For President Donald Trump’s new North American trade accord to become law, he’ll need the help of a political rival with a track record of blocking such deals. He’s also up against a stubborn Canadian government.
This story by Jenny Leonard, Andrew Mayeda, and Mark Niquette originally appeared in Automotive News Canada.
In 2008, Nancy Pelosi was House speaker when Democratic lawmakers denied President George W. Bush’s request for a vote within 90 days on a trade pact with Colombia. The rejection delayed approval of deals the Bush administration negotiated with South Korea and Panama, though all three were later ratified.
Once again speaker, Pelosi will play a pivotal role for Trump’s renegotiated accord with Mexico and Canada, renamed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which isn’t one of her legislative priorities. It’s a change of pace from the frenetic year of negotiations that led to the deal being signed by leaders from all three countries in November.
“If the House doesn’t want to move on this, it doesn’t have to move. So, it’s really up to her,” said Edward Alden, a trade expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Pelosi is expected to only move the deal through the House if she can find a critical mass of her caucus supporting it and if she extracts concessions unrelated to trade from the White House in return, senior congressional aides say.
Asked to comment, Pelosi’s office referred to remarks she made this month in which the speaker said she and other Democrats are still weighing USMCA’s provisions on the environment, labor, pharmaceuticals and enforcement before deciding whether to support it.
