Earlier today President Donald Trump hosted an annual gathering for the National Association of Attorneys General. Video and Transcript)
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[Transcript] – State Dining Room, 4:30 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Please. Thank you very much. I’m very honored to welcome our State Attorneys General back to the White House.
We were together last year, and I said, “I’m inviting you back.” And a lot things have been done, a lot of progress has been made. And, Vice President, thank you very much for being here. You were here last year and we’re here again, Mike.
Let me begin by saying our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating storms in Alabama, Georgia, and the surrounding states, and especially to the families of those who have tragically lost their lives.
I’ve spoken with Governor Ivey, and we’re working closely with officials throughout the region to get our communities back on their feet. Attorney General Marshall and Attorney General Carr, when you get home, please tell the people of the great states of Alabama and Georgia that America has their backs. We have a call in to Brian Kemp, and we let them know and — the Governor and everybody — that we’re with you 100 percent. Thank you very much. One hundred percent, we’ll be there. Thank you.
I want to thank your National Association President, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry — a friend of mine. We’re also grateful to be joined by our fantastic new Attorney General, Bill Barr. Bill, thank you.
Today, we join together to reaffirm and strengthen the vital partnership among state, local, and federal law enforcement. Only by working together can we ensure security for every community and deliver justice for every citizen.
I want to take a moment to send a message this afternoon, on behalf of everyone in this room, to all law enforcement personnel across America: You are loved, you are cherished and respected by the American people more than you will ever know. So true. More than you will ever know.
When I took office two years ago, one of my highest priorities was to reduce violent crime. In the two years before my inauguration, violent crime was up substantially — very substantially — and murders had increased by more than 20 percent.
For this reason, my administration resurrected Project Safe Neighborhoods — bringing together citizens groups, sheriffs, and police departments to put dangerous offenders behind bars, while supporting crime prevention and reentry programs.
Part of the reason we’re doing well is that people are getting jobs because the economy may be the strongest it’s ever been. I mean, all of your states are doing very well. I think we have the strongest economy, perhaps, ever. The lowest unemployment rate we’ve ever had — you could say “51 years” or you could say “ever.” But groups — if you look at African American, Asian American, Hispanic American — the lowest unemployment rate, historically, ever. So that helps a lot with what you do.
We deployed 200 new violent crime prosecutors. We charged a record number of firearms offenders. And last year, we prosecuted the most violent criminals ever. The most ever in our history, also.
With your help and leadership, violent crime is now going down for the first time in a long time. Murders in America’s largest cities dropped by 7 percent between 2016 and 2017.
Last year, we passed historic legislation to combat the devastating opioid and drug crisis. And I’m dealing with China right now on a very big trade deal, as you probably have read, heard. Some of you are a little bit involved.
But I can tell you, I said to President Xi that we cannot let fentanyl into our country. Almost 100 percent comes from China. It’s devastating. As you know, better than I do, it’s devastating. And he has promised to — and they’re in the process of doing — so when I take him for his word — make it a criminal act at the highest level, which, in China, means the death penalty. That should have a massive impact on fentanyl coming into our country from China.
This legislation expands lifesaving treatment and authorizes funding for local law enforcement to help those badly addicted get the treatment they need.
Our State Attorneys General are launching bold initiatives to fight this epidemic. In Arkansas, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge — thank you. Where is Leslie? Thank you. Thank you, Leslie, very much. Great job you’re doing too. Has taken on the drug companies, launched a groundbreaking education program and trained local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the opioid epidemic. So, Leslie, I want to thank you very much. Everyone is talking about it. Great job.
But to defeat this deadly epidemic, America’s southern border must be urgently and very strongly secured. We fight wars 6,000 miles away, we spend billions and billions of dollars, but we don’t control our own border.
Drug trafficking and human traffickers exploit our porous border to finance their ruthless operations across our hemisphere. One in three migrant women is sexually assaulted on the very dangerous journey north. Criminal cartels terrorize innocent people on both sides of the border. Thousands of our citizens are killed by lethal narcotics — 88,000 people, just with certain types of drugs — most of which come through the southern border. Eighty-eight thousand people die and that’s just a small portion of it. Hardworking people of every background pay the price for a lack of border control and security.
In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of approximately 100,000 assaults — and these are new numbers, hard to believe — 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 murders.
Every day, our brave ICE officers are on the front lines protecting our communities. We must always support the heroes of law enforcement, and we all support law enforcement in every way.
Sanctuary cities that release known criminal aliens put all Americans at risk. I urge everyone here today to make sure that your states and cities are fully cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security in their lifesaving mission.
We all share the same righteous goal: to build a future where every American — both immigrant and U.S.-born — can thrive in safety, dignity, harmony, and peace.
Before Christmas, I was proud to sign historic, bipartisan criminal justice reform into law. And I want to thank the National Association of Attorneys General for everything you did to help pass this FIRST STEP Act. And a special thanks to Attorney General Karl Racine. Where’s Karl? Karl? Karl? Karl? Hi, Karl. Great job. Thank you very much. You were very helpful. Everybody said “Karl.” I feel like you’re — like I know you. (Laughter.) That’s pretty good.
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACINE: I feel like I know you as well, Mr. President. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Karl is — really was fantastic, from the District of Columbia.
Attorney General Josh Stein. Josh, thank you very much. Thank you, Josh. Josh, Josh. Stand up, Josh. Go ahead. Come on. That’s great. From a great place — from North Carolina.
And Attorney General, my friend Ken Paxton, from Texas. Thanks, Ken. Thanks. Great. Great job.
Together, we’re making our communities safer, our future brighter, and our people more prosperous than ever before. This is what our state and federal partnership is all about: putting the American Dream within reach of all of our citizens. And that’s happening more and more, and we’re very proud of it.
Thank you all for your friendship and your partnership and leadership. Extraordinary leadership, really. Thank you all for the incredible service to your states, your citizens, and your nation. You are very special people and doing a very special and important job. And everybody very much appreciates it, and I want to lead that list. Great job. Thank you very much.
Earlier today President Trump hosted the 2018 division-1 FCS National Champions, the North Dakota State Bison, to the White House. [Video and Transcript]
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[Transcript] East Room – 12:14 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: It’s a lot of big people I’m standing next to. (Laughter.) These are big, strong, powerful champions, right?
SENATOR CRAMER: That’s right.
THE PRESIDENT: All champions. Well, I just want to thank everybody for being here. And we’re very excited to welcome to the White House the 2018 FCS National Champions, the North Dakota State University Bison. And that’s with a “Z”. You know, I spell (inaudible) — (laughter and applause). I actually took the “S” out, and I just put the “Z”, because I didn’t want to —
SENATOR HOEVEN: You know how to say it. Yep, you know how to say it.
