Before the end of the week, possibly tomorrow, the House will vote on the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA. Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to her senses and supports the pact which maintains tariff access to our corn, pork, beef, dried distilled grains and other ag exports.
Now the vote. It should pass and show the way for other important trade agreements. I used my membership in the Illinois Farm Bureau to send a preemptive thank you to our Congressman John Shimkus, for his vocal support of the measure.
Now the pressure has to start building on the Senate where leadership has said the measure will not get voted on until after the impeachment trial.
That's bull. We are struggling out here and need to prepare for what will hopefully be a much better 2020 crop.
The same goes for Mitch McConnell that I said about Pelosi. Politicians need to learn how to walk and chew gum. If this passes in the House this week, it needs to get passed shortly thereafter by the Senate.
Agriculture does not need to be a political football...and the President will have to express his desire to see the USMCA become a reality even if it takes some West Wing arm-twisting.
As 2019 comes to a close, it is a rough one for those in the ag industry. But if it yields the USMCA and a lasting and fairer trade agreement with China, it could spawn a better tomorrow.
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