AFBF Hopeful USMCA Will Happen Soon

An American Farm Bureau Federation official says there could be an early push to win Senate passage of USMCA ahead of an impeachment trial.  AFBF senior congressional relations director Dave Salmonsen says an early vote could take place, since House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s holding back impeachment articles.

“If the impeachment trial is pending for a few weeks, perhaps they could move ahead and take care of this, sooner rather than later. I think, we know the idea certainly is that they will have USMCA passed and to the president before the state of the union, which again, now, is in the beginning of February.”

Salmonsen said the full Senate could take up USMCA right after committee action this week, without waiting a statutory 15-days allowed before a vote.  And approval seems likely, despite some GOP rumblings the White House gave too much to House democrats on Mexican labor standards.

“I think there's overall, very strong support on both sides of the aisle in the Senate, for doing USMCA, for getting our trade back into a certain measure and moving ahead with the benefits USMCA brings.”

Mexico has already ratified the revised USMCA, and Canada is expected to do so later this month.  The deal is worth an estimated $2.2 billion in new U.S. farm exports.

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