During an interview with Fox News’ Dana Perino this afternoon, Senator Portman underscored the importance of resolving trade issues with America’s top trading allies – Canada, Mexico, the EU, and China – in order to protect Ohio farmers. Portman also discussed Secretary Pompeo’s upcoming testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. 

Excerpts of his interview can be found below and a video of the interview can be found here.

PORTMAN ON POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT AID TO FARMERS: 

“I think a much better solution is to resolve these trade disputes to be able to open up more markets. That’s what farmers do want. They want trade, not aid, as they tell me. I was home last week, back home again this week and I will hear the same thing. But we do have serious trade disputes with these countries, including China, where China simply does not play by the rules. As you know, Dana, through the years, administrations Republican and Democrat alike have pressured China, unsuccessfully, to open up their markets more and to change some of their behaviors that have led to the theft of U.S. intellectual property, which allows them to leapfrog us in terms of technology and so on. There are legitimate issues here. The better resolution is not an aid package or this $12 billion that has been talked about, but in a short term, that may be necessary. But we really have to resolve some of these issues with Canada, Mexico, the EU and China. 

“You are absolutely right in terms of the attitude of the farmers that I represent. They get it that it is not reciprocal and it’s not fair now particularly with China, and we need to do something different. Their patience is being tested because they are seeing prices go down to the point that it’s tough to justify putting a crop in the ground next year, so I do think it is time for us to move. There are two opportunities right away as I see it, one is Mexico and Canada, we are very close, as I understand it, to an agreement with Mexico on NAFTA, Mexico buys a lot of our products. And with Canada, they are likely to come along more quickly if we resolve things with Mexico. I was with the Canadian ambassador last night talking about some of the remaining issues there, which are really perennial issues we’ve had with the Canadians on the dairy program, and I think that we can solve some of these relatively quickly. Those are maybe the things that we can do in the short term. The longer term would be what you work out with Europe.  Autos is one thing that the president is concerned about. We have a two or 2.5 percent tariff on their stuff coming in, they have a 10 percent tariff on our cars going there. That would seem to be one we could come up with a good negotiated settlement. And then the longer term one, I think, will be China. That one’s tough because these are long-standing concerns, not just about classic tariff issues, but nontariff barriers also.” 

PORTMAN ON SECRETARY POMPEO’S UPCOMING HEARING TESTIMONY: 

“I think that we need a clear and consistent approach to Russia, and I think that Secretary Pompeo will say that. I think he will articulate it well. He always does.  He understands the need for us to remember Crimea, that that was illegally annexed, to help stand with Ukraine. One of the ironies in all this debate back and forth about Russia is this administration has taken tough stands with regard to issues that Russia disagrees with. One is, just this past week we provided $200 million in military assistance to Ukrainians so that they could defend themselves. This is training dollars and equipment dollars. We also provided them lethal defensive weapons to push back against the Russian threat. 

“Yes, it sure would have and you know I worked with the Obama administration to try to get the weapons for years. They were not willing to do it. We are standing with Ukrainians right now, I’m going to talk about that, we will also talk about the importance of the NATO alliance. It is an important opportunity for us to restate our interest in keeping these countries together because the Russians would like to divide us. It will be an opportunity for Secretary Pompeo to clarify some things that came out of Helsinki, and I think he will be consistent and clear as he always is.” 

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