<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt; background-color: white;"><b style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19.5pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Neal to send USTR counterproposals on USMCA, cites progress with USTR</span></b></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">Inside US Trade, November 21, 2019 at 3:55 PM<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) said he will send U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer another set of counterproposals after the two sides narrowed differences over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">House Democrats have taken issue with USMCA’s labor, environmental, pharmaceutical and enforcement provisions. Earlier this year Pelosi appointed a working group, led by Neal, to hash out those concerns with USTR.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The remaining differences have been narrowed down “from five” differences “to three or maybe two and a half,” Neal said after the meeting. Neal said he would deliver USTR “a couple counterproposals.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The two sides frequently exchange documents, lawmakers who have participated in the negotiations have said. Last week, Democrats <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/167644" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">emphasized</span></a> that they want to see agreements the two sides have reached reflected in writing before moving to vote on USMCA.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who’s approval Democrats are keen to win, has also <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/167676" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">pressed</span></a><b class=""><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class=""> </span></b>for seeing agreements in writing.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Neal said the two sides made “a lot of progress” on the enforcement issue. The enforcement of the deal’s labor provisions, particularly as they relate to Mexico, has been a key sticking point in the talks with USTR. U.S. labor organizations and Democrats worry Mexico won’t properly implement their recently passed labor reforms laws in line with USMCA.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">“We’re looking at the big picture here. How it’s going to look like in the end and how we’re going to sell this,” Neal said. “Labor would be pretty supportive of three of the issues that I think will be written up today.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Lighthizer and Trumka will continue to speak over the phone through Thanksgiving week and hold another in-person meeting soon, Neal said. Meetings will continue at the principal level and include Neal, Pelosi and Lighthizer, he said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">“We’ve made progress. I think we are narrowing our differences,” Pelosi said after Thursday’s meeting. Earlier on Thursday, <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/167689" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">the speaker cast doubt on whether</span></a><b class=""><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class=""> </span></b>USMCA could be voted on before the end of the year, as some observers hope for.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Pelosi listed actions that must be completed before a vote, including opening discussions with Canadian and Mexican officials “in terms of the change on the actual treaty.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Whether the USMCA text has to be reopened will be up to Lighthizer “to interpret later on,” Neal said. “I don’t think that’s something we’re pushing for at this particular time. I did talk to [Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] and he indicated to me that anything short of [reopening USMCA] would be preferable, but he didn’t rule anything in addition in or out."<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Neal added that he wouldn’t be so “abrasive” to announce a deal without first consulting with Canada and Mexico. “Courtesy would suggest that we have to inform them,” he said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Neal said he did not expect Thursday’s meeting to result in the announcement of a deal and that the lack of a handshake agreement does not meant the two sides can’t reach an understanding by the end of the year.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday continued to rip House Democrats for “stalling” a USMCA vote. “Now we are one week out from Thanksgiving and there is still no tangible sign of progress from the House,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “If the House cannot pass the USMCA this year, there is no way they’ll be able to claim the people’s business has not taken a backseat to impeachment.” <i class=""><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">-- Maria Curi </span></i>(<a href="mailto:mcuri@iwpnews.com" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">mcuri@iwpnews.com</span></a>)<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; " class=""><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis</div><div class="">Citizens Trade Campaign</div><div class="">(202) 494-8826</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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