New Dems Lay Out Detailed List of New NAFTA Ratification Prerequisites
The New Democrats caucus, which includes the most pro-free-trade members in the party in the House of Representatives, has released a lengthy list of things they want to see in exchange for their votes for the new NAFTA ratification.
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While the document does not explicitly say that the votes are contingent on these requests, it calls them priorities, and says the members look "forward to working constructively with the Administration and our colleagues in Congress as we consider the path forward for an updated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. In addition, individual members of the Coalition may have additional priorities and we urge the Administration to consult directly with those members."
At the top of the list is not going forward with tariffs on Mexico to punish that country for not stopping Central American migration, along with a call to keep cross-border movements in place and secure. Next is sticking with the lifting of Section 232 tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
The caucus says it wants the new NAFTA to have stronger enforcement, labor and environmental commitments, and added two specifics along those lines: "Provide technical assistance and capacity building to assist Mexico implementing its labor and environmental commitments" they wrote, and they said they do not want Section 301 tariffs as the means of enforcement, as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has suggested.
They also said that they "reject any efforts, including in the implementing legislation, to lower the current U.S. de minimis threshold."
The New Dems asked House Democratic leadership to condition a ratification vote on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's promise to take up either infrastructure legislation, workforce skills legislation or a higher minimum wage bill. And, they said, the president should agree not to veto one of these efforts if the two chambers come up with a bipartisan approach to pass it.