>>> JOINING US NOW, THE FIRST WOMAN ELECTED GOVERNOR OF SOUTH
DAKOTA KRISTI NOEM.
IT’S GREAT TO YOU HAVE ON THE
SHOW THIS MORNING.
>> YES, THANK YOU FOR INVITING
ME.
ME. >> THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.
YOU’VE SAID THAT SOUTH DAKOTA’S
BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE TRADE
WARS WE’RE CURRENTLY IN.
EXPLAIN.
EXPLAIN. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS RECOGNIZED
WE’VE BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY
YEARS BY CHINA’S TRADE POLICIES.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THIS HAS
GONE ON FOR A WHILE AND
COMMODITY PRICES HAVE BEEN AT
RECORD LOWS FOR SEVERAL YEARS
AND IT REALLY IS IMPACTING OUR
FARMERS.
FARMERS. MY CONVERSATION WITH THE
PRESIDENT IS THANKS YOU FOR
FIGHTING FOR FAIRER TRADE
AGREEMENTS BUT WE DO NEED
RESOLUTION QUICKLY.
RESOLUTION QUICKLY. A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE FACING THE
LOSS OF THEIR OPERATIONS AND
THEIR BUSINESSES.
THEIR BUSINESSES. >> CAN YOU GO INTO THE IMPACT?
EXACTLY HOW IS IT IMPACTING
FAMILIES THAT FARM AND
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS IN GENERAL
IN YOUR STATE AND OTHERS?
>> AGRICULTURE IS HIGHLY
LEVERAGED.
LEVERAGED. YOU BORROW MONEY TO BUY LAND.
YOU BORROW MONEY TO GO OUT AND
PURCHASE CATTLE, EQUIPMENT,
WHATEVER YOU NEED TO FARM THE
LAND AND EVERY FARMER GOES BACK
EVERY YEAR TO PUT SEED,
FERTILIZER, CHEMICAL IN THE
GROUND.
GROUND. SO THEY’RE HIGHLY LEVERAGED AND
IT’S A VERY RISKY INDUSTRY.
THE WEATHER IMPACTS IT, MARKET
IMPACTS IT AND TRANSPORTATION
COSTS THEY CAN’T CONTROL.
THAT’S WHY THEY CAN HANDLE MAYBE
A SEASON OF POOR PRICES, POOR
YIELDS.
YIELDS. BUT WHEN YOU START PILING THOSE
YEARS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER IT
GETS VERY DIFFICULT AND THEY END
UP LOSING THEIR FAMILY LAND THAT
MAY HAVE BEEN IN THEIR FAMILY
FOR GENERATIONS.
FOR GENERATIONS. >> SO YOU’VE SPOKEN TO THE
PRESIDENT AND YOU’VE THANKED HIM
FOR FIGHTING FOR FAIRER TRADE
BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU’VE
ASKED HIM IF HE COULD TO WRAP IT
UP, TO BRING THESE TRADE WARS
TORE A CONCLUSIONTO
A CONCLUSION.
A CONCLUSION. HAVE YOU GOTTEN THE FEELING FROM
THE PRESIDENT OR THE
ADMINISTRATION THAT THEY
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS AND
THAT WE CAN EXPECT THESE TRADE
WARS TO BE COMING TO A CLOSE
SOON?
SOON? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I’VE TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT
ABOUT THIS REALLY FOR THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS.
HAVE I SERVED IN CONGRESS.
I
I I WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE U.S.
TRADE AMBASSADOR LIGHTHIZER AND
SONNY PURDUE AND I HAVE TALKED
MANY TIMES.
MANY TIMES. WE’VE TALKED FOR MONTHS MANNED S
MONTHS ABOUT THIS.
SECRETARY LIGHTHIZER AND THE
SECRETARY SAID WE WILL BE
OPENING UP MARKETS REAL SOON AND
WE DID HAVE A PURCHASE OF MORE
U.S. SOY BEANS WHICH WILL MAKE
AN IMPACT ON THE MARKETS THAT
OUR FARMERS SO DESPERATELY THEED
WE FEED THE WORLD.
WE DO IT BETTER THAN ANYWHERE
ELSE.
