— Talking to Americans: Hillman said she welcomed the nascent American Canadian Economy and Security caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate that hopes to focus on the continent's northern neighbor. It gives Hillman, and any visiting Canadians, another friendly forum in Washington. MARK AMODEI (R-Nevada) and LIZZIE FLETCHER (D-Texas) launched the initiative last month. Playbook noted that the congressional northern border caucus and the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group already facilitate conversations between lawmakers. Did a gap need filling? Hillman said there's plenty of talk about physical border issues among border lawmakers and Canadian counterparts. But this new group isn't focused on crossings. “This group that has brought itself together clearly feels like congressional representatives from Texas and Nevada have something to say, and what they have to say — and what they want to talk about — is broader. It's about the relationship in the more geostrategic and domestic strategic sense.” — Trump 2.0: If you want a diplomat to activate diplomacy mode, just ask about DONALD TRUMP. Surely the embassy is thinking about 2024, Playbook mused, and one candidate in particular who could end up on the Republican presidential ticket. The election cycle is all about activating a broad network, Hillman said. “We think about the election cycle from the perspective of making sure that we have the relationships in place, and the information flowing to those strategic relationships, well in advance of any kind of election," Hillman said. “So making sure that we have the contacts that we need, making sure that we are raising consciousness with everybody from both sides of the aisle and across the country, about the priorities in the Canada-U.S. relationship — our priorities, but also our contribution to the success of different regions and communities across this country. That is how we prepare for whatever comes next.” Asked about Trump, Hillman pointed to the mutual wins — a tough NAFTA renegotiation that she says produced a better deal, not to mention border cooperation during the Covid era. “I'm not saying that it wasn't sometimes difficult,” she says, “but it worked and I just think that that is something that we will be able to count on again.” |