(NAFB) — The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) timeline remains uncertain. However, lawmakers seem certain they will pass the agreement, at the latest, following impeachment hearings. The Senate Finance Committee did approve the agreement earlier this week, but a Senate parliamentarian has determined that eight other Senate committees must offer approval of the agreement. So, depending on how long a further review of USMCA takes in the Senate, and how long House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds the articles of impeachment, it could change the timeline of USMCA approval. Thus, Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley says passage might not happen as quickly as many in agriculture and manufacturing had hoped, since his panel’s not the only one involved.
“There’s something dealing with the Budget Committee, Environment Committee, Commerce Committee, and maybe a couple of others. So, I don’t think that’s going to be any impediment in getting it brought up in the Senate—it may affect the timing a little bit.”
Grassley’s office said the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee plans to vote on USMCA next Wednesday, so a Senate vote would have to wait ‘til after that and the other panels vote. But, U.S. law notes the agreement will be discharged from those other committees in 15 days, regardless of approval. If Pelosi sends articles of impeachment to the Senate between now and when the committees approve the agreement, the USMCA implementing legislation would have to wait until the impeachment trial is over, which could be at the end of the month.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasters