House lawmakers want details on the White House’s negotiations with Japan for the trade agreement signed in September.
In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday, a group of House Democrats demanded the White House provide information on the trade agreement and alleged the administration did not properly consult with members of Congress or submit key documents on time.
The Democrats accused the administration of not abiding by Trade Promotion Authority, the federal law covering congressional approval of trade deals.
“Please explain how you kept individual members of Congress and standing committees in Congress informed throughout the negotiations of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement and U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement,” they wrote.
Reps. Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat, and Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat, wrote the letter, which was signed by 23 other Democrats.
President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a limited trade deal in September that cuts tariffs on U.S. farm goods and Japanese machine tools and addressed concerns over digital trade, among other provisions. The White House said the deal did not require congressional consultation since it merely adjusted existing tariff levels.
Wednesday’s letter demands documents from the administration that would shed light on the U.S.-Japan negotiations. The deal goes into effect at the beginning of next year.
The Democrats argue they only have the White House’s say-so regarding how the deal was negotiated. “TPA requires that the reports be provided to Congress no later than 30 days after the date on which the President notifies Congress of his intention to enter into the trade agreements. Please explain why the reports were submitted late. In addition, six of the requisite reports appear to be missing,” the Democrats wrote.
A spokesman for the USTR’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