THE PRESIDENT: They said, “Sir, make sure you have it with a Z.”
Anyway, the First Lady, as you know, she’s out working very hard — the BE BEST campaign — all throughout the country, for children. It’s something very, very important to her, so she sends her warmest regards.
And the Clemson Tigers — I don’t know, they’re pretty good, aren’t they, huh? They’re pretty good. Could you guys take them? Huh? What do you think? (Laughter.) I think — I’ve looked at your record. You’d have a heck of a shot, right?
SENATOR HOEVEN: Go, Bison.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, they were here. And, you know, when — your two great senators and a couple of others — but these two guys, they really said, “Would it be possible to do this for this team?” And I said — you know, I watched your championship game. I said, “Those guys are good. They deserve it. They really deserve it.” You are special.
So it’s an honor to have your representatives and your — by the way, and your new congressional representative. It’s a great honor. Great. Thank you. Come here, let me shake your hand. Congratulations on a nice win.
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: One congressman, two senators, huh?
SENATOR HOEVEN: Our First Lady, Kathryn.
THE PRESIDENT: And very important. How are you? Nice to see you. Absolutely. Good. Thank you. Say hello. Say hello to the Governor.
MRS. BURGUM: I will.
THE PRESIDENT: So I want to thank everybody. But before we begin, I’d like to start by sending our love and prayers to the incredible people of Alabama — incredible state, unbelievable people — and everyone affected by the catastrophic storms that struck the Gulf states yesterday. A town, schools, churches, and homes were devastated by tornadoes of a force like we haven’t seen in a long time. Historic.
Our whole nation mourns for the more than 20 lives lost and for the heartbroken families they leave behind. I got reports on it this morning, and it was absolute devastation. It was — it was just terrible. You look at the areas affected, and probably nobody made it out of that path. That path was brutal.
To the community of Lee County, we grieve by your side and we pledge our unwavering support to help you rebuild from the very depths of this horrible tragedy. This morning, I spoke with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey — a friend of mine, a tremendous governor, tremendous person. And I’ve directed FEMA to provide immediate assistance to the great state of Alabama. They’re in there in full force. And whatever we can do, we’re doing. They’re already there. They got there last night.
It’s at times like this it’s more important than ever to be close with the ones we love, and to cherish our friends and our family, and to unite as one nation. We’re here to recognize amazing achievements of truly an amazing group of young skilled athletes and great Americans, but I just had to say that.
And I know everybody standing with me here — all great Americans — I know you feel the same way. So we’re with the people of Alabama and the surrounding area.
To the entire Bison team: Congratulations on winning this incredible season; it’s really a season. You had great games, but this is a season. Seventh title in eight years. We should be able to do that, senators, huh? (Laughter.)
SENATORS: Yeah. (Laughter.) Right.
SENATOR CRAMER: Not tired of winning, I can tell you that.
THE PRESIDENT: The most championships in FCS. That’s right, you never get tired of winning, do you? Do you ever get tired? I don’t think so.
SENATOR CRAMER: I don’t. Not me. Not these guys.
THE PRESIDENT: Not these guys, that’s for sure. But think of it: It’s the seventh title in eight years. And you have some great football teams in that program — I know that — in that group. And you should all be incredibly proud. To Coach Matt Entz — where is Coach? Coach.
COACH ENTZ: Right here, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Would you look at the way he stands back there? Hi, Coach.
SENATOR HOEVEN: He’s a big dude.
THE PRESIDENT: He’s a big guy. Get over here with me, Coach. Come on over here. Come here, Coach. Get over here. (Applause.) I want to be near (inaudible). We want some of that to rub off on us, right?
And to Matt Larsen — where’s Matt Larsen? Where’s Matt? Where is he? Get over here, Matt. Get over here. Did you pick the right coach? I think so.
MR. LARSEN: I think so. I think so.
THE PRESIDENT: You picked the right everything, I have to say. I think you picked the right everything.
Joining us are some of your biggest fans. You have a lot of fans. And I did watch — I got to watch a lot of that game. That was quite a game.
Senator John Hoeven — been my friend for a long time, and I want to thank you. And you and Kevin called, and you said, “Can we do this?” I said — how long did it take me to say yes?
SENATOR HOEVEN: Not very long.
THE PRESIDENT: I actually said, “I saw the game.” Okay? And it didn’t take long, I can tell you. We also happen to love that state. Maybe I’d feel differently if it was someplace else, but it wasn’t. A special place.
So I want to thank John Hoeven; Senator Kevin Cramer, who has just come off a tremendous victory, and really, a tremendous victory. And thank you very much. Come here a minute. That was fantastic. Really fantastic.
To Representative Kelly Armstrong: Way to go. Congratulations. That’s a job well done.
North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem — where is — hi, Wayne. Get over here, Wayne. Come here. Come here, Wayne. That’s okay. Don’t worry, you have more power than all of them. (Laughter.)
And to North Dakota First Lady Kathryn Burgum — and I really — it’s great to see you. It’s great to see you. Thank you very much, Kathryn.
The Bison football team has achieved something truly remarkable. Through your grit, determination, and teamwork, you finished this season with a 15-0 record. But your biggest win of all was a stunning 38-24 victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles. It was supposed to be a very good team. Were they good? What’d you think? Pretty good? Not as good as you guys, right? (Laughter.) Pretty good? Not bad, right?
MR. LARSEN: Not bad.
THE PRESIDENT: You started strong, scoring 10 unanswered points in the first quarter. Senior quarterback — I want to meet this guy — Easton Stick — that was some game — led the way with 198 passing yards — but that wasn’t the big deal — three rushing touchdowns, and two passing touchdowns. And this past year, he broke the Bison’s all-time touchdown passing record with seven games left in the season. That’s not bad.
Where is this guy? I want to — wow. He’s got the look, too. He’s got that look. (Laughter.) Tom Brady here. Are you Tom Brady? (Laughter.) He’s got that whole — he’s got that whole package.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Absolutely. He’s the real deal.
THE PRESIDENT: You’re the real deal, I’ll tell you. I see that. That’s great. Good luck. Good luck. What year are you in that (inaudible)? Are you going back or are you going to — what?
MR. STICK: Just finished.
THE PRESIDENT: You just finished?
SENATOR HOEVEN: He just left the NFL combine to come here.
THE PRESIDENT: I think somebody better draft him. (Laughter.)
SENATOR HOEVEN: Count on it.
