United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, that is while I was watching what was happening with the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Sports, sports, the center of our lives. That is the unifying factor.

We all are for our teams--aren't we?--and, hopefully, we are all Team USA. Now we can prove that on this U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

While I was calling the distinguished chairman, I was in Brussels for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. We had a bipartisan delegation there to thank our veterans. All of them were in their nineties, many of whom who were there, so we could thank them personally and be there to see them acknowledged by heads of state and the rest.

In terms of Spain, it was about we are still in it when it comes to the Paris accord. So, work, work, work.

But this was a priority, and time was important. We were trying to get it done as soon as it met the standards that we share.

I proudly rise to join my colleagues on this exciting day as the House passes a historic trade agreement that is truly worthy of the American people, a new and dramatically improved U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement.

I salute Chairman Richard Neal, a lifelong champion for working people, the maestro in the House on our side of this process, who helped deliver a trade agreement that will serve as a model for future trade agreements.

I thank each member of the Trade Working Group who worked so hard to improve the product that was sent originally by the administration nearly 2 years ago to where we are now.

I thank Chairman Blumenauer, chairman of the Trade Subcommittee, walking in now; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro; Congressman John Larson; Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky; Congressman Mike Thompson; Congresswoman Terri Sewell; Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici; and Congressman Jimmy Gomez, each of them working on the different categories that are mentioned: enforcement, labor rights, environmental protections, and pharmaceuticals.

I thank every Member for their wisdom, leadership, and commitment to delivering for the people during this process.

I was just asked in a press conference: Aren't you giving President Trump--Mr. Brady always asks this question--aren't you giving the President a victory to boast about?

I said: That would be collateral benefit if we could come together to support America's working families. And if the President wants to take credit, so be it. That would not stand in the way of our passing this. However, I do want to point out some of the distance we have come from the President's original product.

The House Democratic Caucus is united in our values and our priority to making progress for America's working families in everything we do, including this trade agreement.

We all thank Trade Representative Lighthizer, Mr. Ambassador, for being an honest broker and straight shooter with us as we worked toward an agreement. Not every day was without its, shall we say, exuberances, but this day is possible because of the hard work of many Members representing every corner of our country.

We thank Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, a true warrior for workers, who helped secure an agreement that is light-years better than what the administration proposed 2 years ago.

Democrats knew that hardworking Americans needed more from the USMCA than just some broken NAFTA with better language but no real enforcement. That was my concern: We just can't come up with a bill that is a little sugar on the top and say this is better, because the impact on workers would be felt for a long time to come. And we knew we could do better.

The original USMCA draft put forth by the administration fell far short of where it is now. It still left many American workers exposed to losing their jobs to Mexico; included unacceptable provisions, locking in high drug prices; came up short on key environmental standards; critically lacked the tough, effective enforcements that are essential to protect American jobs and holding our trading partners accountable to their promises.

After months of Democrats working with the Trade Representative, we have key changes to the USMCA that make this a truly transformative agreement for America's workers.

Now, with Democratic changes, the USMCA has the strongest enforcement mechanism of any U.S. trade agreement. Again, in contrast to the original USMCA draft which would have allowed nations that do not live up to their obligations to stop enforcement complaints from even being heard, Democrats' changes prevented nations from panel blocking.

For workers, while the administration drafts stack the deck against labor violation claims, our changes enact new rules and monitoring tools to protect American workers, prosecute labor violations, and ensure that Mexico is complying with labor reforms.

Other points that are for the workers include establishing labor attaches based in Mexico who will provide on-the-ground information about Mexico's labor practices and creating a facility-specific rapid response law enforcement mechanism to stop trade in goods that violate this agreement.

These are not technical changes. These make a big difference.

For the environment, whereas the administration's draft had weak environmental rules and tilted the playing field against violation claims, democrats have strengthened the rules and enforcement tools and are lowering pollution and increasing resilient infrastructure.

