Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Ahead Of Senate Passage Of Democrats’ Resolution To End Donald Trump’s Harmful Trade War With Canada
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of a vote on legislation which would terminate President Trump’s national emergency declaration and reckless trade war with Canada that has hurt American families, farmers, and border economies. The resolution passed in a bipartisan manner, 50-46. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:
Today, the Senate will vote to end Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration against Canada and put a stop to this asinine trade war with our neighbors to the north. This has been the most peaceful relationship over the centuries, and Donald Trump seems to have thrown a hand grenade to undo that relationship. We need to put a stop to this asinine trade war with our neighbors to the north.
And if Americans want proof that Donald Trump’s trade war has been a catastrophe, consider this: while Trump capitulates to Beijing, he’s raising tariffs on Canada. How nonsensical. How stupid. How thoughtless.
Canada is one of our strongest allies and one of our most important trading partners. I don't know of two large economies more entwined than America's and Canada's. And after half-a-year of a failed trade war, Americans have not gotten “liberation.” Instead, they’ve been saddled with a national sales tax. That’s what Trump’s tariffs are – a national sales tax on Americans.
America, listen to this: the average American family is paying nearly $2,000 more a year thanks to Trump’s tariffs. Our farmers are taking a beating. In New York, Donald Trump’s 35% tariffs on Canada have been devastating. We depend on tourism – more than a quarter of the tourists that visit Niagara Falls, the wine country, and the Finger Lakes region are from Canada. So many from Canada flood New York City every year. Yet, this year, tourism and border crossings are down 20%. Western New York and Buffalo depend on those border crossings all the time. Trade between our nations has been hurt. Jobs have been squandered. The economy of every northern border state, like Minnesota, has suffered.
And now Donald Trump wants to add another 10% tariff on Canada because his feelings were hurt over an ad featuring Ronald Reagan. Can you imagine what an infantile leader we have in America? He sees an ad and then hurts the American people with these tariffs. That’s right – Donald Trump’s pride has become so fragile that he’s threatening to increase tariffs on Canada by another 10%, from 35% to 45%. Why? Simply because the government of Ontario released an ad that included a radio address from President Reagan warning about the dangers of tariffs, and apparently that got Donald Trump’s feelings all hurt.
Trump is letting his delicate little ego drive U.S. trade, whether it's with Brazil, or Argentina, or with Canada. And the consequence is that Americans are paying more. This isn't a laughing matter really, no. Struggling families have to pay thousands of dollars more each year because Donald Trump doesn't like the internal goings-on in Canada or in Argentina or Brazil. That hurts Americans and we pay more for construction materials, for aluminums, for paper, and so much more.
But you know what? The truth hurts. What President Reagan said back in those years about the danger of tariffs was true back then and it remains true today. And I know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree.
So, right now, I ask unanimous consent that the radio address delivered by President Reagan on free trade and on the harms of tariffs on the economy on April 25th, 1987, to be added into the Congressional Record.
Yesterday, the Senate came together in a bipartisan way to pass legislation to end Donald Trump’s bogus emergency declaration in Brazil, under the leadership of Senator Kaine. Today, we can take the next step to reverse Trump’s trade war on one of America’s most important allies, Canada, under the leadership of Senator Klobuchar.
I urge my Republican colleagues to join Democrats once again, to think about families back home hurting from Trump’s tariffs, and to put an end to Trump’s tariff war on Canada. Enough is enough.
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