[CTC] House panel advances Trump's new NAFTA

Tue Dec 17 20:22:36 PST 2019

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/474953-house-panel-approves-trumps-new-nafta

*House panel advances Trump's new NAFTA*

By Sylvan Lane

12/17/2019

The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that
would implement President Trump <https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump>’s
revised North American trade deal, readying it for a floor vote that's
expected later this week.

By voice vote, lawmakers on the panel recommended passage of a measure that
would enact Trump’s proposed update to the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA).

Trump and House Democrats reached a deal last week
<https://thehill.com/policy/finance/473835-pelosi-announces-support-for-new-trump-nafta-deal>
to
pass the president’s rebooted NAFTA, known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada
Agreement (USMCA), after six months of intense negotiations. Democrats
agreed to take up the deal after securing provisions to tighten labor and
environmental law enforcement, and scrap patent protections for high-cost
pharmaceuticals.

“These changes set a new standard for U.S. trade agreements and demonstrate
that trade agreements can receive broad bipartisan support if they empower
workers, protect patients’ access to affordable health care and improve our
shared environment,” Rep. Richard Neal
<https://thehill.com/people/richard-neal> (D-Mass.), chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee, said Tuesday.

The panel’s approval of USMCA brings Trump a step closer to a significant
victory on a key campaign issue ahead of the 2020 election. While USMCA is
not quite the overhaul of NAFTA that Trump promised in 2016, the deal has
been praised across party lines as a substantial improvement from the
original 1994 pact.

Trump’s criticism of NAFTA played a crucial role in his appeal to voters in
industrial states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. All
three states reliably supported Democratic presidential candidates until
breaking for Trump in 2016, and are essential to the president’s reelection
bid.

Teaming up with Trump may also give vulnerable Democrats political cover as
they pursue his impeachment, which could pose challenges for vulnerable
moderates in 2020.

The House is expected to pass USMCA as soon as Thursday with ample
bipartisan support, just one day after Democrats will likely pass articles
of impeachment against Trump.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
<https://thehill.com/people/mitch-mcconnell> (R-Ky.) said the chamber will
not be able to vote on USMCA until after Trump’s impeachment trial, which
could take until the end of January.

Several Republicans accused Democrats of hindering USMCA with an
impeachment probe, bemoaning time lost to clear the agreement since it was
first revealed in October 2018.

“Why is it this week that we're voting on this agreement?” asked Rep. Jason
Smith <https://thehill.com/people/jason-smith> (R-Mo.) on Tuesday. “Is it
because the same person who brought this agreement to the table, Speaker
[Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.], is also trying to impeach him? That’s
unfortunate.”

Democrats countered that Trump’s initial offering wasn’t strong enough to
earn their support until they secured victories in negotiations with U.S.
Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer
<https://thehill.com/people/robert-bob-lighthizer>, who drew a slew of
compliments across the aisle.

"The Trump administration handed us a USMCA that needed some work," said
Rep. Terri Sewell <https://thehill.com/people/terri-sewell> (D-Ala.) a
member of the House Democratic working group leading negotiations with
Lighthizer. "That proposal was a non-starter for Democrats, so we made it
better."

The mood in the Ways and Means meeting was festive despite minor partisan
jockeying, and some members even invoked the holiday season. Rep. Mike Kelly
<https://thehill.com/people/mike-kelly> (R-Pa.) compared USMCA to Santa
Claus checking off his Christmas Day list.

“I never got everything I asked for, but I was sure as heck thankful for
everything I got. This is certainly one of those times for the letter to
Santa Claus actually got answered,” Kelly said.

Neal answered Kelly by invoking “another sage of Western political thought”
and legendary figure from a cold, northern island: Rolling Stones frontman
Mick Jagger.

“You get what you need,” Neal said, quoting the band's classic “You Can’t
Always Get What You Want.”

The bipartisan back-patting was little comfort for some progressives who remain
skeptical
<https://thehill.com/policy/finance/trade/474546-trump-pelosi-trade-deal-creates-strife-among-progressives>
despite
widespread union support
<https://thehill.com/policy/finance/473837-afl-cio-backs-trumps-north-american-trade-pact-clears-path-for-democratic>
for
the agreement.

Rep. Bill Pascrell <https://thehill.com/people/bill-pascrell> (D-N.J.) said
he was “deeply uneasy” about the final product and compared the negotiating
process to getting “the bum’s rush.”

“There was no higher trade priority for me than updating NAFTA. I
definitely wanted a deal that makes a difference,” Pascrell said. “I regret
that I am not satisfied with what we have.”

Even so, most Democrats are expected to support replacing NAFTA with what
even trade skeptics consider a modest improvement.

“We’ve learned from the blunders of our mistakes,” said Rep. John Lewis
<https://thehill.com/people/john-lewis> (D-Ga.) “Twenty-six years later,
I’m so proud of this bill that begins to correct the ruins of the original
NAFTA.”

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826
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