The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement cleared another hurdle on Tuesday when the Senate Finance Committee approved the deal a bipartisan 25-3 vote, potentially setting up a speedy vote by the whole Senate.
Indiana Republican Todd Young, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said prior to casting his vote in support, “USMCA gives farmers much needed tools through eliminating unnecessary market barriers, expanding market access, and improving processes around biotech approvals. Hoosier farmers benefit from a reliable trading relationship with our neighbors, especially as the future remains uncertain with many countries. For these reasons, and for many others, I will be supporting USMCA.”
Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, says getting USMCA passed is great for the economy on its own, but it will also provide a big boost to US negotiators with other deals like Phase Two and Three deals with China or a deal with Great Britain after Brexit.
“There was a lot of questions about whether the president was going down the right road in regard to not only NAFTA, but China, and I think that the success of USMCA and Phase One of China speaks to the president being on the right track and delivering on some of the things that he promised during the campaign.”
Grassley would like to see USMCA come up for a full floor vote soon, but it all depends on when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sends over articles of impeachment.
“Under the rules of the Senate and under the Constitution, impeachment has priority over everything else.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has not weighed in on when that full floor vote can happen. Ag groups are urging him to schedule the vote as soon as possible.