A group of 45 House Republican lawmakers wrote President Trump Friday stating that they were “deeply concerned” by the inclusion of “sexual orientation and gender identity” language in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement on trade.
The representatives said the inclusion was “inappropriate and insulting to our national sovereignty” and urged Trump to remove the language.
The letter suggests the president may lose some key Republican support when the deal, which would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, comes before before Congress for approval next year.
“A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy,” the GOP lawmakers wrote, adding, “It sets a dangerous precedent for courts and future administrations to build on.”
The letter is in reaction to language in Chapter 23 of the USMCA deal, which requires the the three nations to “implement policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including … sexual orientation [and] gender identity” among other requirements.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., the main author of the letter, argued the language would be a boon to liberal activists. “My concern is the precedent this could set for activist courts to cite as Congressional support for SOGI [sexual orientation and gender identity] language once the USMCA is adopted,” he said in a statement. “I strongly urge [the president] to remove the troubling language in the deal that was adopted behind the scenes.”
President Trump is currently scheduled to attend a Nov. 30 signing event for the deal in Argentina during the G-20 summit.
Democrats have expressed different reservations to the deal regarding its enforcement provisions, suggesting the White House may have a difficult time securing passage.
