agriculture but also for hid leadership on the finance committee which is so important to advancing the usmca. Well go from the midwest to the south. This is an agreement that benefits all regions of the country, and so i now turn to the good senator from the great state of arkansas. A senator thank you so much. I want to thank my colleague, senator hoeven, for organizing this very important event. Mr. Boozman i think you sense a theme building here. Many of my colleagues have spoken about the economic benefits urks usmc usmca holds for their specific states and i would like to add arkansas to the list. According to the arkansas trade center which does an comment job of promoting trade in my state and growing opportunities for our exporters, canada and mexico are arkansas top trading partners by far. Arkansas goods and services are exported to 181 counties but canada and mexico combine for over onethird of our exports in 2017. Our exports to these two countries added 2. 1 billion to arkansas economy that year. Nearly 69,000 jobs in my state are dependent on trade with canada and another 41,000 jobs are affected by trade with mexico. Arkansas exports about 1. 3 billion in goods to canada and another 182 million in services. I could go on but weve already covered a lot of statistics here today. Its important to remember that there are real people behind this data. They are the workers in the paper mills in south arkansas, the employees of the steel mills in northwest arkansas, the Family Partners producing rice in the delta, the line workers at the poultry processing plants in northwest arkansas. These arkansans and many more work in the industries that produce our top exports to mexico and canada. For them and countless others, the announcement that a trade agreement has been reached with canada and mexico was very welcomed and promising news. Arkansas farmers, business leaders, and workers understand how vital it is to have free but also fair trade, particularly with our neighbors to the north and the south. It helps create the sense of certainty that is being sorely missing for our manufacturers, Small Businesses, and the agriculture industry. For Agriculture Community is particularly crucial that we push this agreement across the finish line. Our farmers face a very tenuous situation right now. Commodity prices are well below the cost of production. Farmings in 2008 dropped sharply. Farm debt has risen to levels not seen since the earl 1980s. A rainy spring have hampered planting season and in the case of arkansas produced one of the worst floods in the states history. All of this combined has placed arkansas Rural Communities in dire conditions. Far too many family farms are barely hanging on and sadly, many more are filing for bankruptcy. Arkansas has a diverse economy ranging from aerospace and defense to Steel Production to the Worlds Largest retailer but agriculture is by far our largest industry. It adds around 16 billion to our economy every year, and accounts for approximately one in every six jobs in arkansas. In my discussions with farmers on how we can help the same mantra is often repeated. They prefer trade over aid. While they appreciate the president s efforts to ease the pain during these trade standoffs, what they really need are more markets in which to sell their products. They understand that increased trade is the way forward to create a better longterm outlook for their operations. Our neighbors to the north and south are our natural allies and trading partners. The president s team has worked hard to get canada and mexico to the negotiating table to formulize a more mutually benefit agreement. That hard work has paid off in the form of the usmca. Now congress has a responsibility to see it through to the end. Fair trade agreements have become increasingly important to arkansas economy over the last half century. As the world becomes more interconnected, access to Global Markets is necessary not just for the large corporations that call arkansas home but also for small and medium size businesses that are looking to expand their operations and their footprints with a level Playing Field arkansas agriculture, manufacturing, and Small Businesses can compete with Anyone Around the globe. Giant step closer to that by swiftly approving usmca. Thank you. Mr. Hoeven i would like to thank the senator from arkansas for his words and also for his leadership in agriculture. Now i turn to the senator from ohio who i think is going to touch on some of the aspects that are beneficial for the manufacturing sector. The senator from ohio. Mr. Portman thank you to my colleague from north dakota, north Dakota Farmers and manufacturers because hes got a lot of manufacturing in his state as well. Ive never had a better friend. Thats why hes so strongly supportive of this agreement because it makes a big difference. My colleague from arkansas just talked about the fact that in arkansas there are two largest trading partners are canada and mexico. Same with ohio. China is actually kind of a distant third. These two countries are critical for our exports. Thats why this agreement is so important. Im a former trade lawyer. I also was the u. S. Trade representative under george w. Bush and now im on the finance committee which is the committee that handles the trade issues. I think having a balanced and healthy trade relationship is really important. We have to stand up for our country and enforce the agreements we have. But we also need to expand the exports because thats what creates job, better paying jobs. Better benefits. Thats why we need to be sure we have