The White House is scrambling today to sure up Senate support for a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada amid growing concerns by conservatives over the House-backed bill.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Democratic House support for the bill earlier this week after a compromise was reached, but Senator John Kennedy says the new changes may have gone too far.
“I could have voted for the original USMA, or NAFTA 2.0. I think the document, based on what I have read in the media, has been weakened,” says Kennedy.
The US Trade Representative is briefing Senate Republicans today, hoping to allay concerns that the deal is too liberal after it won the backing of a major labor union. Kennedy says the bill is now stuffed.
“They tried to throw in a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with a fair trade agreement with our friends in Mexico or Canada,” says Kennedy.
Louisiana Delegation members Senator Bill Cassidy, and Congressmen Ralph Abraham and Garret Graves have announced their support for the USMCA deal, but for Kennedy, the jury is still out.
“If they screwed it up too badly, I’m not going to vote for it, but if it is something that I think, on balance, will be good for Louisiana and the American people, then I will vote for it,” says Kennedy.
Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain also celebrated the deal earlier this week.