Shaheen Warns Of Effect ‘Self-Inflicted Trade Wars’ Will Have On The US Economy And Our Alliances

2 days ago

During Thursday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) warns Trump's nominees for Ambassador to Mexico, Japan, and Canada of 'self-inflicted trade wars.'

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Transcript

00:00Senator Shaheen. Thank you Mr. Chairman and welcome to our nominees this morning and

00:05welcome also to your families and supporters who are here today. One of the

00:10greatest assets, as the chairman also pointed out, that we have in the United

00:16States is our strong alliances around the world and our friendly neighbors

00:20close to home. This traditionally has meant a wealth of opportunities for

00:25Americans and that's certainly true in my home state of New Hampshire. New

00:29Hampshire's biggest export market is Canada. Our third biggest is Mexico

00:34followed by Japan. As the New Hampshire businesswoman who accompanied me to

00:39President Trump's speech to Congress last week stated, and I quote, we rely on

00:45smooth international trade for sourcing raw materials and packaging that are

00:51either not grown or commercially available in the United States. But

00:56self-inflicted trade wars don't just cut off opportunities for small

01:00businesses in my state. They raise the price of gas, of groceries for Americans

01:05all across the country, and at the same time the alliances that we've built

01:09since the end of World War II with nations like Japan go far beyond our

01:14trade relationship. These alliances have been the cornerstone to America's

01:19security for generations. Japan hosts almost 55,000 active-duty U.S. service

01:25members on 15 major bases, more than any other country in the world. We work

01:31together on cyber defense, on missile technology, and on AI. And Japan has been

01:37a staunch supporter of Ukraine. A recognition that defeating Putin in

01:42Ukraine is critical for the security of sovereign nations around the world I

01:46think is at the foundation of that support. As the former Japanese Prime

01:52Minister said in his address to Congress in the last couple of years, the Ukraine

01:57of today may be the East Asia of tomorrow. For our nominees today, if

02:03confirmed, you'll be leading efforts that are fundamental to our national

02:07interests. Combating corruption and fighting the flow of fentanyl through

02:12Mexico into the United States, strengthening our trade partnerships on

02:16behalf of American manufacturers and farmers, bolstering our allies like Japan

02:21who live well within striking distance of North Korea and China. Ambassador

02:27Hoekstra, Ambassador Glass, Ambassador Johnson, if you are confirmed you will be

02:32leading many of these efforts. So I would ask, how helpful is it to have President

02:39Trump badmouthing our alliance with Japan from the Oval Office? Should we

02:44make threats about Canadian sovereignty as it conducts its elections? Should we

02:49try to bully Mexico as we work together to fight drug cartels and curb

02:55immigration at our southern border? Unfortunately the Trump

03:00administration's first month and a half in office does not inspire confidence

03:04and trust when it comes to our foreign policy, which is why we must make sure

03:09the United States has ambassadors who are suitable to represent our nation in

03:13the countries that they're assigned to. Ambassadors who can solidify and

03:19build on our long-standing alliances. So to our nominees, given some of your past

03:25statements, I hope you'll take this hearing as an opportunity to articulate

03:29your vision for positive engagement with Canada, Mexico and Japan. How will you

03:36build on the successes that we've had over the years in those countries? How

03:41will you work with their governments to advance America's interest? I look

03:45forward to hearing your thoughts and plans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Shaheen Warns Of Effect ‘Self-Inflicted Trade Wars’ Will Have On The US Economy And Our Alliances

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