Joni Ernst on Free Trade

Worth the pain of tariffs to get a better deal with China

SENATOR JONI ERNST: I am hopeful that we will not need another subsidy program for our farmers. Our farmers would much rather grow their goods and make sure that they are getting out to the rest of the world, absolutely. But I've done a number of farmer roundtables all across the state of Iowa. And at the last one I held, a middle-aged farmer stood up and said, "I understand why President Trump is doing this. However, what I don't understand is why someone didn't do it sooner." So they understand.

Q: The pain is tolerable for now?

ERNST: The pain is tolerable for now. I want to see these trade deals done. I'd rather see them done sooner, rather than later, but we have to get a good deal with China or it's all for naught.

Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA): "President Trump is making good on his promise to get deals done that will boost confidence, provide certainty and unleash optimism across farm country in Iowa and the rest of the U.S."

Tear down trade barriers in Europe & the Pacific

The President has already expressed some support for these kinds of ideas. We're calling on him now to cooperate to pass them.

Keep markets open to exports for Iowa goods

Voted YES to kill reauthorization of Ex-Im Bank.

Heritage Action summary of vote# S206: The Senate voted to table (kill) an amendment by Sen. Kirk to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Sen. Kirk recommends voting NO. Heritage Foundation recommends voting YES because the "Ex-Im Bank is little more than a $140 billion slush fund for corporate welfare."

OnTheIssues explanation: Voting NO would allow a vote on reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank. Voting YES would kill the bill for reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank.

Congressional Summary from previous Ex-Im bill S.824; the Ex-Im Bank shall:
• Provide technical assistance to small businesses on how to apply for financial assistance;
• Establish programs under which private financial institutions may share risk in loans & guarantees.
• The Bank may enter into up to $25 billion worth of contracts of reinsurance or co-finance.

Cato Institute reason for voting YES to kill the bill:The Ex-Im Bank's reauthorization buffs contend that Ex-Im fills a void left by private sector lenders unwilling to provide financing for certain transactions. Ex-Im's critics [say that] by effectively superseding risk-based decision-making with the choices of a handful of bureaucrats pursuing political objectives, Ex-Im risks taxpayer dollars. It turns out that for nearly every Ex-Im financing authorization that might advance the fortunes of a single US company, there is at least one US industry whose firms are put at a competitive disadvantage. These are the unseen consequences of Ex-Im's mission.