agreements like this one. Weve got about 5 of the worlds population. And about 25 of the worlds economy. We need to sell our stuff overseas. It gives us access to the 95 of the consumers who live outside of our borders. Mexico and canada, as i said, are our biggest trading partners, 39 of our exports go to canada alone. Thats ties the national afternoon. All in all, mexico and canada now supports more than 12 million jobs nationally. Thats according to the u. S. Chamber of commerce, 12 million jobs. We all know the existing agreement, this nafta agreement, north American Free trade agreement has to be updated. Its now 25 years old and it looks like it. It doesnt have a lot of things you would expect in any modern agreement like how about taking care of the dinl tall economy. So much. Our economy is over the internet yet theres nothing in this agreement that deals with that part of our economy. Its more than just a name change. It does include a lot of different aspects that we put in more modern agreements that dont have in the nafta agreement. Another one is labor and environmental standards. Not only are the standards stronger, but theyre enforceable under this new agreement. They are not enforceable under nafta. Auto jobs left the United States of america over the last 25 years. And one reason that this agreement is necessary is that the usmca shifts more auto production back to the United States. My colleague from north dakota talked about the manufacturing side. This is going to get the United StatesAutomobile Assembly lines humming again. Why . Because car parts and cars, if you want to get the better tariff agreement under the usmca, they have to have higher content from north america. That means from us. So under nafta, the requirement was 61. 5 . Under usmca its 75 . By the way, theres new provision that says 70 of the steel used in the automobiles has to be north american steel. Both of these things helps to ensure well have more manufacture R Manufacturing jobs in ohio and around the country. American farmers we heard earlier are going to gain access do new markets in canada and mexico. Thats why ohio farm groups are for this. Nearly 1,000 farm groups around the country now, i didnt know there were a thousand farm groups, have come out to support this agreement. Small businesses in ohio and around the country whose bottom line relies on these internet sales, internet commerce is going to have much more access to canada and mexico thanks to these new Digital Economy provisions. So kind of helps across the board. By the way, these stronger labor standards in mexico we talked about are going to help level the Playing Field in terms of labor because labor costs are less in mexico, right. But it goes even further than that. It actually requires that 40 to 45 of a usmca vehicle made in mexico or anywhere in north america makes at least 16 an hour. This is revolutionary. Its different kind of thinking in a trade agreement. Its something you would expect from a Democrat Administration to put in an agreement, but its in there, and its going to help auto workers in this country. Because of all these changes i have discussed by the way, many of which like the higher minimum wage or like the higher domestic content have been advocated by democrats in the past. Thats the mirror approach to these trade agreements, not republicans so much. But because of these provisions being so good for workers, i must tell you i am surprised. Even amazed to see so many of my democratic colleagues not stand up to support this agreement, because it has all these things that they said that they have wanted over the years, and they certainly dont like nafta. Many of them have campaigned against nafta for the past 25 years. In a way, if you vote against usmca, you know what youre stuck with nafta. So in a way youre voting for nafta if you vote against usmca. Its a binary choice as they say. Youre either for this new agreement thats an improvement or you go back to the status quo, which is nafta. So it will be interesting to see, but my hope is that the media and others, outside groups, will hold people accountable and say why would you be against an agreement thats better . Even if its not perfect, from your point of view. By the way, no trade agreement is absolutely perfect. Every one of us would negotiate something slightly different. Its a question of trying to make sure you dont make the agreement, which is not perfect, the enemy of the good. And the good is to go to this new agreement. There is an outside independent study done by the International State commission showing that 176,000 new jobs will be added to the u. S. Economy just in this agreement alone. So this is better. So the bottom line, do we continue under the outdated nafta or do we adopt these new usmca standards that will allow us to compete better in the global 21st century economy . A vote against usmca again is a vote for the status quo. Without enforcement of labor and environmental standards, with outdated rules of origin that allow more automobiles and auto parts to be manufactured overseas instead of here in america. Usmca addresses and solves all these problems. I put together a little handy chart here to talk about some of these specific provisions. Usmca creates 176,000 new jobs. Nafta, none. Enforceable labor and environmental standards, usmca, yes, check mark. Enforceable for nafta . No. Rules for the internet economy. Check mark. Nafta, no. 70 of the steel in vehicles have to be made in north america. Thats a new provision. Not in any other trade agreement, by the way. Yes on usmca, no on nafta. Finally 