Dominion Energy : Rep. Chu Statement on New NAFTA Signing

Washington, DC - On December 19, 2019, House Democrats voted to pass HR 5430, a bill to implement the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA). Today, President Donald Trump signed the legislation. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, and who took part in a CODEL to Mexico to engage in talks about the trade deal, issued the following statement:

'The trade deal the President is so enthusiastically signing today is not the trade deal he originally negotiated. That is because House Democrats spent months working with the Administration to craft a deal that actually helps American workers and protects the environment. For instance, before passing the new NAFTA, House Democrats, having seen firsthand the horrible working conditions in Mexico which encourage companies to outsource in search of cheaper labor, added stronger labor standards that will stop the bleeding of American jobs to Mexico. For example, we added penalties for union busting tactics, and made it so that repeat offenders cannot ship their goods to the US. We also added new environmental rules and enforcement that prevent companies from harming our environment while looking to relocate to the countries with the most lax standards. Last, the original deal the President wanted included a giveaway to pharmaceutical companies that would have kept medicine prices high. I'm glad we succeeded in removing that handout. Still, while the deal we helped negotiate and pass is a strong improvement on NAFTA and the original deal the President wanted, we still have more to do to lower our own emissions and raise worker standards. I'm committed to working with our partners to continue to build our economy, attract new jobs, make goods more affordable, and protect our environment.'