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Costa, Grassley see USMCA passage in fall as Hoeven leads colloquy

-The Hagstrom Report
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., leads a colloquy with a group of Republican senators today on passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Photo courtes office of Sen. John Hoeven

House Agriculture Livestock and Poultry Subcommitee Chairman Jim Costa, D-Calif., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday they expect Congress to pass the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade this fall as Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven, R-N.D., led a group of senators in a colloquoy on the importance of approving the agreement on the Senate floor.

After a subcommittee hearing, Costa told reporters that members of the House Ways and Means Committee meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are making progress on labor issues that the Democrats want addressed, and that a biomedical group is also working on the objections that Democrats have on how the agreement handles that regulation.

Costa suggested that the agreement might be passed before Thanksgiving.



Grassley told reporters he expects Democrats to come forward soon with the changes they want. But Grassley also said he does not expect action before the August recess.

Meanwhile, Hoeven led a colloquy with a group of Republican senators.



“This agreement secures existing market access, makes agriculture trade fairer, increases access to the Canadian market and supports innovation in agriculture, which is why it is critical that Congress consider and pass this agreement as soon as possible,” Hoeven said.


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