THE PRESIDENT: We’re going to be watching. That’s fantastic. He’s going to be a rich guy, huh? (Laughter.) That money — (inaudible) money. Just don’t worry about the money. Just do a great job. I think you’re going to be fantastic.
A really, really impressive young man and an incredible game. Both of Easton’s touchdown passes of the championship were to MVP wide receiver — here’s another guy — Darrius Shepherd. Where’s Darrius? Where’s Darrius? Not bad. (Laughter.) What about you? What year are you?
MR. SHEPHERD: I just graduated as well.
THE PRESIDENT: So you’re in the combine? You’re out there?
MR. SHEPHERD: In training right now.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay good. You’re all set?
MR. SHEPHERD: Yup.
THE PRESIDENT: Come here. He’ll be great.
And Darrius also averaged an astounding 25 yards per catch — that’s pretty good — including an incredible, during the big game, 78-yard reception in the third quarter. And that’s one of the most spectacular catches and passes that we’ve seen this season for any team. And I do mean it.
We had the Clemson Tigers here and I did the same thing. We could’ve had chefs, we could’ve. But we got fast food because we know what — I know you people very well, okay? (Laughter.) And I’m going to finish this quick because we’ve got to get that stuff, although it’s being kept pretty warm.
Every single time this Bison team took to the field, you gave it your all, proving to everyone that when you play with passion, love — and you really love your team; you love you team, right? Huh? You better believe it. Otherwise it’s somehow probably not the same. And relentlessly reach for excellence, nothing is impossible.
Congratulations once again to your team, your senators, your congressmen, to your state. What a place it is. I’ve been there a lot. Right? I went there a lot.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Yes, you have.
THE PRESIDENT: I worked hard. And now I’m going to be starting to work hard for you. Huh? You’re going to win. You have my endorsement, by the way, in case there’s any — I don’t know if — I want to give it nice and early. You have my endorsement, 100 percent. Okay with you? Right?
SENATOR HOEVEN: That’s good by me.
THE PRESIDENT: You have my endorsement, 100 percent, John.
And you’ve made your mark. Really, you have made a football mark. And I will tell you, I have watched a lot of teams and I think I understand this sport a little bit. And I’ve watched your team and that — especially in that last game. You’re really talented people. Forgetting all the other stuff — and you really have a tremendously talented team.
And I would like to see you play a couple of those other competitors because I think it would be very interesting. I think it would maybe be a lot more interesting than people understand.
But you’re champions. You know you’re good. You feel you’re good. And yet you’re great people. And it’s an honor. And as soon as these guys came up and they said, “Do you mind doing it?” I said, “I really want to do it. I look forward to doing it.” And then we weren’t going to do this — because I’ve never done that before, before Clemson.
But we were during a shutdown, and we had nobody working. And somebody suggested. I said, “Yeah, but we don’t have people working.” But the staff is so good they would’ve come back. But I said, “You know, don’t worry about it, fellas. Let’s just go get some McDonalds, Wendy’s.” We have a couple of others, too. I won’t get into too — but we have all American. Burger King. We have — we like American companies. Okay? (Laughter.) We like American companies. And that’s what we did. So, you guys — that’s right. “Chick-fil-A,” they say. Chick-fil-A. (Laughter).
He knew. He knew better than I knew. (Laughter.)
So I just want to thank — now, before we waste any time, anybody want to speak, you speak. But go grab yourself something. We can eat right here. In fact, I would have one right up here, but I don’t think I want to do that because it will be too big a story for these people. (Laughter.)
They’ll say, “Isn’t horrible? Isn’t inappropriate?” But I would like, John, if you guys could say something just real quickly. And if anybody is really desperate, go get it. Otherwise, you’ll wait a couple of seconds. Come on up.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Mr. President, I just want to say thank you. You know, when I asked if you’d do this right away, you said, “Yup. I know the Bison. I’ve been to Fargo. And we can do it.” Now, it just so happens that we’d like to make a pres- — would it be all right if we made a presentation?
THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Well, you mentioned our quarterback, Easton Stick. And he just — as a matter of fact, he flew back from the NFL combine in order to get on the charter plane and come out with his team.
THE PRESIDENT: Wow. Wow.
SENATOR HOEVEN: And he epitomizes these guys. It’s not just that they’re great athletes. Seven national championships in the last eight years. It’s not just that they’re great students — student athletes; they have real character. These guys are leaders with their — they’re out there doing great things every single day of the week.
We couldn’t be more proud not just of the way they represent North Dakota State University, but the state of North Dakota. We could not be more proud.
And so, if it’d be all right with you, Mr. President, we have a little presentation we would like to make. And our quarterback, Easton Stick, has something for you and he’d like to present that to you now.
MR. STICK: Thank you, sir.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Okay, Easton.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
MR. STICK: Well, Mr. President, it’s an absolute pleasure to be here. And it’s a huge honor for our team, for our community, for our state, and really, for everyone that’s been a part of Bison Football for a really long time. We have an unbelievable brotherhood that goes back to the ’60s, winning championships, and it’s a huge family.
And so today, we would like to extend an offering to be part of that family —
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, wow.
MR. STICK: — with a jersey.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Show him the number.
MR. STICK: For 45, for President Trump. (Applause.)
SENATOR HOEVEN: Forty-fifth President!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
SENATOR HOEVEN: That’s your number — 45th President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. That’s the number, is right. Thank you, man.
SENATOR HOEVEN: Thanks.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much.
You know what I’m going to do?
SENATOR HOEVEN: You think he can handle it? You think he can handle a big stage?
THE PRESIDENT: Say just a word. I’m going to ask the Coach to say a word, too.
SENATOR CRAMER: Yeah, please.
THE PRESIDENT: Please. Come on up. Come on up. Start it off, Easton. He’s probably going to be a politician someday.
SENATOR CRAMER: Well, he’s got — he’s got a lot of (inaudible).
SENATOR HOEVEN: He’s the whole package, maybe.
MR. STICK: Well, again, I’ll just say this is an unbelievable honor for all of us to be here to experience this and get a chance to spend some time with you.
And seriously, thank you very much for taking time out of your schedule and allowing us to do this. It means a lot to us and, really, to everyone that’s been a part of our program here now and in the past. So thank you very much.
And, Senator, thank you. So thank you very much. It’s — this is an unbelievable opportunity. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: We’ll be watching you on Sundays. (Laughter.)
MR. STICK: I appreciate that.
THE PRESIDENT: Right?
MR. STICK: Yeah. Thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: Coach, please. Say something.
