[CTC] Impeachment Unlikely to Affect NAFTA Negotiations for the Time Being

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Morning Trade

IMPEACHMENT ON THE BRAIN: Pelosi announced Thursday afternoon that the House will move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry, throwing into question whether the chamber will be willing or able to keep working with Trump to try to pass the new NAFTA this year.

A senior Democratic aide told Morning Trade it's unlikely the inquiry will affect the USMCA negotiations. The aide added there will likely be more to say after the Democratic caucus meets this morning. Working group members are expected to debrief other Democrats on the status of the talks during the meeting. 

Trump puts it all in doubt: The White House press secretary said Tuesday evening that House Democrats "destroyed any chance of legislative progress for the people of this country by continuing to focus all their energy on partisan political attacks." However, the statement made no direct reference to USMCA — or the administration's next steps with regard to the trade pact.

Poisoned the well: Welles Orr, a former assistant USTR for congressional affairs, told Morning Trade that "an impeachment process certainly poisons the well of any goodwill there is for Democrats to want to give a green light to their USMCA proceedings."

Orr, who works with the Washington firm Miller & Chevalier, added that he feels "moving on the impeachment stuff will just sour any willingness to want to actually give Trump a victory on the USMCA."

Finding the connection: Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7153e15834f9de216514e5a4f9eabcd36ccfdbb5703bcd42c02e41d4e585d2606c5b5453cab9d5b1771ff9a9ac3c0f5e>linked the impeachment inquiry to the USMCA late Tuesday afternoon, suggesting that Democrats could use the move as justification not to pass legislation like the trade deal.

"If Democrats use impeachment proceedings as a basis to not act on policy that will directly benefit Americans like the USMCA or lowering prescription drug prices, that would prove they're more interested in politics and opposing the president at all costs than serving the American people," the Iowa Republican said in a lengthy statement. 

Neal weighs in: Earlier Tuesday, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7153e15834f9de21e97bb02941219598825aeec1a83c3e24354887431072160253456d6d05090d60d6533c95e00bec04>, who chairs the nine-member USMCA working group, remained hopeful that talk of impeachment would not interfere with the continued negotiations between USTR and House Democrats. "My pursuit of trying to get to yes is not based on the background noise," said Neal, who is also one of the six committee leaders involved in the impeachment inquiry.



Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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