[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA TRADE AGREEMENT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, before 
the Senate shifts into the trial, we hope to complete an enormous 
accomplishment for this administration and, most importantly, for 
American families. It has now been more than 1 year--1 year--since 
President Trump hammered out the USMCA with the Governments of Mexico 
and Canada.
  These two neighbors buy more than $5 billion of American goods and 
services every single year. They buy nearly 30 percent of all the food 
and agricultural products we export to the entire world, and for 90 
percent of our manufacturing sectors, Mexico or Canada rank as the No. 
1 or No. 2 export destination.
  Over the past quarter of a century, 12 million U.S. jobs have come to 
depend on U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada. That includes many 
livelihoods in my home State of Kentucky, from agriculture to 
manufacturing, to aerospace and motor vehicles, to our signature 
industries, like distilled spirits.
  That is why workers, families, and small businesses in Kentucky and 
around the Nation have been clamoring to get this deal done for a year 
now. In addition to all the American livelihoods that this commerce 
already supports, experts predict the USMCA will create 176,000 new 
jobs as well.
  On behalf of all of these Americans, we were troubled to see Speaker 
Pelosi slow walk this agreement for the better part of a year. But, 
finally, late last year, the overwhelming bipartisan pressure to move 
forward made an impact on the House. So we are finally on the threshold 
of approving this agreement and sending it to President Trump's desk to 
become law.
  Our colleagues on the Finance Committee have already approved it by 
an overwhelming margin. Other committees of jurisdiction are wrapping 
up their consideration as we speak. Very soon, we hope the Senate will 
be able to vote on the floor and put this landmark accomplishment right 
on the President's desk.
  It will be a major win for Kentucky and for all 50 States, a major 
win for our country, a major win for the Trump administration, and a 
major win for those of us who are already ready to move past this 
season of toxic political noise and get back to doing even more of the 
American people's business.

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