COACH ENTZ: Mr. President, we do appreciate from all of our players, and we are fortunate enough to bring 108 of our teammates and many of our support staff and administration to come here and visit you today. And what an honor.
This is a little different setting than what I’m used to speaking in. Usually it’s more locker-room-like. But hard to believe a farm kid from Iowa speaking in the White House.
But we appreciate your letting us come visit, the hospitality we’ve experienced already. And next thing, let’s get you out there for a game because I think it’s one of kind.
THE PRESIDENT: We’ll do that. Thank you, Coach. Thank you. (Applause.)
SENATOR CRAMER: Well, let me just say, again, on behalf of all of the people of North Dakota, Mr. President, thank you for acknowledging this incredible accomplishment.
And, yes, it’s true, the folks in North Dakota, the folks in Bison Nation are not tired of winning, never will be tired of winning. But I just want you to know that this team really epitomizes the incredible culture of our great state. And we couldn’t be better represented. In fact, as I often I say about town, John Hoeven and I, and Kelly Armstrong, you know, we’re really big stuff. Right? We get more street cred knowing these guys then being us. (Laughter.) So thank you for everything.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.
SENATOR HOEVEN: This is our University President, Dean Bresciani.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, absolutely. Dean, please.
MR. BRESCIANI: Thank you, Mr. President. It is absolutely an honor to be here. It’s an honor to have been affiliated with a team that set an NCAA record for winning seven national championships.
But what the real honor is, is the hundred-some-odd young men we’re standing with today, Mr. President. They are the best of the best. And I don’t mean that just in an athletic sense. They are exceptional human beings. They are exceptional future leaders. And I have never been so proud to be affiliated with a team as I am this one. Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: You have done a fantastic job. Thank you very much. Thanks, Dean. (Applause.)
Please, come on. Come here, Darrius. How about Darrius? We’re going to watch Darrius on Sunday, too. (Laughter.)
SENATOR HOEVEN: You’ve got to practice up for all those NFL games, baby.
MR. SHEPHERD: Yeah, we just want to thank you for having us here, Mr. President. It’s been an honor to be here and, you know, see the White House and experience this. It’s something we’ll never forget and be able to share with our families. So thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Does he have big speed?
SENATOR HOEVEN: Oh, yeah, he’s fast. Major jets.
THE PRESIDENT: Way to go, man. Thanks. Thank you.
Go eat up. Enjoy yourselves, everybody. Kathryn, thank you very much. It’s great.
Q Mr. President, are you going to cooperate with Mr. Nadler?
THE PRESIDENT: I cooperate all the time with everybody. And you know the beautiful thing? No collusion. It’s all a hoax. You’re going to learn about that as you grow older. It’s a political hoax. There’s no collusion. There’s no anything.
Interesting to note. Though it’s not really a surprise, many thought former AAG Matt Whitaker would be retained within the DOJ in some anti-corruption capacity/effort; that is not the case. It would appear AG William Barr did not make an effort to retain him.
WASHINGTON DC – Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has left the Justice Department. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec says Whitaker’s last day was Saturday.
Whitaker was replaced last month when William Barr was confirmed as attorney general. He became a counselor in the associate attorney general’s office. (more)
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul becomes the fourth republican to announce he will support a resolution to rebuke President Trump’s national security declaration at the Southern border.
Paul’s vote puts the Democrat measure over the threshold of 51 votes for passage in the Senate. For Senator Paul it is a matter of ‘muh principle’:
Kentucky – […] In a speech to the crowd of nearly 200 Republican officeholders and supporters at Western Kentucky University’s Augenstein Alumni Center, Paul interjected, in a speech devoted largely to praising the work of President Donald Trump, his opinion that Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border is a dangerous precedent.
Senator Paul joins republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis. There could possibly be more. The senate still doesn’t have the votes to overcome a veto threshold. However, that’s not the really frustrating issue here. There’s something being entirely overlooked, likely intentionally overlooked.
President Trump isn’t doing anything new or unprecedented with the National Security declaration at the border. In fact, back in July 2014 President Obama did the exact same thing.
President Obama and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson were rebuked by congress when they asked for $4 billion in emergency appropriations for the southern border. Sound familiar? Oh yeah, the parallels are striking. Because President Obama couldn’t get the funding for the border “crisis”, he declared a national security emergency and shifted funds from the Obamacare budget into the UAC program. Here’s the fully cited reminder:
April 2009 – After a Mid-East trip to Egypt to deliver his Cairo speech, President Barack Obama travels to South America for the “Summit of the Americas“. The summit included thirty-four South American countries. Obama wanted to promote his point that relations in North and South America can be heavily improved, especially after age old ideals on immigration and commerce are dropped. Hugo Chavez warmly embraced Obama and provided a gift, a book titled “The Open Veins of Latin America“. (link)
December 2009 – November 2010 – 100% of all political effort was leveraged to create and institute the ACA or ObamaCare. All media oxygen is focused on ObamaCare 24/7.
November 2010 – President Obama is “shellacked” in Mid-Term elections. Loses control of the House of Representatives to Republicans. Biggest electoral defeat since 1918.
January 2011 – Emphasis, and political strategy changes. “Comprehensive Immigration Reform“, ie. “amnesty” becomes the mainstay approach toward retention of political power. Throughout a contentious Republican primary season, to assist their ideological traveler, the U.S. media kept the issue on the front burner.
May 2011 – President Obama travels to the Rio Grande sector of the border to push for his immigration platform (ie. Amnesty). He proclaims the border is safe and secure and famously attacks his opposition for wanting an “alligator moat”.
November 2012 – Election year campaign(s). Using wedge issues like “War on Women”, and “Immigration / Amnesty”, candidate Obama promises to push congress for “amnesty”, under the guise of “Comprehensive Immigration Reform”, if elected. President Obama wins reelection.
December 2012 – Immediately following reelection President Barack Obama signs an Executive Order creating the “Deferred Action Program“, or DACA. Allowing millions of illegal aliens to avoid deportation. (link)
According to their own documents and research, this Deferred Action Program is what the Central American communities are using as the reason for attempted immigration. In both the border control study and the DHS intelligence report the DACA program is mentioned by the people apprehended at the border in 2013 and 2014.
May 2013 – President Barack Obama visits South America. Following a speech Mexican entrepreneurs, Obama then travelled to Costa Rica, his first visit as president. In addition to meetings with Costa Rican President Laura Chincilla, Obama attended a gathering of leaders from the Central American Integration System, (CAIS). The regional network includes the leaders of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. (link) President Obama meets with the leaders of the Central American Countries.
