WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- American Farm Bureau Federation on Thursday urged the U.S. Congress to swiftly ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), two days after U.S. Senate leaders said the upper chamber will not take a vote on it before it adjourns for the year.
Passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement "is an opportunity for Congress not only to help U.S. farmers and ranchers turn the corner on trade, but also show that Washington can still get things done on a bipartisan basis," American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement.
While the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico signed the proposed USMCA more than a year ago, House Democrats have negotiated for months with Trump administration officials to resolve their concerns about enforcement tools for labor and environmental standards as well as drug provisions in the new trilateral trade deal.
House Democrats on Tuesday announced that they had reached an agreement with the Trump administration over changes to the USMCA, which would replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell later outlined "several crucial, must-pass bills" before senators leave for Christmas holidays, but the USMCA trade deal was not on the list, suggesting the trade deal could be voted on after the Senate concludes its impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Asked about the substance of the new trilateral trade deal, McConnell said, "from my perspective, it's not as good as I had hoped."
The federation is encouraging farmers and ranchers to urge their lawmakers to move USMCA along "as quickly as possible," the statement added.
Noting that it's a "pro-labor agreement," Raj Bhala, Brenneisen distinguished professor at University of Kansas Law School, told Xinhua that he believes the deal could be passed and implemented within the first half of next year. Enditem
