U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer sought to win over House Democrats Wednesday on the administration’s U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.
While Lighthizer was received warmly, the deal itself was not as popular as its salesman.
Lighthizer met privately with the House Democratic Caucus to address any concerns they have with the legislation, which has been criticized by liberal lawmakers over issues like the enforcement of its labor provision.
“The meeting was largely positive, and Lighthizer was solicitous of the members’ questions and impressed the room, even critics, though a lot of questions remain, especially on the labor standards question,” said an individual with knowledge of Democrats’ reactions. The labor issue involves whether Mexico can be held to provisions that require it to raise wages for some factory workers up to the equivalent of $16 an hour.
Several Democratic lawmakers have pressed the administration to reopen talks with Canada and Mexico and used Wednesday’s meeting to try again. The Trump administration has rejected their requests, saying that neither it nor its trading partners are willing to restart talks, a point Lighthizer reiterated Wednesday.
He “knows we’re not there yet. Mexico has to make some moves beforehand, to show good faith. We need that, first of all. If they don’t act, there’s no chance of getting the votes,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., told Politico after the meeting. He praised Lighthizer though, saying, “I really trust him.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., retweeted a demand that the White House reopen talks on pharmaceutical price regulations in the USMCA bill, adding “Let me be clear: Any Dem that doesn’t sign this letter is selling out to Big Pharma.”
Another key problem for the White House is that many members want the administration to exempt Canada and Mexico from its steel and aluminum tariffs before they’ll back the deal, arguing they’re hurting industries back home.
“I hope to find a path to get USMCA trade agreement b4 congress but b4 that happens need to remove 232 tariffs I want 2help the president secure Congressional approval of strong USMCA,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., tweeted Wednesday, referring to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
Lighthizer told lawmakers Tuesday during a Senate Finance Committee hearing that the administration is trying to find a way to lift the tariffs but did not indicate that the White House might simply exempt the countries from them. “On steel and aluminum, as you know, we’re in discussions with them and trying to find a way out of that dilemma for them and for us,” he said.