40 to 45 of the vehicles must be made by workers earning at least 16 an hour. Nafta, no. Usmca, yes. So, i mean, its pretty clear to me if you actually are honest about this and you look at it objectively and you say here are the two opportunities, which way would you go . So i hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle take a look at this and apply logic and say, you know, it might not be perfect, i might have wanted a little more here or there, but be sure that youre supporting what works for your workers. If we can get this agreement passed, the president will sign it, it will make a difference for employees, for farmers, workers, Service Providers in my home state of ohio and around the country. Mr. Hoeven i introduced him as the senator from ohio, but i could have said he is the former ustr, trade ambassador, so i could have said ambassador department, and he was also the director of the office of management and budget. So when he gets up and talks about the comparison of usmca versus nafta, he certainly knows what hes talking about. And i appreciate you being here and the compelling case that you make based on many years of work and truly understanding these trade agreements and being part of developing them. So, again, my thanks to the good senator from ohio. I appreciate it very much. Now im going to turn to somebody who appreciation the farmer the way i do, and thats the junior senator from iowa. Ms. Ernst thank you, thank you to the senior senator of north dakota. Thank you so much for your great work and pulling us all together. A number of us higher on the floor really appreciate the agricultural sector. We heard from my senior senator just a bit ago. But why am i so enthused about the usmca . Its because in the great state of iowa, one out of every five jobs is tied to trade. Over 87,000, 87,000 farms make iowa our nations top ag, pork, corn, soybean and ethanol producer. With canada and mexico being two of our biggest trading partners, the United States, mexico, canada agreement, or what we have been talking about here, the usmca, is a huge deal for the state of iowa. Last year alone, my home state of iowa exported 6. 6 billion worth of products to just canada and mexico. Thats more than we exported to our next 27 top export markets all combined. 27 combined. And it still wasnt greater than what we sent to mexico and canada. This deal will allow those numbers to grow exponentially by creating new export opportunities for our dairy industry, greater access for our egg producers, and reducing nontariff trade barriers that previously hampered our exporting abilities. So, folks, it is critical, it is critical that we get the usmca across the finish line. But not just for the sake of getting a tremendous win for our Agriculture Community, but finalizing a deal that will impact the livelihoods of our hardworking iowans and all americans across the country. 95 of the worlds population lives outside of the United States of america, which makes our exports all that more important. Having the usmca in place means certainty, certainty in a time where prices have been low and markets have been eroded from other trade negotiations. This trade deal preserves our dutyfree access to mexican and canadian markets which many of our ag producers and manufacturers benefit from. Ive heard from countless equipment dealers and processors all the way down to the farmers growing the crops and raising our hogs. Ratifying this agreement will be a shot of positive energy into their businesses, their homes, and folks all across rural america. Folks, when it comes to trade with our neighbors to the north and the south, its simple. We need the usmca passed through congress as soon as possible. Its already been ratified by mexico, folks. They are done. The deal is done with mexico. And it looks like canada is set to follow suit. The usmca was signed on novembe. Thats right. 2018. Thats 228 days ago. 228 days. Id say its about time that Speaker Pelosi and our friends in the house signal their full support for this agreement. So, folks, its time to get moving. We have got to get this deal done. We have got to get it across the finish line. Iowas farmers, manufacturers, and Small Businesses are counting on us to get this done. And with that, again, id like to say go usmca. Thank you to the senior senator from north dakota for gathering us together. I think this is a really important topic for all of us to focus on. Thank you. Mr. Hoeven i would like to thank the senator from iowa and turn to somebody who has been working very hard for agriculture although still very young, he has been working very hard for agriculture for a very long time, and thats the senator from kansas who also happens to be our ag committee chairman. Senator. Mr. Moran thank you, senator hoeven. Thanking you for getting this together, a colloquy with everybody that is concerned about this. This is what we do on the agriculture committee, working in a bipartisan way when we see an opportunity, and we certainly see this opportunity. Thank you for leading this. You are an outstanding champion on behalf of agriculture. You are always riding on the posse, which i truly appreciate. I also want to thank senator brown from indiana, a valued member of the ag committee and pointing out some of the obstacles that we face. Unfortunately, they tend to be on a partisan basis. Some of the things that need to be talked about i know senator portman just brought that up with his chart. Thank you for that participation. Senator grassley who is a very valued member of the ag committee, chairman of the finance co