Arizona politicians react to President Trump’s tariff agreement with Mexico
Jun 7, 2019, 7:53 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2019, 9:52 pm
(Photo credit should read IAN LANGSDON/AFP/Getty Images)
(Photo credit should read IAN LANGSDON/AFP/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Arizona politicians provided their two cents following President Donald Trump’s Friday announcement of a signed agreement between the United States and Mexico to avoid tariffs he had scheduled to impose on the country.
Republican U.S. Sen. Martha McSally, who had said she did not support the tariffs, was quick to comment on the proposed agreement.
“It’s good to see the Administration and Mexico come together to prevent harmful tariffs and do what Congress has not: confront the massive immigration crisis taking place on our Southern border,” McSally said in a press release and over social media.
“It is still incumbent upon Congress to act, not only to close gaps in our immigration law that encourages this illegal activity, but also to provide much needed funding to address the humanitarian and security crisis that is overwhelming communities in Arizona and others states on the U.S.-Mexico border.”
U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a southern Arizona Democrat, criticized Trump’s original threat of the tariffs following the announcement.
The President should have never threatened tariffs in response to humanitarian issues. Our border is our asset and Arizonans are sighing in relief that another of @realDonaldTrump’s promises fell through.
— Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (@RepKirkpatrick) June 8, 2019
“The President should have never threatened tariffs in response to humanitarian issues,” Kirkpatrick said on Twitter. “Our border is our asset and Arizonans are sighing in relief that another of [President Trump’s] promises fell through.”
Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, was ecstatic with the decision.
“It’s absolutely great news,” Hamer told KTAR News 92.3 FM Friday night. “We knew that the tariffs would wallop the Arizona economy. We also are very well aware that we have a migration crisis.
“So what this deal between the United States and Mexico will do is it will make both of our countries safer, and importantly, it paves the way for congressional ratification of the best trade agreement ever negotiated, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“We not only dodged a bullet in terms of tariffs not being imposed, but what’s really important here is that there was progress made in Mexico and the United States taking further action to deal with the very real migration crisis,” Hamer added.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Nailea Leon contributed to this report.
