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Ronnie Musgrove on Free Trade
2008 Senate challenger; previously Democratic MS Governor
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Can’t negotiate trade deals while $30B in debt to China
In Washington, they tell us the economy is strong. Whose economy are they talking about? We’re borrowing $30 billion a month from China, India, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. The US used to do that for third world countries that we were trying to help.
And now that we’re deep in debt to the Chinese, when we try to negotiate better trade deals to keep more of our jobs,
China’s response is predictable--“Now how much do you owe us?”
Our country has nothing left to bargain with. They’ve mortgaged our economy and our soul. So what does Washington do?
They raise the limit on the national debt so they can borrow more money. It’s like doing your banking at a fly-by-night check cashing operation. Need more money? Go deeper in debt.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for that to end.
Source: Candidacy Announcement Speech
, Jan 7, 2008
NAFTA & CAFTA are worst trade agreements in modern history
Roger Wicker supported NAFTA and CAFTA--two of the worst trade agreements in modern history. He was also the deciding vote in favor of Fast Track, the law that doesn’t require trading partners to meet the same tough environmental and labor standards we
have to meet here in the United States. His one vote swung the balance.Roger Wicker will vote for a museum that celebrates prisoners, but he won’t vote for a level playing field for Mississippi workers. Mr. Wicker is wrong.
Source: Candidacy Announcement Speech
, Jan 7, 2008
Enforce trade law against subsidized Canadian lumber imports.
Musgrove signed the Southern Governors' Association resolution:
- Whereas, the US Department of Commerce has determined that the Canadian provinces subsidize lumber production by selling timber to Canadian lumber companies at non-competitive prices for a fraction of the timber’s market value, and imposed an import duty of 19.3%;
- Whereas, artificially low provincial timber prices, minimum harvesting restrictions and other practices encourage over-harvesting and over-production in Canada to the detriment of US industry, forest land owners, workers and the environment;
- Whereas, these unfair subsidy practices have helped Canadian imports gain an increasing share of the US softwood lumber market, rising 15% from the first to second quarter of 2001;
- Whereas, highly subsidized Canadian lumber imports unfairly compete with US lumber companies and affect thousands of US jobs, and drive down the value of US forest land; Whereas an agreement between the United States and Canada on lumber trade expired in March 2001; now, therefore, be it
- Resolved, That the Southern Governor’s Association urges the Administration to continue to enforce fully the current United States trading laws and to encourage open and competitive sales of timber in Canada.
Source: Resolution of Southern Governor's Assn. on Lumber Subsidies 01-SGA3 on Sep 9, 2001
Page last updated: Nov 28, 2011