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NEW CONCORD- U.S. Representatives Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville) and Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) addressed the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association at Muskingum University's Chess Center on Tuesday.

Both representatives spoke about the need to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade agreement expected to replace the North American Free Trade Act, better known as NAFTA.

"Mexico has signed, everyone is waiting on America" said Balderson "encourage your legislators to get this signed. We need to get this done." Johnson noted the importance of the act for the agriculture community. "A lot of farmers are depending on it."

Balderson, a Zanesville native who replaced Pat Tiberi upon Tiberi's retirement last  year, stressed the importance of small businesses. He represents Ohio's 12th District comprised of Delaware, Morrow and Licking counties, along with parts of Franklin, Marion, Muskingum, and Richland counties. He is a member of the House Small Business Committee, and is the ranking member of the committee's Innovation and Workforce subcommittee.

Balderson encouraged "businesses to communicate with schools to give people other opportunities," adding that he wanted to work with community colleges to provide other education opportunities beyond four year universities.

Johnson, who represents the 6th District covers the northern half of Muskingum County and much of the state along the Ohio River, noted his work on rural broadband and defense of the Appalachian Regional Commission. President Donald Trump's first budget proposal had no money for the commission, which Johnson argued against, helping fully fund the ARC.

Johnson, irked by the slow progress of the implementation of rural broadband in Ohio, put his staff to work mapping the availability of broadband in his district, which was limited to only a handful of locations. "It is something I am going to keep hammering, something I am going to keep working on."

Johnson also defended President Trump's trade war with China. "We are going to fight China economically, or fight them militarily." He also said he believes the United States is better poised to withstand a trade war with China, because of the United State's "culture of innovation."

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