Summer 2013 – Numbers of Illegal Unaccompanied Minors reaching the Southern U.S. border from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua doubles. 20,000+ reach U.S. Southern border by travelling through Mexico. Media primarily ignores. (link)
October 2013 – At the conclusion of the immigrant travel season. White House receives notification that tens of thousands of illegal Unaccompanied Minors should be anticipated to hit the Southern U.S. border the following Summer [2014]. An estimated 850% increase in the number of UAC’s (from 2012’s less than 10,000) was projected. (link)
January 2014 – In response to the projections, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posts a jobs notification seeking bids to facilitate 65,000 Unaccompanied Alien Children. The posting outlines DHS and Health and Human Services (HHS) requirements for contractors to fulfill the job. (link)
February 2014 – President Obama visits Mexico for “bilateral talks”, in an unusual one day visit (link):
Spring 2014 – With a full year of successful transport and border crossing without deportation – DHS begins to notice a significant uptick in the number of criminal elements from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; which have joined with the UAC’s to gain entry. Internal DHS documents reveal the “refugee” status is now being used by both criminal cartels, and potentially by Central American government(s) to send prison inmates into the U.S. (link)
June 2014 – As expected tens of thousands of Unaccompanied Alien Children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua hit the border and the headlines. Despite the known planning, and recently discovered prior internal notifications, the White House claims it did not see this coming. However, internal documents including a –DHS Border Security Alert– show that in March, fully three months earlier, the White House was aware of what was coming in June.
June 20th 2014 – Congressional leadership and key Latino Democrats from the Democrat Hispanic Caucus meet with representatives from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
[…] “As long as (U.S.) immigration reform is not approved, the exodus of children to the United States will continue,” Jorge Ramon Hernandez, the senior representative of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, said at the talks. (link)
June/July 2014 – By the end of June the media have picked up the story and it’s called “A Border Crisis”. However, the White House is desperate to avoid exposure to the known criminal elements within the story. (link)
July 3rd, 2014 – President Obama requests $3,700,000,000 ($3.7 billion) in supplemental budget appropriations to deal with the border crisis. Only $109 million is for actual border security or efforts to stop the outflow from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Growing concern amid Democrats brings out a defense position that George Bush created the crisis in 2008.
Hidden inside a massive budget request is President Obama seeking legal authorization to spend taxpayer funds for lawyers and legal proceedings on behalf of the UAC’s and their families.
In essence congress is being asked to approve the executive branch’s violation of previous immigration law. Section 292 of the Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits representation of aliens “in immigration proceedings at government expense“. President Obama is seeking authorization to use taxpayer funds to provide the Illegal Aliens with government lawyers.
It becomes increasingly obvious the spending request is to facilitate President Obama in expanding the services toward ALL illegal immigrants throughout the U.S.
The stealth nature of the request is brilliant. Once the funds are established and appropriated the administration can then use millions of taxpayer funds to essentially integrate not only the UAC’s but any illegal alien currently within the system.
The $3.7 Billion becomes the amnesty program Obama has sought but been blocked from achieving.
July 9th 2014 – Fearful that U.S. political interests might bring a halt to the outflow already in place, and/or actually result in a backlog of traveling migrants stuck at the border inside Mexico:…
[…] Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina held a joint press conference in Playas de Catazaja, Mexico, to officially announce an agreement to make it easier for those making the illegal journey to the United States from Central America, to cross into Mexico.
The Southern Border Program to Improve Passage, will provide for more border checkpoints along Mexico’s border with Guatemala, and offer more protection and even emergency medical care to those making their way north. The illegal aliens will receive a so-called Regional Visitor’s Card, according to El Universal. (link)
July 10th, 2014 – Facing pushback from congress as well as sticker shock at the amount he is requesting, President Obama sends his DHS team to Capitol Hill to ramp up anxiety, and threats of consequences:
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Thursday that as many as 90,000 unaccompanied child migrants could cross the southwest border before the end of this fiscal year in September.
That will place a huge strain on immigration agencies, which will badly need new money to get through the summer, Johnson says.
The 90,000 number — the highest yet given by the administration — is spelled out in written Senate testimony by Johnson as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who must also deal with the border crisis.
“We are preparing for a scenario in which the number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border could reach up to 90,000 by the end of fiscal 2014,” Johnson’s testimony reads, and he bluntly warns that without an infusion of new funds, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will run out of money in August. (read more)
Not only did the White House know what was going to happen in 2014 as far back as 2012; but the White House actually appears to have constructed the events to fall into a very specific pattern and done NOTHING to stop the consequences from the DACA executive order issued in December 2012.
In response to the refusal of congress to allocate additional funding for the border crisis, President Obama declared the UAC issue a national emergency and diverted billions of allocated HHS funds to the border.
Yes, that’s right, President Obama did exactly the same thing in 2014 that President Trump is doing in 2019.
There is no greater disconnect from ordinary Americans on any singular issue than the policy positions of Democrats and Republicans in Washington DC surrounding immigration. President Donald Trump is confronting their unified interests.
The amount of U.S. taxpayer money spent on the Illegal Alien Children, through HHS and DHS grants, since 2010 is staggering:
The resulting crisis is useful for them; therefore they fuel the crisis.
So when you’ve got each individual immigration business making multi-hundreds of millions; and politicians getting kick-backs (lobbyists); and bribes to Mexican government officials; and payments to smugglers; who do you think actually wants the business to stop?
The Wall Street, big GOPe, U.S. Chamber of Commerce crew doesn’t want it to stop because they benefit from it (cheap labor), and the taxpayers -not them- are the ones funding it.
Sad thing is, it’s you and me that are paying the South American human smugglers through U.S. taxpayer funds. Laundered through the immigration business bagmen at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and/or, U.S. Catholic Charities, or Southwest Key Programs Inc; or Baptist Child and Family Services Emergency Management Division (BCFS-EMD), just to name a few.
These immigration groups, get *MASSIVE* HHS grants and then pay-off the DC politicians and human smugglers, including MS13. Billions of dollars are spent, and the business has exploded in the past six years.
It’s a vicious cycle. Trafficked children are more valuable than adults because the organizations involved get more funding for a child than an adult. Each illegal alien child is worth about $56,000 in grant money. The system is full of fraud.
President Trump is not only threatening to secure the border, he’s threatening a Washington DC-based business model that makes money for a lot of interests. The operation also has side benefits for the participants; child sexploitation, child labor, and yes, much worse (you can imagine).
The administration’s media point person for discussions following the Hanoi Summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un is National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Ambassador Bolton appears on the Sunday talk circuit to discuss the ongoing negotiations. As anticipated none of the interviewers focused on the Chinese aspect at all. Don’t look for President Trump to respond to Chairman Kim directly; instead watch how President Trump’s entire team responds to China. Chairman Xi Jinping controls Kim Jong-un.
