Democratic lawmakers who are skeptical of trade complained Tuesday that President Trump was off to a “slow start” on that issue and urged him to use his joint address to Congress to remedy that.
The lawmakers warned that the president was in danger of going back on his campaign vows if he didn’t make renegotiating deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement a top priority.
“The president needs to keep his promises,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. “He did not declare China to be a currency manipulator on ‘day one’ as he promised during the campaign.”
DeLauro argued that Trump was putting too many supporters on free trade into key positions in his administration, saying she was “especially concerned” about Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a former banker and investor. “His team is undermining his ability to take on currency manipulation,” DeLauro said.
Rep. Pete DeFazio, D-Ore., argued out that Trump’s only hope for renegotiating trade deals like NAFTA was if he forged a consensus with Democrats on the issue since most Republicans support free trade policies. “He’s going to need Democratic help,” he said. However, DeLauro, DeFazio and other trade-skeptical Democrats said that no one administration official has so far reached out to them.
“You cannot govern with just 140 character tweets,” said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich.
