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Freshman Lawmakers Continue to Press for USMCA Vote in 2019

Twice this week, freshman Democrats elected from traditionally Republican districts called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to finish negotiations on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and hold a vote for ratification. On Dec. 4, Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Okla., joined a press release…

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from all Oklahoma House members, and she said in that release, “Finding common ground takes hard work, and we won’t cross the finish line with finger-pointing or partisan politics. As the year comes to a close, we must find a bipartisan agreement and bring the USMCA to the floor for a vote.” On Dec. 5, Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, sent a letter to House leaders that said that while she doesn't want anything in the agreement that will cause the cost of biologic drugs to increase, and she thinks labor enforcement is important to curb outsourcing competition from Mexico, she also wants a vote before the end of the year. “Overall, Iowa is the second largest agricultural exporting state in the country,” she said, and trade wars have been hurting farmers. “Modernizing our trade agreement with our two closest neighbors is critical to ensuring market stability for Iowans.”