ELSE. THAT’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO MY
PRODUCERS AND OTHER PRODUCERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> GOVERNOR NOEM, THE PRESIDENT
ANNOUNCED A SIGNING CEREMONY ON
A NEW TRADE AGREEMENT.
HE DID SAY IN THE PAST TRADE
WARS ARE GOOD AND EASY TO WIN.
THAT WAS HIS QUOTE.
IS IT YOUR SENSE TALKING TO HIM
HE BELIEVES THAT OR THAT IT WAS
A NEGOTIATING TACTIC TO PUSH
CHINA TO COME TO THE TABLE?
>> NO, THAT’S WHAT THIS
PRESIDENT DOES BEST IS MAKE
DEALS.
DEALS. HE PUTS HIS CARDS ON THE TABLE,
HE ASKS HARD QUESTIONS, HE
PUSHES THESE LEADERS FOR BETTER
AGREEMENTS FOR HIS PEOPLE.
HE LOVES AMERICA.
>> BUT AREN’T YOU SAYING THIS IS
A BAD DEAL FOR YOUR STATE?
>> I WOULD SAY THE PREVIOUS
DEALS HAVE BEEN.
PREVIOUS TRADE AGREEMENTS HAVE
TREATED US UNFAIRLY.
WE’VE SENT OR SOY BEANS TO
CHINA, THEY’VE REJECTED THEM
DeTEDeAT
DeTEDeAT THE BORDER FOR REGULATORY
REASONS.
REASONS. THAT’S CAN’T CONTINUE.
MY MESSAGE IS THAT WE NEED TO
WRAP IT UP.
WE CAN’T HANDLE ANOTHER YEAR OR
TWO YEARS OF THESE ONGOING
NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE WE’LL HAVE
A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS.
>> YOU’RE SAYING THE PRESIDENT’S
PREVIOUS DEALS HAVE BEEN BAD FOR
YOUR STATE AND IT TIME TO SIGN A
GOOD STATE?
GOOD STATE? >> I WOULD SAY PREVIOUS
PRESIDENTS’ DEALS --
>> BUT HIS TARIFFS HAVE BEEN BAD
FOR YOUR STATE?
>> NO, I’M SAYING I’M THANKFUL
HE’S BEEN GETTING US DEALS.
FOR DECADES WE’VE BEEN TREATED
UNFAIRLY AND THE PRESIDENT HAS
BEEN NEGOTIATING BETTER DEALS
FOR US IN THE FUTURE.
>> I’M FROM AN AGRICULTURAL
STATE.
STATE. IT IS OUR NUMBER ONE PART OF OUR
ECONOMY JUST LIKE YOUR STATE.
I’VE SEEN THE PAIN ALL ACROSS
MISSOURI FROM WHAT HAS HAPPENED,
THAT THE PRESIDENT PUT IN
MOTION, AND, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK
YEARS FOR US TO BUILD UP THIS
BEAN MARKET IN KMNCHINA.
THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF INVESTMENT,
AS YOU WELL KNOW, IN TERMS OF
OPENING UP THIS VERY IMPORTANT
MARKET TO SOY BEAN PRODUCERS IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. CHINA NOW KNOWS WITH THIS GUY IN
THE OVAL OFFICE THAT THIS LIGHT
SWITCH COULD FLIP AGAIN.
IT MAY GO BACK ON BUT THEN IT
COULD GO BACK OFF.
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THESE
MARKETS ARE GOING TO BE RESTORED
OVERNIGHT?
OVERNIGHT? THEY’VE SOURCED BEANS FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES. THEY HAVE NOW FIGURED OUT HOW TO
GET AROUND THEIR REQUIREMENT OF
BEANS WITHOUT AMERICAN BEANS.
AND I KNOW THE FARMERS I TALKED
TO ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE
HANGOVER FROM THIS FIGHT AND
WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN RECOVER
EVEN THIS GROWING SEASON OR
MAYBE EVEN NEXT WITH RESTORING
THAT LOCATION FOR TO US SELL OUR
BEANS.
BEANS. >> CHINA JUST RECENTLY ANNOUNCED
THEY WILL BE PURCHASING MORE SOY
BEANS.
