President Donald Trump wants lawmakers to move quickly to approve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The USMCA, Trump’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, is currently being navigated through procedural hurdles before the administration can present the final proposed agreement to Congress. Lawmakers must consider the agreement on a simple yes or no vote, with no amendments, with Trade Promotion Authority in effect.
Politico reports Trump told House Republicans in a meeting this week the administration is preparing for a vote on the agreement before the summer, but a vote by the end of the year is a more likely timeline. Although, a vote is allowed to happen sometime after the U.S. International Trade Commission submits its analysis of the economic impact of the deal on April 19th.
The USMCA agreement is considered Trump’s top legislative policy in 2019, before election-year politics muddy the path forward in 2020.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasters