(Washington, DC) – In today’s Senate hearing examining the President’s budget request for the Department of Commerce, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s comments insulting Canada—arguing that his rhetoric and President Trump’s trade war have real consequences for the U.S. economy and international partnerships, particularly for states like New Hampshire that benefit greatly from Canadian trade and tourism.
In New Hampshire, tourism is the second largest industry by revenue and supports 70,000 jobs. In December of last year, it was estimated that Canadian tourism to New Hampshire was down 30% compared to the year before. Click HERE to watch Senator Shaheen’s full remarks and questions.
Key quotes from Senator Shaheen:
- “Secretary Lutnick, last week, you said of Canada’s economic strategy, and I quote, ‘They suck.’ […] How does insulting our closest ally and neighbor help the businesses in my state of New Hampshire—and states all across this country—who are hurting because of the loss of Canadian business and tourism?”
- “We have a lot of small businesses in New Hampshire who work on both sides of the border. We have all those Canadian visitors who are not coming because of your comments and comments by this Administration. How does that help our economy?”
- “When we have allies and partners, we should try and work with them—not insult them. And I find your rhetoric insulting to the people in my state who are working so hard to try and ensure that they can do business.”
Senator Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. Earlier this year, Shaheen led the introduction of the Speedy Tariff Refund Act, legislation that would require full refunds of President Trump’s illegal tariffs after they were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court by a 6-3 vote. Last night, she and Senator Wyden took to the Senate floor to attempt to pass the legislation by unanimous consent, but the effort was blocked by Senate Republicans.
Last month, Shaheen led several Senate Democrats in calling on the Trump Administration to put in place an automatic, streamlined tariff refund process that provides real relief to small businesses and families in New Hampshire and nationwide. In January of last year, before President Trump took office, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act to shield American businesses and consumers from rising prices imposed by tariffs on imported goods into the United States by clarifying that the President does not have the authority to levy sweeping tariffs under IEEPA—while preserving IEEPA’s authority for sanctions and other tools. Shaheen then led more than 30 of her Senate colleagues and 171 House colleagues made in a bipartisan Amicus Brief she filed with the Supreme Court last year.