Sadly, while the administration refuses to acknowledge the existence, let alone the urgency, of the climate crisis, our changes in the USMCA set a firm footing for progress when we have a President who brings us back to the Paris accord.

And, by the way, when we were in Spain on this subject, our large bicameral delegation's theme was ``we are still in'' when it came to the Paris accord.

For lowering prescription drug costs, the White House draft contained unacceptable giveaways for Big Pharma that would have locked in high prescription drug prices.

Democrats have eliminated these unfair handouts to big corporations and secured provisions to lower drug costs and improve access to life- saving medicines.

The changes House Democrats have secured in the USMCA make this a truly transformational trade agreement. As the AFL-CIO wrote in their letter of support last week, we have secured an agreement that working people can proudly support.

Working people are responsible for a deal that is a vast improvement over the original NAFTA and the flawed proposal brought forward in 2017. For the first time, there truly will be enforceable labor standards.

The USMCA also eliminates special carve-outs for corporations like the big giveaway to Big Pharma in the administration's initial proposal and loopholes designed to make it harder to prosecute labor violations.

The USMCA is far from perfect, but there is no denying that the trade rules in America are fairer because of the hard work of so many people, and our perseverance. Working people have created a new standard for future trade negotiations.

Indeed, the strength of Democrats' USMCA is recognized by endorsements from groups representing tens of millions of Americans across industries and geographies: labor groups and trade organizations; farmers, growers, and ranchers; groups representing businesses around the country; social justice, and faith-based organizations, such as NETWORK.

The list goes on and on, and it will be part of the statement that I include in the Record.

This is a strong agreement that honors our promises For the People to give us bigger paychecks and makes a difference for millions.

With all the respect in the world for our neighbors, our respect for the greatness of Mexico as our neighbor, and the friendship that we have and want to engender, and our neighbor to the north, Canada, with respect to them, our responsibility is to have a trade agreement that lifts all workers in our hemisphere. Our first responsibility is to American workers.

I urge a bipartisan vote for the USMCA and urge Senator McConnell to take the bill up quickly. We can send it right over, and he can take it up anytime.

If the Senate Republicans care about workers, they will no doubt join us to send this bill to the President's desk in the House and in the Senate.

Madam Speaker, I commend our chairman, Richard Neal, for his outstanding work. I know that you have a good rapport with Ranking Member Brady. I thank all the Members who are responsible for bringing this to the floor. AFL-CIO, December 10, 2019. AFL-CIO Endorses USMCA After Successfully Negotiating Improvements Labor Federation President Richard Trumka on the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement (USMCA), provided final text accurately reflects changes:

Make no mistake, we demanded a trade deal that benefits workers and fought every single day to negotiate that deal; and now we have secured an agreement that working people can proudly support.

I am grateful to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies on the USMCA working group, along with Senate champions like Sherrod Brown and Ron Wyden, for standing strong with us throughout this process as we demanded a truly enforceable agreement. I also commend Ambassador Robert Lighthizer for being a straight shooter and an honest broker as we worked toward a resolution.

Working people are responsible for a deal that is a vast improvement over both the original NAFTA and the flawed proposal brought forward in 2017. For the first time, there truly will be enforceable labor standards-including a process that allows for the inspections of factories and facilities that are not living up to their obligations.

The USMCA also eliminates special carve outs for corporations like the giveaway to Big Pharma in the administration's initial proposal and loopholes designed to make it harder to prosecute labor violations.

The USMCA is far from perfect. It alone is not a solution for outsourcing, inequality or climate change. Successfully tackling these issues requires a full-court press of economic policies that empower workers, including the repeal of tax cuts which reward companies for shipping our jobs overseas.

But there is no denying that the trade rules in America will now be fairer because of our hard work and perseverance. Working people have created a new standard for future trade negotiations.

President Trump may have opened this deal. But working people closed it. And for that, we should be very proud.

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