Legislative Update: USMCA Awaits Senate Vote

Congress returned this week from recess to start the second session of the 116^th Congress.  The Senate Finance Committee is moving forward with its scheduled Jan. 7 “markup” of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) implementing legislation (H.R. 5430). Prior to recess, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate would hold its impeachment trial before taking up the USMCA.  On Jan. 3, Leader McConnell announced the Senate would conduct “ordinary business” until the House delivers the articles of impeachment. Though McConnell didn’t mention USMCA, this presumably leaves the door open for a vote on the agreement before a trial. White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro suggested in an interview that the full Senate may take up the vote as early as this week. If the Finance committee approves the USMCA, the Senate chamber will have 15 days to vote on it. Timely ratification would also be a significant vote before President Trump’s Feb. 4, State of the Union address.

The Senate Finance Committee passed the trade deal Tuesday morning, moving it a step closer to ratification. It is expected to easily pass in the Senate as well.  Most Democratic presidential contenders have stated they support the revised agreement.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) recently declared she would vote in support of the revised USMCA.  She changed her position due to the changes that House Democrats were able to negotiate, which she says improves the initial agreement.  Warren joins other top tier contenders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mayor Pete Buttigieg in supporting the revised trade deal. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has said he will vote against USMCA, however, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has not stated his position on the revised USMCA.

You can quickly and easily tell your senator to vote yes on the USMCA by clicking here.