[CTC] USTR submits formal counterproposal to House NAFTA working group

[Arthur Stamoulis]

USTR submits formal counterproposal to House USMCA working group
By Isabelle Hoaglan, Inside US Trade
09/11/2019

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday submitted a formal counterproposal to the House Democrats’ U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement working group, according to a House Ways & Means Committee spokesperson.
 
“We received the response and are in the process of reviewing it,” the spokesperson told Inside U.S. Trade.
 
The USMCA working group in August sent USTR detailed proposals for ways in which the lawmakers could work with the administration on four outstanding areas: labor, access to medicines, environment and enforcement.
 
According to a Sept. 9 memo from House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA), the working group “held numerous meetings with USTR to explain the principles and written proposals and the ball is squarely in the Administration’s court to respond.”
 
Accordingly, USMCA “will be ready for a vote as soon as it is ready; no sooner, and also no later,” the memo continues. “The ball is in USTR’s court to make serious counter-proposals to resolve Democratic concerns with the existing agreement. It is up to the Administration how fast and intensive negotiations in September and October will be.”
 
The USMCA working group, established by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) earlier this year, is prepared to “work as hard and fast in these negotiations as the Administration is prepared to move,” Neal continued.   
 
Ways & Means Committee ranking member Kevin Brady (R-TX) on Wednesday told reporters he had not yet seen the text of the counterproposals but that he “understands the general outline.”
 
He expressed optimism that Democratic concerns in one key area, dispute settlement panel blocking, could be resolved.
 
“That was a key ask by the Democrats in the working group and I’m hopeful that’s the outcome -- I think that’s something both Canada and Mexico can live with as well and I think it’s really, very crucial to hold the whole agreement accountable,” Brady said. 
 
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), a co-chair of the working group’s enforcement taskforce, told Inside U.S. Trade on Tuesday that she had not seen anything from USTR. “We have dealt with our requests and now we are waiting to hear back,” she said.
 
The working group hopes to meet with USTR next week, she said.
 
Lighthizer met with the House Republican’s USMCA whip team on Wednesday to discuss the deal.
 
House GOP Whip Steve Scalise (LA), who attended the meeting, said on Twitter afterwards that “Republicans stand ready to ratify it. It’s time to pass #USMCAnow.”

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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