Biden’s top advisers are scrambling to ensure that the proposed US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), which was a priority for the Trump administration, does not become a flashpoint in the 2020 election.
Some Democrats have expressed concern that if the deal is pushed through Congress too quickly, it could give President Trump a political boost or be perceived as favoritism toward American businesses.
Biden’s team is seeking assurances that the pact will be stripped of provisions important to Trump while also addressing labor and environmental issues emphasized by Democratic negotiators in the House and Senate.
The Biden team is also seeking a public commitment from the Mexican government that it will enforce a 2016 labor reform that is key to winning the party’s backing for the deal.
While Biden has previously supported USMCA and the basement deal may well pass both houses of Congress, Democrats want to be sure that any deal passed is a result of negotiations between Democrats and the Mexican government, not Congressional arm-twisting.
