ANTRIM TOWNSHIP, FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. - Vice President Mike Pence makes a stop in Franklin County Thursday. The VP spoke to employees at a crane company about how the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement will have a positive impact on Pennsylvania.
"I'm here to get some business done," said Pence, as he took his suit jacket off. "I don't know about the rest of you."
Pence toured the Manitowoc Crane facility and spoke to hundreds of employees. He asked for their support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, also known as USMCA.
"It is a good deal for Pennsylvania, it's a good deal for American workers and American agriculture," said Pence. "We've got to get it done, and we've got to get it done this year."
USMCA is the agreement reached in the re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the Trump Administration. Pence says, 42,000 jobs in Pennsylvania would benefit from USMCA.
Manitowoc CEO and President Barry Pennypacker says, 45 percent of his company's revenue relies on trade in North America. Pennypacker believes USMCA would allow his business to thrive.
"It's basically an open borders trade agreement where we don't have to go through the red tape to import parts from Mexico and Canada and vice verse," said Pennypacker. "It's a cost reduction opportunity for us and it's an opportunity for us to take products that we're not currently able to sell due to border restrictions and sell them into Canada."
For USMCA to go into effect it needs to pass congress, which may be difficult with a democrat controlled House, but Pence believes with the help of his supporters it will get passed.
"It's going to make Pennsylvania more prosperous than ever before. We're going to make Pennsylvania and America safer than ever before, and to borrow a phrase," said Pence. "We're gonna keep 'Making America Great' again."
Pence left his visit to meet President Trump in Cincinnati, Ohio where they will hold a rally Thursday night.