Brown’s record on trade clear

On trade and tariffs, Cathy McMorris Rodgers has done a remarkable job standing up for Eastern Washington farmers. She has been a stalwart in leading the fight for free trade, and even brought Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to Eastern Washington recently to hear directly from farmers. While Cathy has been driving results, Lisa Brown has been in rhetorical attack mode.

As the saying goes, watch what they do, not what they say. Consider Brown’s contributors. In her recent fundraising report, Brown took contributions from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). For the uninitiated, this union was directly responsible for the West Coast ports shutdown, which cost farmers millions and destroyed access to markets that took years to develop.

If the ILWU contribution is any guide, Lisa Brown will be no friend to agribusiness, and no friend to those who rely on trade for their livelihoods. Meanwhile, Cathy has been focused on getting results, not rhetoric. While Lisa talks about it, Cathy is actually the one getting it done.

Bruce Nelson

Spokane