By Guy Page
It’s rare that the Speaker of the House and the Senate Pro Tem testify in a legislative committee. It’s even rarer – perhaps unprecedented – that the leaders of Vermont’s House and Senate testify at the same committee hearing.
It’s even rarer to hear the leader of the Vermont Senate offer a public apology to a foreign nation.
But that’s what happened Wednesday morning at the Senate and House economic development committees hearings on the feared impact of tariffs on the Vermont economy. For details on those impacts both feared and real, see “Tariffs on Canada won’t raise Vermont gas, heating oil prices, lawmakers hear,” April 9 VDC. In short, an administration official told the committee the latest administration proposals indicate Vermont will not pay more for energy and other ‘affordability’ costs due to tariffs on Canada.
House Speaker Jill Krowinski announced ahead of time she and Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth would be testifying. As recorded on goldendomevt.com, Here’s what they said.
Krowinski:
“Thank you to our Vermont businesses, Canadian partners, and state officials for taking the time to be here and highlight the negative impact of president Trump’s tariffs that have created on our economies and our relationships that we have with our neighbors to the north.
“This is my fifth year as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, and my first time coming before a legislative committee in this role. While it is unusual for the Speaker to testify before a committee, the issue before us is incredibly important, and I am proud to add my voice to the choir of Vermonters and Canadians that are deeply disturbed and concerned about what’s happening.
“We often joke that many assume that Vermont is actually part of Canada, and while that may be a reflection of the need to spruce up geography, I believe that it is telling of a deeply held relationship that we have with our Canadian friends, our neighbors, and partners. It is a relationship that can only be created through decades of connection and mutual respect and support. Today’s testimony will highlight the economic damage that has been created by broad sweeping tariffs on Canada.
“And, however, my hope for today is that we shine a light on immeasurable harm that has been done to the trusted relationship that Vermont and Canada have long held. I have read statements that the relationship will never be the same. And while Vermont is a tiny piece of our nation, I remain committed to holding on to and repairing our long held relationship. Our partnership is too important, and Vermonters and Canadians alike are counting on us to find a path forward to restore our historical bonds. This is a very difficult time, but Canadians and Vermonters know how to weather storms, and we will weather the storm together.
Baruth followed Krowinski: “I second all of that a hundred percent.
“I’d like to do something a little unusual, which is begin with an apology. And that is an apology to Canada and to Canadians and to Trudeau, a political figure that I value. It’s been passing strange, as we say in New England, to see a president come into office and immediately attack the people closest to us, the nations with whom we have the tightest bonds, and then with our enemies, go with open arms and embrace them.
“So, I believe the president began with insults about making Canada the 51st state. I think somewhere in the president’s mind, that is somehow to be taken in a positive way by average Canadians.
“I don’t think anybody with good sense can see it as anything other than an extreme diplomatic insult. So, again, I apologize on behalf of the Senate for that. To the extent that I can apologize as an American, I will add that as well. What I would say is that our business relationships with Canada, which we’re highlighting here today, are the mainstay of our economy here in Vermont. Canada is our number one trading partner.
“It is not a joke, and we will not let it go unremarked that the president has wounded us economically, as well as in terms of dignity and the way we approach other countries.’