Morning after morning, we continue to receive your new mercies. Lord, sustain our lawmakers with your unfailing love that is as high as the heavens. May our senators know that in everything you continue to work for the good of those who love you, who are called according to your purpose for them. Pour out upon our legislators the riches of your mercy so that they may stay steadfast in faith. Eternal god, hear us as we pray. We need stronger hearts, greater faith, and clearer perception. We pray in your mighty name. Amen. The president pro tempore amen. Please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Grassley mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i ask to speak for one minute in morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley there is a story that
Toomey, were the only members of the committee to voice opposition to the trade deal which the house passed in december by a vote of 385 to 41. Were meeting today to consider hr5430, the United Statesmexicocanada agreement implementation act. And senator sasse isnt here but hes a new member of the committee, so i would like to welcome senator sasse to the committee. And hes in joining the committee on one of the most important pieces of legislation we can do this year. And im glad to have senator sasse as a new member of the committee. On december 13th, 2019, the senate received or the house of representatives received the bill to implement the usmca agreement. Under fast track rules, the committee cannot amend the bill. We will vote today only on whether to report the bill. Before we vote, senators who wish to make statements may do so. In the interest of time, i ask that the statements be limited to three minutes, and i know that my staff has had a discussion with everybodys staff ab
Impeachment proceedings. It seems like morning, noon, and night the relentless effort to unseat the president of the United States is a toxic strain of potomac fever infecting capitol hill. Now if only congress would channel every waking minute to fix problems in the real world, wouldnt that be wonderful. Let me provide a reality check. For People Living in the real world, impeachment inquiry is not what keeps americans up at night. Its not what wakes up moms and dads worried sick about paying for their childs insulin. Its not what drains the pocketbooks of seniors and takes a big bite out of peoples paychecks. The issue that unites americans from maine to iowa to oregon is the high skyhigh prices that americans and the taxpaying public pay for are paying for prescription medicine. As chairman of the Senate Finance committee, i am working in a bipartisan way to fix whats broken in our drug supply chain. In february we called the heads of big pharma to testify before the finance committ
The committee will come to order. We welcome our witnesses. Were here to have testimony from a range of industries to tell us about the importance of the United Statesmexicocanada agreement, and we soon are referring that to always as usmca. We look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the significance of the agreement to american businesses, both small and large, the workers, the farmers that we all represent. Thank you for being here. Mexico and canada are our countrys most important trading partners. According to the International Trade commission for the year 2017, more than onethird of americas merchandise exports went to mexico and canada. In that year mexico and canada imported more than half a trillion dollars of American Goods plus more than 91 billion of american services. For iowa our six and sixtenths billion of exports to canada supported 130,000 jobs. The foundation of our strong trading relationship with mexico and canada have been, thus far, nafta. The United Sta
The Committee Welcomes order. Witnesses. Me the we are here to have testimony from a range of industries that tell us about the importance of the United States, mexico, Canada Agreement and we prefer that to usmca. Fromok forward to hearing witnesses about the significance of the agreement to American Business both small and large, the workers and farmers we all represent. Thank you for being here. Canada, and mexico, our countrys most important trading partners. Americasone third of merchandising went to mexico and canada. Nearly half 1 trillion in American Goods the year. The foundation of our strong praise relationship with mexico and canada has been thus far nafta. The United States negotiated and agreement between 1990 1993 and at the time it was a Gold Standard of trade agreements. It enabled American Businesses, workers, farmers and ranchers is andanges without tariffs nontariff barriers and for decades, burdened our ability to compete in those two countries. Andourse, the u. S.