With congress back in session, Republicans say they are ready to pass the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says he expects to reach a deal with House Democrats this month on modifications to the U.S.M.C.A.
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown introduced Lighthizer and supported his nomination. But Brown says the current deal isn’t strong enough at enforcing labor standards.
“To work, they’ve got to include amendments that we have talked to Lighthizer about for a year and a half, and insisted they be part of this. This bill will not pass if it comes up now because it does not meet those standards. I want to support a NAFTA 2.0, but this has fallen far short of that.”
Brown also says the U.S.M.C.A. doesn’t stop jobs from being outsourced to other countries, which he says is the major factor for judging this bill.
