Democrats grill Trump ambassador nominees for Canada, Mexico amid trade battles 

Democratic Senators grilled President Trump's ambassador nominees for Canada and Mexico during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing Thursday over the administration's new trade policies, saying that they were impacting U.S. relations with its allies. Noting that her home state of New Hampshire has the highest percentage of Canadian Americans than any other state...

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Democrats grill Trump ambassador nominees for Canada, Mexico amid trade battles 

Democratic Senators grilled President Trump's ambassador nominees for Canada and Mexico during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing Thursday over the administration's new trade policies, saying that they were impacting U.S. relations with its allies.

Noting that her home state of New Hampshire has the highest percentage of Canadian Americans than any other state in the U.S., Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Trump's statements have caused Canadians to view the U.S. negatively.

"I find it very troubling that we are seeing our national anthem booed at ice hockey games and that the country where we got the longest undefended border in the world, where we've had such positive relationship over the years, is now viewing America in the way they are because of this president's statements," she said, while posing a question to Trump's nominee for ambassador to Canada, Peter Hoekstra.

Shaheen said Canadians were finding it "offensive" that Trump is talking about Canada being the 51st state of the U.S. "And I don't blame them, I gotta be honest," she continued.

She then asked Hoekstra how he would turn around the "negative relations that have developed" and address the tariffs issues between the U.S. and Canada.

Hoekstra responded that he had experienced similar things when he went to the Netherlands, where he served as the envoy from 2018 to 2021.

"There was a lot of hostility or concern [in the Netherlands] about some of the objectives of the Trump administration, which were really about fairness, getting the Dutch to pay for NATO. Working with the Dutch to confront Russia," he said, adding, "but we made it work."

He said he would apply that experience to "the priorities that the president has outlined: freer and fairer trade, so that we can actually grow the business relationship between Canada and the U.S."

Interrupting Hoekstra , Shaheen said, "Isn't it true that Canada has the lowest tariff regime than any country in the world and that with the exception of dairy the tariffs in Canada are not outlandishly restrictive?".

She added that small businesses in New Hampshire have told her they 80 percent of orders they get from Canada have been cancelled and they are not sure if their businesses will continue.

"How is this trade war helping our economy here and what are the metrics that the president has that say that when Canada and the United States reach this agreement, we're gonna stop the trade war?" she asked.

"We were operating under an agreement that Trump negotiated in his first term [and] credited as being the best trade agreement ever negotiated," Shaheen added.

The nominee responded that free and fair trade is one of the priorities of the administration, but that they want to work with Canada on the issue of fentanyl as well. "We lose 55,000 people a year [to fentanyl overdose].

Once again challenging him, Shaheen noted that less than 1 percent of that fentanyl comes from Canada.

"They actually interdicted more drugs from United States than we interdicted from Canada," she said, adding, "Let's be honest about what is happening here."

Hoekstra could not answer the question since the senator was overtimed.

Later in the hearing, Hoekstra was asked about Trump’s references to Canada as the country’s 51st state.

"Would you agree that Canada is a sovereign state and should not be even jokingly referred to as the 51st state?" Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) asked the nominee.

"Canada is a sovereign state, yes," Hoekstra replied.

Coons then mentioned Canada’s new prime minister, which he said in his view provides an opportunity to reset relations, adding that Mexico, Japan, and Canada are key U.S. allies.

"Some of the rhetoric [from the administration] has destabilized our relationship," Coons added.

Trump's nominee to be the ambassador for Mexico, Ronald Johnson, was also grilled about the administration's policies on migration.

"Thousands of people leave their homes because of political violence, criminal and gang violence, instability from drug trafficking and lack of economic opportunities. Did those strike you as some of the real drivers of migration?" Coons asked the nominee.

"Yes, sure, Senator. They do," Johnsin replied.

Coons then asked if Johnson agreed that there should be cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico to combat such instances of violence and human trafficking.

When Johnson replied in the affirmative, the senator said he was concerned about the impact of review of the foreign aid and that "it has shut down key programs that were working to deter young people from partnering with human traffickers, to deter drug smuggling."

"Will you pledge to work with me on trying to find ways to identify programs that are effective and that have actually helped partnership with the Mexican government in preventing the flow of migrants to our southern border," he said.

Johnson said he would work with the senator to resolve the issue.

In response to another question about action against Mexican drug cartels, Johson did not dismiss the possibility of unilateral military action by the U.S. in Mexico if American citizens were threatened.

“Our first desire would be that it be done in partnership with our Mexican partners,” said, but added that "should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk, I think all cards are on the table."

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