Likely Treasury (Mnuchin) and State (Pompeo) will focus on DPRK sanctions violations; likely USTR (Lighthizer) and Commerce (Ross) focus on hard-line trade position; likely USTR, Commerce and State focus on tech issues (Hauwei and 5G) and pressure allies. All of these targeted approaches rightly focus on China (cause), not North Korea (symptom).
Mrs. Michelle Malkin delivered a strong call-to-arms at CPAC surrounding the insufferable Big Club’s republican corporate agenda toward immigration.
Wolverine Speech and Transcript Below:
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[Transcript] Good afternoon. Thank you to CPAC for the invitation. My name is Michelle Malkin. I identify as an American. A proud, unhyphenated, unapologetic, fully assimilated American. My pronouns are U.S.A.
America is good and America is great. Of these basic truths, there is or should be little dispute among us here. But two questions loom large: 1) For how long will the America we grew up in remain good and great? And 2) To whom shall we entrust the existential responsibility of securing the goodness and greatness passed down peacefully for generations?
I wish I could stand here and chirp happily to you about positive news. Yes, unemployment rates are at historic lows, regulations and taxes are being cut, some stellar judges have been confirmed, and the reckless, feckless liberal media has finally, finally self-immolated like a slow-motion downing of the Hindenburg.
Yes, we have much to thank President Trump for as he battles the Beltway swamp, the deep state, the administrative state, and the fake news fourth estate. But there is no sugarcoating America’s long-term forecast. We face fearful odds. The game is rigged. The playing field is manifestly unlevel.
My first book Invasion in 2002, exposed how border failures and systemic non-enforcement of our visa program rules created a national security crisis that led to 9/11. My last book, Sold Out, which I co-authored in 2015 with former American computer programmer-turned-labor lawyer John Miano, documented how Big Business and Big Government created an economic crisis by exploiting the H-1B tech worker visa program and other foreign employment visas for cheap labor.
I’ve been accused of being a grifter for wanting to inform and educate citizens about these destructive rackets. But it’s the GOP sellouts in bed with open borders – like the ones who hijacked the tea party movement to shill for amnesty – who are the real grifters cashing in and practicing deceit at the expense of their base.
Our shining city on a hill has become a much-abused doormat to the world. Building the border wall is just half the battle. The numbers tell all. Our future is dimmed. The odds are fearful.
We currently grant one million legal permanent residencies to people from around the world every year. The number of green card holders is expected to increase by 10 million by 2025. That’s more than the current combined population of Dallas, St. Louis, Denver, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Now multiply that number by at least three and a half.
Thanks to our chain migration system, created in 1952 and expanded exponentially by Congress in 1965 and 1990, these new immigrants can sponsor their entire extended families: parents, spouses, adult children and their children, and siblings and their children. Princeton University researchers found that recently admitted immigrants sponsored an average of 3.45 additional relatives each.
An estimated 85,000 refugees and 20,000-plus asylees enter the country annually through an overwhelmed system so rife with fraud and abuse that the process is jokingly dubbed “refugee roulette” by immigration lawyers. In total, from fiscal year 2008 to 2017, the U.S. gave green cards to more than 2 million migrants for various humanitarian claims – a population larger than the city of Philadelphia.
Nearly half a million more immigrants in that time frame got in through the diversity visa lottery. Illegal aliens are eligible if a legal family member wins the jackpot. Tens of thousands are pouring in from terrorism breeding grounds through the lottery unvetted, unmonitored and unassimilated. Thanks again to chain migration, immigration lotto winners’ spouses and unmarried children under 21 all get passes into the country, too.
Nearly half of all illegal aliens in the country have violated the terms of their short-term visitor or work visas. More than 10.8 million people received such visas alone in fiscal year 2015, including 500,000 foreign university and graduate students on academic visas and nearly 700,000 total foreign guest workers (both skilled and unskilled, not to mention their spouses, many of whom are allowed to work here as well).
Congress has repeatedly mandated a nationwide visa entry-exit system to track legal short-term visa holders. But one has yet to be built—even in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which were perpetrated in part by several illegal alien visa overstayers. E-verify has been stalled. Sanctuary cities metastasized. And BOTH parties are to blame – yeah I’m looking at you, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, the Bush family, Mitt Romney and the ghost of John McCain.
This unrelenting inflow of new green card holders, short-term foreign visa holders, legal temporary workers, refugees and asylees is supplemented by 13 to 30 million illegal aliens who expect amnesty and chain migration privileges from Washington despite breaking immigration laws governing everything from border jumping to ID fraud, benefits fraud, tax fraud, and marriage fraud, to human and drug trafficking, to employment rules, deportation orders, and visa overstays.
The feds have proved themselves serially unwilling and incapable of handling the lapses, backlogs, overload, and yes, invasion. The numbers tell all. Open borders anarchy, multiplied by endless chain migration, amnesty, and cheap labor pipelines, endangers our general welfare and the blessings of liberty. By every clear measure, the war is not on immigrants but on American sovereignty.
I’ve been called white for stating the facts. I’m not white. I’m just right. Both native-born and immigrant families like mine, which revere the rule of law, common traditions, constitutional principles, one identity and one tongue, have been replaced by militantly unassimilable and hostile generations…of future Democrat voters whose tribal allegiance to the Left has only hardened over time.
It’s insane that we have elected Republicans on Capitol Hill doing the bidding of the illegal alien DREAMer racket. Until and unless we reclaim the right of self-determination over the numbers, we are doomed.
My fellow Americans, we stand at the bridge as Horatius stood at the narrow bridge over the Tiber River alone facing fearful odds as hordes of Etruscans marched towards him and cowards cut and run behind him. Like his enemies, our enemies are both foreign AND domestic.
Inside are flimsily defended borders, we are not at peace, or rather, the radical Left is not at peace with us. From the comfort of TV green rooms, Beltway backrooms, corporate boardrooms, and conference ballrooms, it may not look like civil war is imminent. But threats and outright violence against ordinary, law-abiding people are now regularized features, not random bugs, of political life in these dis-United States.
College students are being punched, elderly citizens are being harassed, MAGA hat wearers are being kicked off planes and assaulted in school hallways and restaurants, conservative speakers are being mobbed and Molotov cocktailed, ICE agents and their families are being targeted, pro-lifers are being kicked and menaced, pro-Trump, anti-jihad moms on social media are being monitored and doxxed.
The madness is beyond parody.
