Approving the USMCA must be at the top of Congress’s fall check list
Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Phil Cox
The Hill
August 31, 2019
What do American workers and businesses need to be successful today? More jobs, higher paychecks, new opportunities in their communities, and access to the global market. If approved by Congress, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement — known as the USMCA — will deliver all of this for our country.
The USMCA is a free trade agreement with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico that will bring wages, worker protections, and supply chains into the 21st century. This new agreement updates the 25 year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, to make it work for today’s economy.
According to a study by the U.S. International Trade Commission, the USMCA will generate new opportunities for American workers and their families by creating 176,000 jobs across the United States and growing the economy by $68 billion. These gains are across the country and across all industries, improving the well-being of countless Americans.
America’s farmers and ranchers — from dairy producers to tomato and almond growers — will be able to sell more of their products to Canada and Mexico. American autoworkers, manufacturers, and all of the small businesses along their supply chains will have the tools to increase production in the United States instead of shipping jobs and factories to Mexico. Our energy and technology industries will also be more competitive because of the USMCA.
[…]
It has been almost one year since the U.S., Canada, and Mexico agreed to the USMCA, and it is past time for Congress to approve this deal. The longer Congress delays its approval, the less competitive American workers and businesses will be in the global marketplace. As lawmakers return to D.C., we encourage them to put passing the USMCA at the top of their agenda. Americans cannot wait any longer.
CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed.