Trump policy puts foreign polluters on notice  

By CJ Morgan, Florida First Resilience and Energy Alliance 

In President Donald Trump’s first seven months back in office, he’s shown us what America is capable of when we embrace opportunity here at home. 

His visit to a U.S. steel mill near Pittsburgh earlier this summer shows the value he finds in American manufacturing and business. 

President Trump understands that when we prioritize our local manufacturers, we’re investing in our community, bolstering the economy and creating more American jobs.

That’s why he’s instituted practices such as a tariff on steel and aluminum. 

We owe it to our American businesses to prioritize domestic production and invest our resources on our own turf. And it doesn’t just benefit workers; it keeps us safe from the threat of terrorism and attacks on our national security. 

There’s an added benefit in that supporting American businesses and American jobs also reduces global pollution. The technologies and innovations used in American manufacturing and production produce far fewer emissions than other major economies like China and Russia. 

The more we invest in U.S. production to meet the global supply, the more emissions stand to fall, according to a recent report detailing America’s carbon advantage. 

President Trump’s America First agenda, however, is at risk as Obama-era federal judges work to challenge and defeat his actions to protect American industry. 

As these judges work to undo tariffs and trade rules President Trump put in place to protect our nation, they are not only harming American workers but also siding with foreign polluters – giving them the upper hand in global trade and a permission slip to continue their harmful pollution. 

China is the world’s largest polluter, accounting for nearly one-third of carbon emissions. 

The Chinese Communist Party chooses to ignore global environmental standards to produce cheap goods and gain control of the world’s supply chain. 

Worse, our own trade policies have enabled global polluters to continue to operate under loose standards at the expense of American businesses and the health of our environment. 

Enough is enough. 

While liberals battle President Trump in court, there are actions Congress can take that will endure. 

The Foreign Pollution Fee proposal will level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers by holding non-market economies like China accountable for unfair trade practices. It will strengthen our economic resilience, reduce supply chain dependence and reward American innovation. 

The bill ensures American-made goods are never undercut by foul foreign practices.

Supporting the Foreign Pollution Fee means standing up to polluters abroad and creating a level playing field in which Americans can win. 

It means tampering down costs and increasing revenue the right way – not by outsourcing work or compromising on our values but by investing in our own workers and resources. 

It means putting America First, just like President Trump has always promised. 

As a native of the Rust Belt, I know firsthand what it’s like to watch our economy collapse and to see hard-working, blue-collar families backslide economically in just a single generation. 

The president’s policies – and efforts in Congress such as the Foreign Pollution Fee Act – are helping to reverse this nationwide trend. 

CJ Morgan is vice chair of the Florida Young Republicans and a founding member of the Florida First Resilience and Energy Alliance. This opinion piece was originally published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, which is a media partner of The Invading Sea. Banner photo: A power plant releasing emissions in China (iStock image).

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