Springfield Standard

Today on the U.S. Senate floor, Senator Schmitt focused his speech on the consequences of long-standing trade practices that he argues have moved jobs from Missouri overseas, adversely affecting American manufacturing. This discussion came shortly before the Senate vote aimed at criticizing President Trump's recent fair trade measures.

Senator Schmitt praised President Trump's efforts, stating, "The 77 million 'deplorables' who cast their lot with Donald Trump last November were the forgotten Americans... They stand with the president, because he stood with them — when no one else would."

In his speech, Schmitt discussed the nation's dependence on foreign goods. "Nearly half of our cars, more than 60 percent of our machine tools, 80 percent of our pharmaceuticals, and nearly 90 percent of the semiconductor chips we need... are foreign-made."

He shared personal anecdotes, recalling his family's background and the common American experience of economic mobility, "My folks weren’t wealthy. My grandfather was an infantryman in World War II... What was remarkable about our story is just how unremarkable it really was."

The discourse then turned towards the impact of globalization and free trade on American jobs, with Schmitt stating that by 2018, Missouri lost over 90,000 manufacturing jobs, "By 2010, our trade deficit with Mexico alone had cost us 12,600 Missouri jobs."

Schmitt criticized the direction taken in the past decades, placing blame on policymakers for the loss of American jobs and industrial capability, "The twin horsemen of globalism — unprotected trade and unprotected borders — have been a catastrophe for our civilization."

Throughout his remarks, Schmitt conveyed a sense of urgency for change and commended President Trump as an advocate for altering the existing trade policies, "I do know what the past has meant. I know that something has to change — and that President Trump is the first politician in a generation to even care enough to try."

He ended by affirming the support of working-class Americans for the President's policies, stating they align with the interests of those who have traditionally been neglected by the political class.