Press Releases

 Writing in Fox Business today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) applauded President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for their hard-fought negotiations leading up to the historic signing of a ‘Phase One’ trade agreement between the United States and China. The agreement, which commits China to substantially increased purchases of American agriculture products as well as major structural reforms, is a major win for West Texas and for agriculture economies throughout the United States. “This is a monumental achievement for farmers and ranchers in my district in West Texas and across rural America, who will reap the blessings of China’s commitment to purchasing as much as $50 billion worth of U.S. agriculture products. This is nearly 100 percent more than the largest amount of U.S. commodities purchased by China since normalizing relations in the 1970s,” Arrington wrote. “…China has been waging economic war on the United States and, until now, they’ve been winning. For example, since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the United States has shipped more than 3.4 million jobs overseas and shuttered 70,000 American factories. No group has borne the brunt of China’s bad behavior and unjustified retaliatory tariffs more than our nation’s agriculture producers, who have watched the value of their exports to China plummet by more than $10 billion in the past two years…” “…As a representative from West Texas – the food, fuel, and fiber capital of the United States – I can tell you the pain from China’s retaliatory tariffs is real for both farmers and the small towns they call home. Nevertheless, they, along with the vast majority of U.S. agriculture producers, back this president and his efforts to take on China. They know it’s the right thing to do, and they know it won’t be easy, but they are willing to make the necessary sacrifices for the next generation of farmers and ranchers…” “…At this critical juncture in history, we are fortunate to have a Negotiator-in-Chief who understands that China is the biggest existential threat to America and, more importantly, who has the political courage to do something about it…” CLICK HERE TO READ CONGRESSMAN ARRINGTON’S FULL FOX BUSINESS COLUMN. Additionally, Congressman Arrington welcomed a delegation of 27 West Texas farmers to the U.S. Capitol this morning ahead of the Phase One signing ceremony and thanked them for their tireless work in feeding and clothing our nation and for representing the very best of rural America: “President Trump loves the American farmer, and thanks to his hard-fought negotiations, producers from the South Plains and across the country will reap the benefit of China’s new commitment to purchasing U.S. agriculture products,” said Arrington. “These cowboys and plowboys feed and clothe the American people, they fuel the American economy, and they are a picture of America’s traditional values of hard work, faith, love for their families and fellow man – which is the real substance of what makes America great.” WATCH CONGRESSMAN ARRINGTON’S FULL REMARKS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR: