Rep. French Hill

Well, good morning, Jonathan.

Look, I think we should handle the tariff discussion in a more comprehensive way and not take votes every week on the floor that turns the House floor over to the Democratic Party.

That's why I believe that standing with Speaker Mike Johnson on this maintains Republican control of the floor.

So this is a very important strategic issue in a parliamentary body like Congress with a very narrow majority.

What we should be doing about trade

is urging the president to renew USMCA with Canada and Mexico, which is under review for its five-year review this summer.

It's a very important trade arrangement for the three countries.

Progress is being made in working with the Canadians and the Mexicans.

So that's number one.

It's not to be connected, in my judgment, to the vote last night, which is did the president have the right

to put tariffs on Canada under IEPA because of the fentanyl matter.

You get my point.

Let's stick with the big picture here, which is growing America's exports, growing America's influence, using tariffs as a tool to change trade behavior of other nations.

Number one on that list, of course, is China.

Yeah, no, I do because of the way President Trump is responsible for dramatically improving the North American Free Trade Agreement from the 1992-1993 timeframe in creating USMCA in his first term, and it worked quite well.

But there's more to be done on Canadians on dairy or Canadians on softwood lumber or how the automotive business works back and forth between the two countries or now the role of IT.

We live in an ever-changing economy with ever-changing priorities.

But let's face the reality that 30% of GDP in my home state of Arkansas is connected to cross-border trade with Mexico and Canada.

So the agreement is important.

And it's also important for you to note in that comment that President Trump has, you know, does not impose additional tariffs on USMCA compliant goods.