BEANS. WE SAW THE MARKET REACT.
THEY ARE STILL HEAVILY RELIANT
ON UNITED STATES SPOU BEANS.
THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE
TARIFFS AND NEGOTIATIONS.
THAT’S BROUGHT THEM TO THE TABLE
TO NEGOTIATE BETTER AGREEMENTS
GOING FORWARD.
GOING FORWARD. SO, YES, IF THIS CONTINUED ON
FOR YEARS, ABSOLUTELY COUNTRIES
FILL THEIR NEEDS, BUT THEY STILL
NEED AMERICAN SOYBEANS AND
THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
RIGHT NOW, WE USE EVERY LEVERAGE
THAT WE HAVE, EVERY OPTION THAT
WE HAVE TO GET BETTER DEALS FOR
OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS AND OUR
FARMERS ONGOING.
FARMERS ONGOING. THIS HAS BEEN DECADES IN THE
MAKING AND THIS PRESIDENT’S
TRYING TO GET US A LEVEL PLAYING
FIELD.
FIELD. WE’RE JUST ENCOURAGING HIM TO
MAKE SURE HE KEEPS THE PRESSURE
ON BECAUSE WE NEED RESOLUTION
AND TO OPEN UP THOSE MARKETS.
>> GOVERNOR, REALLY QUICKLY,
YOU’RE ASKING FOR HELP FOR A
DRUG EPIDEMIC IN YOUR STATE.
THE METH EPIDEMIC.
CHINA, IT’S FEINTAL HAS BEEN
FLOODING AMERICAN MARKETS WITH
DRUGS ILLEGALLY.
DRUGS ILLEGALLY. ARE THEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
METH OR IS THAT MORE OF A
PROBLEM WITH MEXICAN CARTELS?
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TURN ON
THE NATIONAL NEWS, A LOT OF
DISCUSSION IS AROUND OPIOIDS.
THAT’S AN ISSUE IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
WE HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH CHINA
STIPING DRUGS INTO THE UNITED
STATES AND THE PRESIDENT SPOKE
TO THAT THIS WEEKEND SEVERAL
TIMES WITH THE GOVERNORS
GATHERED IN MEETINGS.
HE’S WELL AWARE THAT’S AN ISSUE
WE NEED ADDRESS WITH CHINA AS
WELL.
WELL. IN SOUTH DAKOTA, OUR BIGGEST
PROBLEM IS STILL METH.
THE
THE IT’S CHEAP AND READILY
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE METH
COMES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
BORDER, SO I’M ALL IN FAVOR OF
SECURING OUR BORDER.
NOT JUST FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
REASONS, BUT ALSO TO STOP THE
ILLEGAL DRUG FLOW THAT’S KILLING
MY PEOPLE.
MY PEOPLE. >> WOULD YOU PREFER THE MONEY BE
FOCUSED ON WHERE MOST OF THE
METH COMES IN, THE LEGAL PORTS
OF ENTRY?
OF ENTRY? >> I’M LOOKING FOR A SECURE
BORDER.
BORDER. FOR PORTS OF ENTRY TO BE FOCUSED
ON AS WELL.
WHAT I’VE ASKED THIS
ADMINISTRATION FOR IS SOME
LATITUDE.
LATITUDE. WE DID SOME LEGISLATION LAST
CONGRESS THAT I SUPPORTED THAT
MADE SURE WE HAD OPIOID FUNDING.
I’VE ASKED R FOR WAIVERS AND
AUTHORITIES TO USE THOSE DOLLARS
TO FIGHT METH.
WHILE WE HAVE AN OPIOID PROBLEM
IN SOUTH DAKOTA, OUR
OVERWHELMING PROBLEM IS METH.
IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO BE
AGGRESSIVE AND COMMIT CRIMES
AGAINST EACH OTHER CH WE DON’T
WANT THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US.
>> COMING UP IN HER SHORT TIME
IN OFFICE, CONGRESSWOMAN CORTEZ
HAS BEEN BUILT A UNIQUE NATIONAL
PLATFORM, BUT ON A LOCAL LEVEL,