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Grassley expects new trade deal

Senator weighs in on Russia, Trump nominees during FD visit

U. S. Sen. Charles Grassley predicted that a new trade deal with Japan will soon be in the works, and told a Fort Dodge audience Monday that in his opinion Russia tried to sway American public opinion during last year’s presidential election.

The Republican senator added that Democratic senators are dragging their feet on confirming nominees to the Cabinet of President Donald Trump.

He said two top officials, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, have assured him that they will support ethanol production despite some of their previous statements.

”They said very clearly that the president had made it clear to them that they’re going to have to be for ethanol whether they like it or not,” Grassley said.

Grassley tackled those topics during a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with the members of the Fort Dodge Rotary Club at Willow Ridge Golf Course, 1788 Madison Ave.

Trade

After taking office in January, Trump withdrew the United States from talks to create a free trade deal with 11 Asian countries known as the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Grassley said he expects the administration to pursue a trade deal with Japan now.

”I think they’re going to move immediately to negotiate a bilateral agreement with Japan, separate from the TPP,” he said. ”Particularly for agriculture, it will probably take care of most of the loss that comes from not having TPP.”

The senator said that by backing out of the TPP, the United States is giving China an economic and political boost in Asia.

”This gives China, economically, a leg up in Asia that they wouldn’t have if we approved TPP,” he said.

In a related matter, Grassley said the prices of corn and soybeans are poised to drop below the cost of producing them. He said a bill in the Mexican congress calling for that nation to buy corn from Brazil instead of the United States will make matters worse if it becomes law.

Russian meddling

The intelligence committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives are investigating the possibility that Russia tried to influence the 2016 presidential election, according to the senator.

”There’s no doubt that there were things done to try to influence opinion in the United States,” he said. ”There’s absolutely no evidence they got into computers and changed votes and all that sort of stuff.”

Other issues

Grassley said Democratic senators are using every process available to them to postpone the confirmations of various Trump appointees. He said everything that’s being done is according to Senate rules, but added that the rules have never been used to obstruct appointments as they are now.

Grassley, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the panel will begin holding hearings on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on March 20. He said he hopes to have Gorsuch’s nomination before the full Senate during the first week of April.

One man asked Grassley twice if he believed Trump should release his income tax returns.

The senator first replied, ”Just as soon as the audit is done, he’s going to do it.”

When the individual later said he wasn’t happy with that answer, Grassley said, ”Every president since Nixon has done it, and I would expect this guy to do it.”

About 10 people protested Grassley’s visit. They stood on Madison Avenue near the entrance to Willow Ridge Golf Course holding signs bearing messages like ”Grassley obstructs.”

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