An old video of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urging Congress to retaliate against China’s tariffs on the United States is going viral for its uncanny resemblance to President Donald Trump’s current tariff policies.
Recorded on the House floor in June 1996, the video features Pelosi calling on her colleagues to challenge the “status quo” trade policies that had contributed to America’s growing trade deficit with China. She specifically urged lawmakers to address the disparity between American tariffs on Chinese goods and the higher tariffs imposed by China on U.S. products.
“In terms of tariffs, it’s interesting to note that the average U.S. MFN [Most Favored Nation] tariff on Chinese goods coming into the United States is two percent, whereas the average MFN tariff on U.S. goods going into China is 35 percent,” Pelosi said then.
She then asked, “Is that reciprocal?” before calling the U.S.-China trade relationship a “job loser” for America.
“In terms of jobs, this is the biggest and cruelest hoax of all. Not only do we not have market access, not only do they have prohibitive tariffs, not only are our exports not let in very specifically, but China benefits with at least, at least, 10 million jobs from U.S.-China trade,” she said.
Pelosi went on to point out how the U.S. was only getting 170,000 American jobs out of the relationship at the time.
Hellbound and Down 