Last week, social justice media warriors whipped up hysteria over a Mar a Lago pastry chef’s Instagram posts. Where are the sanctuary spaces for law-abiding conservatives who simply want to exercise their rights to free speech and peaceable assembly?
The divide in this country is between decent people who stand up for America and dastardly people who want to bring America to its knees.
We certainly should make common cause with others across the aisle who shares our values, but we should not rush to embrace those whose fundamental aim is to smear and destroy us all. That’s suicidal. Which is why I cannot stand here and stay silent about the role Van Jones has played in attempting to silence the Right.
My objection is not to his support for criminal justice reform. I have dedicated much of my own time, energy, and money to fighting wrongful convictions, false allegations, and prosecutorial and forensic misconduct. Next time you need a conservative to talk about criminal justice reform, call me. You don’t need someone who’s going to spew fake news pro illegal alien propaganda to talk CJR to conservatives.
Fact check: The most recent research by the Federation for American Immigration Reform found that illegal aliens are up to 5.5 times more likely than Americans to be incarcerated in state prisons compared to Americans and legal residents.
But my most vehement objection is to this stage being used to lend legitimacy to the George Soros-funded organization Color of Change, which dedicated to censoring and sabotaging right-leaning groups for championing the free market, opposing radical Islam, and exposing open borders.
Seven years ago, Van Jones’ group pressured Pepsi, McDonald’s, Intuit and other companies to cut ties to the mainstream American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC), a half-century-old association of state legislators who believe in “the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty.” What was ALEC’s crime? Crafting model legislation on voter ID to protect election integrity, immigration enforcement measures and self-defense legislation to strengthen Second Amendment rights.
Color of Change and the smear machine racket known as the Southern Poverty Law Center use the same playbook to marginalize and criminalize mainstream conservatives, anti-jihad groups, and immigration hawks as “hate groups” and push us out of the public square.
They conspire with payment processors and Silicon Valley to deprive the Right of our voices and our ability to make a living. So many speaking up and fighting on the front lines for liberty and security are being detwittered depaypaled defacebooked deplatformed – people like Laura Loomer and Gavin McInnes and the Center for Immigration Studies and Robert Spencer and so many others.
Many are in this room. Stand up if you are one of them. Many have been forced to beg for money to help them fight in court to restore their reputations. Many have been barred from this room.
Nice is not enough. Logic and facts and appeals to decency and fairness are not enough. Bemoaning double standards is not enough. Ultimately our future will not be secured in a Fox News anchor chair or a think tank office or on a cruise ship or at a cushy GOP retreat. The future is on the frontlines. At the edge of the bridge.
Then out spake brave Horatius, the captain of the Gate. To every man upon this earth death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his Gods.
Instead of throwing allies under that bridge, movement conservatives who have preached so comfortably here in the Beltway about defending America while preserving the status quo need to help provide financial and moral support to the disrupters willing to fight fire with fire.
Maybe it’s providence that I am privileged to speak here on the 7th anniversary of Andrew Breitbart’s death. He was a disrupter. We need more disrupters. We need legislative action at the local and state level.
We need politicians who will DO SOMETHING to stop the sowers of hate and their handmaidens. Use the tools at your disposal. Don’t just stand there. DO SOMETHING.
Diversity is NOT our strength. Unity is. Our common purpose is the common defense of our nation. Good people make America great.
The Canadian government shocked the professional financial and economic media with their latest fourth quarter GDP release showing the economy has essentially come to a grinding halt at 0.1% growth. [Compare to U.S. GDP growth of 3%]
The Canadian Q4 GDP growth isn’t one percent, it’s one-tenth of one percent: 0.1%, essentially halted; but everyone discussing this is missing something very important.
[FP] Canada’s economy practically came to a halt in the final three months of 2018, in a much deeper-than-expected slowdown that brings the underlying strength of the expansion into doubt.
The country’s economy grew by just 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter, for an annualized pace of 0.4 per cent, Statistics Canada said Friday from Ottawa. That’s the worst quarterly performance in two and a half years, down from annualized 2 per cent in the third quarter and well below economist expectations for a 1 per cent annualized increase.
While a slowdown was widely expected in the final months of the year due to falling oil prices, it’s a much bleaker picture than anyone anticipated with weakness extending well beyond the energy sector. Consumption spending grew at the slowest pace in almost four years, housing fell by the most in a decade, business investment dropped sharply for a second straight quarter, and domestic demand posted its largest decline since 2015. (read more)
The financial punditry go on to give multiple reasons for the drop and all of them are factually accurate. However, there’s a key aspect that I cannot find discussed in any analysis of the data.
A very specific key aspect.
First, let me say CTH does not want to see the Canadian economy falter; not even a little bit. By disposition CTH wants to see economic abundance for everyone, especially our close friends and allies. But stand back, look at the bigger, BIG, picture, the media always avoid discussing…. you’ve got to ask yourself how can Canada be slowing down at the exact same time the USA economy is skyrocketing?…. There’s a connection.
Again, all of the currently expressed financial reasons for the slowdown are accurate; I am not disputing them. However, it’s what they are not discussing that really matters.
In the third paragraph of the FP article I highlighted a partial sentence: “business investment dropped sharply for a second straight quarter.” That means sharp drops in business investment for Canada in the time-frame July 2018 through December 2018.
Now pause, and reference the U.S. fourth quarter: “Consumer spending continued to grow solidly and, most encouragingly, business investment growth recovered sharply after a dip in the third quarter. Despite big external headwinds and financial market volatility in the fourth quarter, U.S. firms are not retrenching sharply on capex.”
Astute economic followers will note what the background is.
♦In July, August, September (Q3) of 2018 the new NAFTA negotiation was in the final stages. The U.S. and Mexico had already come to the terms; Canada was the outlier having to re-join an agreement in September where they previously abandoned negotiations.
♦On October 1st, 2018, the first day of Q4, the USMCA was unveiled. Now the U.S., Mexico and Canada were all committed. Throughout the fourth quarter, all business interests had an opportunity to review the much anticipated USMCA outcome and details.
Multinational corporations, domestic corporations, U.S. and Canadian businesses were all looking for the same very specific detail: What happened with the NAFTA loophole?
Within the new USMCA the critically important NAFTA loophole was closed.
Over the past three decades both Canada and Mexico structured key parts of their independent trade agreements to take advantage of their unique access to the U.S. market. Under the existing NAFTA, Mexico and Canada generate billions in economic activity through exploiting the NAFTA loophole.
