Republican and Democratic members of Congress are set to kill Trump’s trade deal with Canada and Mexico.
Democrats, whose votes Trump needs to pass the deal in the House, say they want to see stronger protections against pollution and climate change, improved labor standards in Mexico and certainty that the U.S. will regain jobs lost to Mexico. And they want assurances the deal can be enforced.
Meanwhile, a group of 40 Republicans is protesting new protections for LGBT workers that Canada insisted on, potentially imperiling some GOP support.
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If he’s blocked in Congress, Trump will be facing a major setback on an issue where he’s already been claiming credit for delivering on a campaign promise.
So Much Not Winning
Trump is going to sign the trade deal and probably make a characteristically big production out of it, but Republican and Democratic opposition to the agreement growing in Congress, the likelihood of it ever being passed is fading by the day. Even if Republicans come around and support the deal, which is no given because the Republican caucus that will be sworn in January will have fewer moderates than ever, it is impossible to see how this agreement gets out of the House without some major changes.
The odds are that Trump is going to lose, which means that he will hurt the American economy by having no trade agreement in place. Canada and Mexico will move on with their own deals, and the US will be left behind.
Trump promised so much winning when ran for president, but so far all he has done is lose for the American people.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
