Chuck Grassley says he would reverse China’s favorable trade status with U.S.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley voted in favor of the United States-China Relations Act of 2000, which gave the latter country a favorable trade status when it became a permanent member of the World Trade Organization one year later, but if given the chance the Republican lawmaker said he would reverse his vote.

“It was something I voted for, and I wish it was a vote I could reverse now,” Grassley said during a tour of Co-Line Manufacturing’s facility in Jasper County. “If you want to know why I voted for it, I thought China being in the WTO … living by the rules, would benefit all of us. Problem is they don’t live by the rules.”

Consequently, Grassley said the United States has found out China has “taken advantage of everything they can,” while every other country plays by the rules.Grassley’s comments were prompted by an individual present at the Co-Line tour, who asked if the favorability status could be given to another country.

Ever since that act was signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton, the guest said relations with China have degraded.

“Is there any discussions … to maybe change that (trade status) to another country or to move towards more manufacturing to here in the U.S. again?” the guest asked. “Because during that time period a lot of the manufacturing jobs, they left. Businesses like this suffered from them.”

Grassley said there is some talk of reversing that past action, and he would vote in favor of it. But the longtime senator lamented it may not have enough support. President Joe Biden seems to be “antsy” towards China, Grassley added, and is not willing to take a strong stance against the country.

In a follow-up interview with Newton News, Grassley explained why he thinks China does not play by the rules. He said the Chinese government is stealing intellectual property and trademarks from industries, and it is also subsidizing products leaving the country and making unfair competition with other countries.

Grassley thinks the Biden administration is taking some of the proper steps to approaching a good relationship with China.

“If you’re a hedge fund investment in China, you gotta get the approval of our government so you don’t subsidize or invest in those countries’ companies that may enhance the military…Our tech companies are the same way,” he said, noting China is limited from receiving anything with “military applicability.”

Other guests asked Grassley about other issues facing Congress, like whether a balanced budget amendment will ever be introduced. It is a pertinent question, Grassley said, particularly at a time when the budget deficit grows. According to the U.S. Treasury, the government overspent by about $1.38 trillion in FY2022.

There are challenges to passing constitutional amendment, like getting a two-thirds vote from Congress. Grassley said a constitutional amendment came close to passing in the past, but it was off by one Republican vote. Grassley said he would support a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

“But the chances for getting even 50 votes for it today are a lot less than when it was when we got 66 votes for it one time,” he said. “I guess it was a big deal the few times we had it up because I heard from people like you much more often. I don’t hear your questions very often anymore.”

Which is not to say Congress only introduces actions when constituents demand them. But Grassley said in the past there was a bigger push from Americans, which led to votes for a constitutional amendment that would have required more fiscal responsibility from the government, albeit they were unsuccessful.

The war in Ukraine was also a topic of discussion. Grassley was hoping there would be better news coming out of Ukraine when the country began its offensive a few months ago; he was expecting “big breakthroughs.” Grassley said he is unsure how long Americans are going to continue to support Ukraine financially.

Although Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, are considered enemies of the United States, Grassley knows there are Americans who do not agree with giving financial assistance to Ukraine. But if Russia attacks a NATO country, Grassley said the United States is bound to spend “100 times” as much money.

“Because that’s our obligation under that treaty,” he said. “We don’t want World War III … It’s just a case of whether the American people see what’s stopping Putin now is a lot easier and inexpensive to stopping him after he goes further. I don’t know whether the American people are buying into it.”

Conversations with constituents pivoted to the United States’ controversial and devastating withdrawal of Afghanistan, which was cited as a source of unease of whether to support the government’s choice to help Ukraine. Grassley said the way Biden got U.S. troops out of Afghanistan was wrong.

“It was a signal to Putin that ‘Biden isn’t very smart about all this stuff’ and ‘I can invade Ukraine,’” Grassley said.