As I write this I am attending the 2019 Policy Summit put on by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. The first panel this morning was about trade and tariffs, and while the discussion was illuminating, I can’t help but feel that an important part of the debate was missing from it. The panel…
If Democrats Are Worried About Trade, Why Aren’t They Ratifying the USMCA?
North Dakota Democrats are trying to make hay on trade, hoping to leverage some of the pain farmers may be feeling as a result of the trade war with China into political progress. That talking point didn’t get a lot of traction during the 2018 election cycle, but it’s hard to blame them for keeping…
Plain Talk Podcast: Armstrong Says Speaker Pelosi “Does Not Want to Give the White House a Win” on Trade
On this episode of Plain Talk, Congressman Kelly Armstrong talks about the impeachment question and the realities of the trade war with China. Armstrong says Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may be holding back a vote on a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada because “she does not want to give the White…
Plain Talk: Auditor Says He Would Have Preferred Legislature Coming Back Into Session to Restore His Office’s Powers
Recently state Auditor Josh Gallion met with legislative leaders to discuss last-minute legislation jammed through at the recent session in Bismarck to diminish his office’s ability to perform performance audits. While that meeting seems to have produced a consensus that the legislation should have been subjected to a more thorough debate, Senate Majority Leader Rich…
What if the Trade Fight With China Is Bigger Than Soybeans?
In 1995 then-President Bill Clinton extended Most Favored Nation status to China. His justification for the move, coming as it did after ripping George H.W. Bush for being soft on China during the 1992 campaign, was believing we could make China a better neighbor by trading with them. “This decision offers us the best opportunity…
Plain Talk: Armstrong Says Congress Does Do Other Stuff Besides Talking About Mueller, Trump
It can be hard to tell at times, but Congressman Kelly Armstrong says Congress does actually do things aside from hold hearings about the Mueller investigation and President Donald Trump’s alleged obstruction and collusion. On this episode of Plain Talk he describes progress on bipartisan legislation to address opioid abuse, but acknowledged that the Democratic…
What Will Democrats Do if It Turns Out Trump Is Right on Trade?
Democrats, particularly “red state” candidates like incumbent Senator Heidi Heitkamp and U.S. House candidate Mac Schneider, have placed a big bet on trade this election cycle. Specifically, they’ve positioned themselves to benefit politically from any news about chaos or failure from the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate better international trade agreements. Thus the news this…
Print Column: What if Democratic Electioneering Is Hurting Our Ability to Get Better Trade Deals?
MINOT, N.D. — Based on Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign messaging, her challenger, Rep. Kevin Cramer, doesn’t care about farmers. This isn’t true, of course. While we can have a debate about the efficacy of the sort of agriculture policies Cramer and Republicans support, Heitkamp’s assertion of indifference is an election year lie. Our liberal friends…
Podcast: Are You Afraid of 3D Printed Guns?
We talked about the controversy over 3D printed guns on the radio show today. Also Daryl Lies from the North Dakota Farm Bureau joined to talk about China, trade, and the “farmer bailout.” Annette Meeks from the Minnesota Freedom Foundation was also on to discuss the issue of work requirements for food stamps in the…
Print Column: China Wants Trump to Knuckle Under on Trade, and So Does Heidi Heitkamp
MINOT, N.D.—The Shirky Principle, named for technology writer Clay Shirky, holds that institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution. We could adapt the saying for politics by arguing politicians do not want to solve problems which are politically advantageous to them. It is through that lens we should see…