[CTC] Trump Tells Lawmakers He Wants to Move Fast on NAFTA

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO
TRUMP TELLS LAWMAKERS HE WANTS TO MOVE FAST ON USMCA: House Republicans walked away from a White House trade meeting on Tuesday with the understanding that Trump is going to be closely involved in the effort to get a vote on his U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement before the summer.

Rep. Will Hurd  <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a312bc736c4d160c94714409cde228c2dbef74a6d955674ecb68d2d4157de73806aae3e549bec2fb88b4dfba5499dab>(R-Texas), who participated in the meeting with 22 other House members, indicated that Trump wants to move fast on the deal — with consideration as soon as May. Administration officials at the meeting, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert LIghthizer, recognized that three things need to happen first: Mexico must pass labor reforms, ongoing talks with China need to be resolved and the administration has to come up with implementing legislation that addresses Democrats' concerns.

NAFTA withdrawal still on the table? "The president made it clear what his opinions are and what his abilities are. I think everybody prefers to get USMCA done so hopefully we don't have to worry about that potential," Hurd told Morning Trade when asked if Trump was still considering withdrawing from the deal.

30 Democrats: Rep. Vern Buchanan <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a312bc736c4d160a12a9a75fd9d61ef910ff5bcb597c5b71afa2972066cb47c9b1c4c90532bfb462f936e8d1902e7f9> (R-Fla.) told Fox Business Network after the meeting that Trump needs 30 Democratic votes  <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a312bc736c4d160bea532a96c2a9ae17e34877bda87edd4ee67620e0644bde317400c3fb70b63aa02e339a44305bbd5>in the House to pass USMCA and appears to have some momentum toward achieving that goal.

Trump has identified the USMCA as his top legislative priority this year. In a meeting earlier Tuesday on Capitol Hill, he told Republican senators  <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bcc7afc5ade4e3f21a34a1b836e439f199e6bc65d14070342939694ef4db383d8125de86fba3d472caadb7d7dc54f4d4>he wants to submit the deal for a vote as soon as possible under the legislative procedures laid out in the 2015 trade promotion authority bill. That could happen soon after the U.S. International Trade Commission submits its analysis of the economic impact of the deal on April 19, but ultimately it will be up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decide to advance the agreement.

"The Republicans are probably going to have to put up some big numbers, but this is something that is definitely going to require our Democrat friends to move forward on," Hurd said.

Historical context: A senior Democratic aide told Morning Trade that Buchanan's assessment "doesn't reflect the reality of Democrats controlling the House." The aide noted that trade agreements that passed when Democrats controlled the House usually got more than 100 Democratic "yes" votes. The last trade deal to pass with a Democratic House majority was with Peru, which got 108 Democratic votes. The original NAFTA, which also passed in a Democrat-controlled House in 1993, got 102 Democratic votes.

…

HEITKAMP JOINS USMCA PUSH: Former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will help lead the Trade Works for America campaign to get USMCA passed in Congress. The Democrat will co-lead the bipartisan effort <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bcc7afc5ade4e3f2f37ae8b423db7cbe29fbf10597abf27c62b327d53cea5106a4eceb46ceaad0f3e59f0f6c1ce5a4a2> with Phil Cox, former executive director of the Republican Governors Association. The campaign is one of a number the business and agriculture sectors are organizing to help push the deal through Congress this year.

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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