An ad hoc coalition including drug makers, the textile industry, and farm groups have tapped former top officials in the Trump and Obama administrations to lead a new effort to get Congress to pass President Trump’s U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.
The deal is facing an uphill battle, particularly in the House, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been critical of the proposed deal and not committed to bringing it up for a vote.
Rick Dearborn, who served as Trump’s first chief of staff and left the post last March, will head the effort, called “Pass USMCA.” Gary Locke, who served as ambassador to China and commerce secretary under former President Barack Obama, will serve as “honorary chairman.”
“The USMCA is a win for America. It will launch the nation into a new era of economic and creative prosperity. Congress must seize this opportunity to strengthen our North American trading partnerships” Dearborn said in a statement.
Members of the Pass USMCA coalition include the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, National Cotton Council, and the National Chicken Council. Other trade groups like the Chamber of Commerce are also pushing Congress to pass the deal.
Democrats have said that, among other issues with the deal, it lacks provisions to ensure the U.S.’s trade partners live up to their requirements. Last week, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who chairs the Ways and Means subcommittee on trade, said he did not believe there was sufficient support to pass USMCA. “Talking to other members, my strong first impression is that there’s a lot of work needed,” he tweeted. Some Republicans, like Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., have criticized the deal for not doing to more to expand free trade.
The USMCA deal’s main provision alters the so-called “rules of origin” under the North American Free Trade Agreement by setting at 75 percent the amount of North American-made parts needed for a car or truck to be duty-free under NAFTA, up from 62.5 percent. It also required that at least 40 percent of all auto content be made by workers making at least $16 an hour or its equivalent. Democrats contend that Mexico has not done enough to ensure that wages reach that level. The deal also opens up Canada to several agricultural products, like poultry.
