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District 4 Candidates Weigh In On NAFTA Replacement

NPR file photo
A proposed agreement would rewrite trade between the U.S. (and Texas), Canada, Mexico.

President Trump is celebrating a revamped trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, known as the USMCA, but his replacement for NAFTA still needs to be passed in Congress.The president also says he’s genuinely unsure how a vote would go.

U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-4th) at least commends him on making the effort to renegotiate NAFTA. On his Facebook page, Ratcliffe said trade between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. “greatly benefits Texas” and that he hopes the new agreement will be one to trigger job and economic growth.

Ratcliffe’s Democrat challenger for District 4, Catherine Krantz, said in a statement that while she has not yet reviewed the proposed USMCA, she said “we need to maintain that relationship” with Texas’ to largest trade partners.

Full statements follow.

John Ratcliffe: The Texas economy benefits heavily from our trade partnership with our neighbors in Mexico and Canada, and it’s my hope this continues with the new jobs and economic growth the USMCA will bring to our region and country.

As I review and discuss the details of the agreement with my colleagues, I commend the Trump administration for taking steps to renegotiate NAFTA, so we can benefit from more reciprocal and balanced trade that prioritizes American farmers, ranchers, businesses and workers.

Catherine Krantz: NAFTA is a big deal for Texas and changing it should not be taken lightly. We need champions for Texas in Congress to make sure our interests are being protected.  At this stage in the campaign we are 100% focused on talking to as many people in north east Texas as possible and I have not had time to review the changes in detail, so I do not want to make any blanket statements other than: Mexico and Canada are our largest trade partners accounting for hundreds of billions of dollars a year and we need to maintain that relationship.  Trade deals must protect our interests and our hard won relationships. 

Scott Morgan has been an award-winning journalist since 2001. His work has appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as online. He has also been an editor, freelancer, speaker, writing teacher, author, and podcaster.