{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-questions-us-trade-rep-on-wyoming-soda-ash-beef-sheep-and-chemical-manufacturing/", "Barrasso Questions US Trade Rep on Wyoming Soda Ash, Beef, Sheep and Chemical Manufacturing", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "barrasso", "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on how trade barriers impact Wyoming\u2019s soda ash exports, beef, chemical manufacturing, and sheep industry.\n\nGreer testified during today\u2019s Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the President\u2019s 2026 Trade Agenda.\n\nOn Soda Ash Exports:\n\n\u201cI want to talk about soda ash exports.\n\n\u201cAs you know, Wyoming\u2019s Green River Basin is home to the world\u2019s largest deposits of naturally occurring trona \u2013 the mineral that\u2019s refined into soda ash.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Wyoming\u2019s top export \u2013 supports thousands of jobs across the state.\n\n\u201cAnd, the industry is facing a serious challenge.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s because earlier this year, producers in India petitioned their government to restrict imports of American soda ash.\n\n\u201cThe result could be a hard limit on how much American soda ash can enter their market, regardless of the price, regardless of the demand.\n\n\u201cAnd, our soda ash producers can compete with anyone in the world on a level playing field.\n\n\u201cWhat we\u2019re worrying about is what\u2019s happening in India \u2013 making sure we never get the level playing field.\n\n\u201cHow are you working to ensure fair market access for American producers like soda ash in India?\u201d\n\nOn Wyoming Beef:\n\n\u201cWyoming Beef. Our ranchers produce the highest-quality beef in the world.\n\n\u201cBeef is Wyoming\u2019s top agricultural export \u2013 nearly $150 million shipped around the world each year.\n\n\u201cFor far too long, our ranchers faced barriers that kept them out of foreign markets that they have every right to compete in.\n\n\u201cThrough the Administration\u2019s trade agenda, we are seeing some real change \u2013 but we believe there is more work to be done.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s still too many markets that are able to hide behind unscientific and discriminatory restrictions that put our ranchers at a disadvantage.\n\n\u201cSo, as you continue negotiating new trade agreements, what more can be done to open markets for American beef and ensure that Wyoming ranchers can compete on equal footing?\u201d\n\nOn Wyoming Chemical Manufacturing:\n\n\u201cI appreciate the job you\u2019re doing highlighting American manufacturing job gains and wage growth.\n\n\u201cYou did it in your testimony today. So, congratulations on your success there.\n\n\u201cYou know, in Wyoming, chemical manufacturing is driving much of our progress.\n\n\u201cWyoming sends over a billion dollars in chemical products across the world each year.\n\n\u201cOur producers are positioned to reach even more markets.\n\n\u201cSo, trade deals like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) have included commitments to reduce barriers in specific industries like chemical manufacturing.\n\n\u201cProgress has been limited.\n\n\u201cSo, how are you pushing trading partners to follow through on industry-specific commitments and open their markets to our manufacturers across the board?\u201d\n\nOn Wyoming Sheep Industry:\n\n\u201cLet me finish with this question on the Wyoming sheep industry.\n\n\u201cThe sheep industry has been part of our ranching heritage for longer than we\u2019ve actually been a state.\n\n\u201cAnd, earlier this year, I raised concerns with your office about surging lamb imports and the strains that they\u2019re putting on Wyoming\u2019s sheep industry.\n\n\u201cFamily-owned operations that have sustained rural communities in Wyoming for generations are now fighting to survive.\n\n\u201cSo, I want to thank you for directing the International Trade Commission to investigate whether these imports are harming our domestic industry.\n\n\u201cAnd, our producers deserve, I believe, a fair chance to compete in their own market.\n\n\u201cSo, can you speak to how this investigation is expected to unfold? And, what you expect going forward?\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-questions-us-trade-rep-on-wyoming-soda-ash-beef-sheep-and-chemical-manufacturing/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.096994150429964, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}