United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today to mark another major milestone for the landmark U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. This morning, Madam President, with you in the committee in voting, the Environment and Public Works Committee overwhelmingly passed the USMCA. With the approval of our committee, the USMCA is now one step closer to final passage in the Senate.
We all know that it isn't perfect, but, still, it is an important deal that benefits all Americans. Passing this deal provides much needed certainty for America's manufacturers. Our ranchers and our farmers--certainly, in Wyoming but across the breadbasket of the country and the Rocky Mountain West--are counting on it as well.
Americans have waited patiently now for over a year. Speaker Pelosi was the roadblock and held this hostage for an extended period of time. She finally allowed the House to vote on it. Now the Senate is working to move this critical piece of legislation forward and to the President.
Passing USMCA will start the next chapter in the American economic success story. The deal is going to increase our gross domestic product by $70 billion. Above all, it is a win for American workers. It is going to create 180,000 U.S. jobs, and you know that is just the start. Already, our strong, healthy, and growing economy has been setting records across the board. It is thanks to Republican pro-growth policies. That is what we look to and point to when we take a look at the record job growth we have had since President Trump has taken office.
In just 3 years, we have created over 7 million new jobs in America. The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low. It is astonishing. Wage growth is the fastest it has been in a decade, especially benefiting lower income workers. Everyone is better off with this growing economy. There is still some untapped potential, and we need to unlock it now.
My home State of Wyoming is poised to reap huge benefits not only from USMCA; our State has much to gain from new trade agreements with China and with Japan as well. The China trade agreement is scheduled to be signed tomorrow and Japan on January 1. Together, these America- first trade deals mean expanded access to export markets. Wyoming farmers and ranchers are very eager to seize these opportunities for future growth.
I would just say, as I conclude, that here is the bottom line. Passing USMCA means more jobs, and it means economic growth. It means more certainty and more stability for our job creators. It means more opportunity and more prosperity for America's working families. That is the real measure of this. It is time now for the Senate to pass the USMCA.
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