China, Asia (writ large), and the EU enter into trade agreements with Mexico and Canada as back-doors into the U.S. market. So long as corporations can avoid U.S. tariffs (and rules of origin that pertain to those tariffs), by going through Canada and Mexico they would continue to exploit this approach.
By shipping parts to Mexico and/or Canada; and by deploying satellite assembly facilities in Canada and/or Mexico; China, Asia and to a lesser extent EU corporations exploited a NAFTA loophole for rules of origin on finished goods.
Through a process of building, assembling or partially manufacturing their products in Mexico/Canada those foreign corporations could skirt U.S. trade tariffs and direct U.S. trade agreements. The finished foreign products entered the U.S. under NAFTA rules.
Why deal with the U.S. when you can just deal with Mexico, and use NAFTA rules to ship your product directly into the U.S. market?
This exploitative approach, a backdoor to the U.S. market, was the primary reason for massive foreign investment in Canada and Mexico; it was also the primary reason why candidate Donald Trump, now President Donald Trump, wanted to shut down that loophole and renegotiate NAFTA.
At the conclusion of Round #6, just before giving up on Chrystia Freeland for good, this was the direct issue at the heart of a very frustrated U.S.T.R. Lighthizer’s strongly worded response to Canada:
[…] In another proposal, Canada reserved the right to treat the United States and Mexico even worse than other countries if they enter into future agreements. Those other countries may, in fact, even include China, if there is an agreement between China and [Canada]. This proposal, I think if the United States had made it, would be dubbed a “poison pill.” We did not make it, though. Obviously, this is unacceptable to us, and my guess is it is to the Mexican side also. (read full remarks)
This loophole was the primary reason U.S. manufacturers relocated operations to Mexico. Corporations within the U.S. Auto-Sector could enhance profits by building in Mexico or Canada using cheap parts imported from Asia/China. The labor factor was not as big a part of the overall cost consideration as cheaper machined parts and imported raw materials.
If the U.S. applied the same tariffs to Canada and Mexico we apply to all trade nations, then the benefit of using Canada and Mexico -by those trade nations- is lost.
Corporations will no longer have any advantage, and many are likely to just deal directly with the U.S. This was the reason Trump, Lighthizer and Ross to retained Steel and Aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico until they agreed to the new USMCA rules.
When Trump took away the flawed NAFTA market access; and when Trump removed the ability of Mexico and Canada to broker themselves for economic benefit; there was no longer a financial benefit behind corporations investing in Canada. Under a binding trade pact between the USMCA partners, the NAFTA flaw is closed.
As a direct outcome billions of investment dollars are now being removed from any future consideration into Canada.
That’s the overarching reason for the Canadian GDP to halt.
Here’s the proverbial $64,000 question: Can Canada re-engineer their economy and actually begin to “make” products again, not just simply “assemble” foreign products from other nations?
Can Canada reverse three-decades of specifically structured economic policy decisions that were centered around this “assembly” (brokered) economy?
Can the environmentalists be put back into a box while heavy manufacturing and raw material development are reconstituted?
Can the environmentalists allow natural resource development? Oil development, mining operations, lowered overall energy costs, etc?
Can Canada somehow lower national energy costs so that Heavy manufacturing might consider restarting? (NOTE: heavy manufacturing requires massive energy use.)
Can Canada find any industrial development investors who would be willing to take a chance on all the above?
See the problem?
The Canadian economy is not likely going to get better without a radical shift in Canadian political perspectives and outlook(s).
Then again, perhaps that’s really why Justin and Chrystia were so damned set on protecting their “cultural industries” (ie. media) from competition.
Okay, now USTR Robert Lighthizer’s cautiously worded enforcement testimony starts to take on a fuller context. When Ambassador Lighthizer was testifying before the mostly decepticon House Ways and Means Committee, he started to outline his newly designed trade enforcement mechanism… but he stopped; he didn’t want to reveal too much.
Now listen to Larry Kudlow describe “enforcement”. WATCH:
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If you watched the USTR testimony you would have seen how the “enforcement” mechanism within the U.S-China trade negotiations was the priority for Lighthizer’s focus; and he specifically mentioned “layered” enforcement triggers, specific to each sector, and issue.
CTH has never seen a U.S. Trade Representative so structurally willing to clear-cut the entire bamboo forest if needed. Lighthizer is intensely focused on enforcement.
Congressional reps were focusing most questions around Chinese purchases of U.S. goods. Lighthizer was blowing through those questions like annoying gnats. That’s not the focus of his structural engagement with the Chinese team. Lighthizer is going much deeper, into issues of much greater consequence than simply purchases via imports/exports.
While increased Chinese purchases to lower the deficit are a part of the goal, they are a very small part of the goal. The protection of U.S. intellectual property; the removal of non-tariff trade barriers; the protection of U.S. ownership rights as Americans operate inside China; the confrontation of currency manipulation, and the sector by sector enforcement provisions are Lighthizer’s primary objective.
If you overlay the comments by NEC Chairman Larry Kudlow (above), with the insightful commentary about ‘enforcement’ by USTR Lighthizer earlier, we can see the picture emerging.
Lighthizer wasn’t specific, Kudlow gave more detail.
What Kudlow is outlining is what Lighthizer hinted toward.
Each of the sectors within the U.S-China trade agreement will have their own specific multi-staged enforcement mechanism that triggers one-way tariffs if China violates the terms; and China cannot retaliate.
Each trade sector will be protected on: [1] intellectual property rights (copyright, patents etc); [2] non tariff barriers (artificial Chinese regulatory hurdles); [3] private ownership external to the controlling reach of Chinese state-owned dictates; [4] as well as financial access and larger currency manipulation schemes.
Within each trade sector; and upon each protected aspect; Lighthizer is building-in a multi-tiered tariff system that would immediately punish the Chinese State-Owned system (all companies therein) with staged, one-way tariffs and countervailing duties that cannot be avoided and China cannot retaliate against.
In essence, and in practice, it sounds like the sector-specific American product protection means: if China violates the sector-specific terms, any terms, the equivalent (or closest equivalent) Chinese product would automatically cost more…. and the U.S. product would cost less. An enforcement system giving U.S. producers and owners an immediate benefit; and giving China an immediate punishment.
[This would also likely apply to U.S. companies with Chinese controlling interests.]
This sounds like the enforcement framework within a heavy MOU; that is then guaranteed to transfer into the final, legal and binding agreement; and be applied to every element, within every sector, across the entirety of the U.S. commerce relationship with China.
Lighthizer described “steps” and “layers” of this protection at every level, and across every element, of commercial engagement with China. However, Lighthizer didn’t describe the punishment; it sounds like Larry Kudlow did.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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