[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for America. It is 
great day for American agriculture and American manufacturing.
  Today, the President signs phase one of the China trade deal. But 
this news, the most important news of the day, won't be covered much by 
the national media. Instead, the story, the photo of the day will be 
Speaker Pelosi parading her tardy Articles of Impeachment to the Senate 
with pomp and circumstance. America can only hope this is the last 
chapter on this side of the capitol of this made-for-TV impeachment 
charade.
  Why won't the national media cover this trade agreement story? 
Because it is another example of a promise made, promise kept by our 
President. It is another example of our President's policies working.
  Once the Chinese trade agreement is completed, the President will 
have renegotiated over half of our country's export-import business. 
Now, that is making America great again. That is the art of the deal.
  As part of the phase one agreement, China will buy $200 billion worth 
of American goods and services over the next 2 years, nearly doubling 
our U.S. exports to the country and further narrowing the gap of our 
longstanding trade agreements and deficits. Agriculture goods will 
account for nearly $100 billion of these purchases, providing a much-
needed boost to the industry that accounts for more than 40 percent of 
our Kansas State's economy. All this increase in exports only adds to 
our Nation's GDP.
  In the near term, this deal brings an end to the threat of additional 
tariffs that have caused commodity prices to fluctuate, giving 
producers more certainty and the ability to better plan for the 
upcoming growing seasons. Our farmers and ranchers have borne the brunt 
of the effects of this trade battle, and I am happy to say things will 
get better soon. The patriotism our Kansas producers have shown has 
been nothing short of honorable.
  Now, concerns about China upholding its end of the phase one 
agreement are indeed legitimate. Decades of China reneging on 
commitments aren't lost on me, but thankfully our negotiation team, led 
by our trade representative Bob Lighthizer and a fellow Kansan, Gregg 
Doud, require that this deal include the authority for the President to 
swiftly reinstate all tariffs and impose new ones, if needed, and thus 
avoid the long, drawn-out decisions by the WTO.
  Global trade disputes don't end overnight, and as the President and 
his team have acknowledged, there is still a lot of work to be done on 
China. Phase two negotiations are already well under way, and I will 
continue to advocate for Kansas agriculture and manufacturing directly 
to this administration.
  President Trump's efforts to solidify deals with our four largest 
export markets, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and now China will give Kansans 
the confidence needed to move into the next decade and beyond. These 
four countries, along with the completed trade deal with South Korea, 
represent over half of our country's trade. This sets the stage for the 
rest of our trade agreements.
  We made it through this hard pass, and better days of fair and 
reciprocal trade lie ahead for many generations.
  I thank the President and our entire trade team at USTR for their 
efforts to protect and grow American jobs, to improve wages, for their 
commitment to make and keep America great. Keep up the good work.

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