[CTC] Conservative group's ad campaign urges Congress to approve NAFTA 2.0

Tue Oct 16 06:26:13 PDT 2018

According to reports, America First Policie's Director of Advocacy has said "I just don’t like Muslim people” among many other Islamphobic, racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic and anti-veteran comments and they have another policy advisor who said “the only thing the Nazis didn’t get right was that they didn’t keep fucking going."

INSIDE US TRADE
Conservative group's ad campaign urges Congress to approve USMCA
October 15, 2018 at 4:15 PM

America First Policies, a conservative advocacy group aligned with President Trump, this week began running ads touting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and urging Congress to approve it.

“President Trump's new trade deal, the USMCA -- a better deal for American farmers, a new dawn for American automakers, stronger protections for American innovators and American workers,” the ad says, over images of the president <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr0lsVC4D1U>.

The ad then features a clip of Trump calling USMCA the “most modern, up-to-date and balanced trade agreement in the history of our country.” And it ends with a call to action: “Thanks to President Trump, America is winning again. So call Congress. Tell them to put America first. Pass the USMCA now.”

The group is spending $1 million on the ad, which will air on Fox News and Fox Business beginning on Monday. It is set to run through Nov. 9, according to Alex Titus, policy adviser for America First Policies.

The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 6.

“America First Policies is proud to promote President Trump's historic new trade agreement that helps American workers, protects intellectual property, and encourages manufacturing innovation right here in the United States,” Titus said in a statement. “It's time for Congress to do its part and vote immediately to approve monumental achievement.”

Polls show the Democratic Party has a strong chance to take control of at least one chamber of Congress, which could complicate the administration's efforts to win approval for USMCA.

Some Republicans have suggested a lame-duck vote on the deal could be possible, but Trade Promotion Authority requirements make a vote far more likely next year.

Democrats have expressed skepticism about the new deal's labor and environmental standards. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has said several times that he thinks Democrats will support the deal.

Trade has played a more prominent role in 2018 campaigns than usual, with Democrats in many agriculture and manufacturing states hitting their Republican opponents on Trump's trade policies. Retaliatory tariffs have hit the agriculture sector particularly hard.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) <https://insidetrade.com/node/164427>, facing an uphill battle for her seat against Rep. Kevin Cramer (R), and Iowa state Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&amp=&v=FbcONDyU8V>, challenging Republican Rep. Todd Blum, both released ads last month criticizing their opponents for backing Trump on trade when farmers in their state were bearing the consequences.

A September poll held in five industrial states -- Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- showed a strong distaste for tariffs <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trade/with-opinion-split-tariffs-are-a-tough-sell-in-americas-rust-belt-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1M714E>, with 44 percent to 50 percent saying tariffs were “not good” for their families, as opposed to the 33 percent to 37 percent who said they were.

A free trade group called “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland” purchased billboards in Pennsylvania last week ahead of Trump's visit for a rally in which he touted his record on trade. The billboards read “Tariffs make you pay” across the top, with another message, “New tariffs are costing Pennsylvania taxpayers $45 million a month,” in the middle. -- Hannah Monicken 

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