Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer received a letter from nearly 1,000 agricultural groups calling on Congress to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“As a rancher and a wheat farmer, I know how important fair trade and market access is for Oklahoma’s agricultural products. As a Member of Congress, I know how important reducing costs on the American consumer and revitalizing numerous industries across the country can be for economic growth.

Many of Oklahoma’s agricultural leaders, including the Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council, Oklahoma Cotton Council, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association, Oklahoma Pork Council, and Oklahoma’s railroad associations have recently voiced their strong support urging Congress to quickly ratify USMCA. These groups are well aware of the economic impact that USMCA will have on our state’s economy but most importantly on the lives of Oklahoma’s producers.

Under the previous trade agreement, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) supported more than 900,000 American jobs while also growing our nation’s agricultural exports from $9 billion in 1993 to nearly $40 billion in 2018. Oklahoma’s agricultural exports, alone, was valued at $1.8 billion annually.

The path for a stronger economy, fair and equitable trade, and better market access for our farmers couldn’t be clearer. Every day House Democrats delay the ratification, it adds even more instability in an already unstable marketplace.”

Click here to read the letter written to congressional leaders and here to read the U.S. International Trade Commission’s report, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement: Likely Impact on the U.S. Economy and Specific Industry Sectors.