President Donald Trump has done a "great job" in dealing with China, but there will be some "short-term" pain before the United States and its trade policy comes out on top, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said Thursday.
"China is a unique situation," the Tennessee Republican told Fox Business' "Mornings With Maria."
"They've been taking our technology; they've not upheld the intellectual property sanctity that I think needs to be recognized internationally."
But Trump's efforts are effective, including getting Japan to start buying farmers' excess grain, said the congressman.
Meanwhile, it's "high time" that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement to the table for a vote, Fleischmann said.
Democrats, however, do not want to do anything to give Trump a win, even if it's good for the country, said Fleischmann.
"I'm an optimist and I think we always have to do what's best for the United States of America and put partisan politics aside," he added. "When the American economy wins, when the American workers win, and I think they both will win in this scenario, it's good for the entire nation."
There have been some signs for optimism, however, said Fleischmann, including the passage of a two-year budget agreement that takes politics off the table.
The congressman also talked about his tour of a new Amazon fulfillment center in Chattanooga, which hired more than 1,000 workers this past summer.
Tennessee is a great place for such businesses, he said, as it is a right to work state and charges no income tax on wages.