For weeks now, Democrats have held our country hostage by shutting down the government – declaring the suffering of the American people and the harm being done to our economy as “leverage” in their pursuit of taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants and cuts to rural health care. This shutdown is pure partisan obstruction, plain and simple. Washington Democrats are demanding Republicans enact their radical left-wing agenda in exchange for the nonpartisan goal of keeping government open. That’s not going to happen. While Democrats obstruct, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are doing the real work the American people elected us to do: defend American jobs, expand opportunity for working families, and restore America’s strength.

President Trump has been on the job, delivering for working families across the United States. This week, President Trump added to the economic momentum his administration and Republicans in Congress achieved through tax cuts for working families and America First economic policies by securing additional trade deals in Asia that will help level the playing field for American workers, manufactures, and farmers. In just nine months President Trump has achieved more on trade than the Biden Administration did in four years. There is more work to be done to improve commodity prices and give our farmers a fair shot, but every day we take a new step in the right direction. 

The new agreements with Cambodia and Malaysia will open new, and expand existing, markets for American agriculture and goods. Both nations have now agreed to drop 99.5 percent of their tariff and non-tariff barriers on American-made products – something that would have been unthinkable just a year ago under a Biden Administration that was entirely out to lunch when it came to trade. This means more customers for American-grown products, fairer treatment for American producers and workers, and more jobs at home.

Additionally, the Trump Administration has announced two new trade frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam that are shaping up to be massive wins for our farmers and ranchers. Currently, Thailand and Vietnam charge a 50 percent and 30 percent tariff on U.S. beef, respectively. I have been championing the elimination of Thailand’s tariff on beef for years. As the frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam are finalized in the coming months, I will continue to urge the Trump Administration to prioritize the elimination of both countries’ high tariffs on beef.

However, it doesn’t stop there. After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, President Trump secured a tremendous commitment: China will buy 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually over the next three years, starting with 12 million by January. Soybean farmers across the Bootheel have been struggling in the current ag economy. This commitment is welcome news and rest assured I will continue working with the Trump administration to ensure our soybean farmers can compete globally and have market access to export their products.

These agreements are a lifeline for America’s agriculture economy who is facing one of the worst economic environments in decades thanks to the previous administration’s disastrous economic policies. It’s simple: when our farmers and ranchers win, America wins. When our manufacturers get a level playing field, America wins. When Washington stops apologizing and starts negotiating from a position of strength and resolve, America wins.

While Washington Democrats continue to use the suffering of American families as leverage to enact their extreme radical agenda, I commend President Trump for his work to deliver a level playing field that allows Missouri farmers and ranchers to compete and win. The world is watching a new chapter of American strength unfold. Written not by elites or lobbyists, but by farmers and workers that embrace small-town values and who never gave up on this country.

That is the America I believe in. It is the America worth fighting for.