Tags
auto industry, Canada, manufacturing, Mexico, NAFTA, NAFTA 2.0, offshoring of jobs, oil and gas industry, Tar Sands, unemployment, US, US Jobs, workers
“Thursday, January 16th at 11:00am – up to 2 roll call votes:
1. Motion to waive the budget with respect to H.R.5430, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (if point of order is raised)
2. Passage of Calendar #406, H.R.5430, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.Schedule for Thursday, January 16, 2020
The Senate stands adjourned until 9:45am on Thursday, January 16, 2020.
Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of Calendar #406, H.R.5430, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.”
“Pallone Opposes New Trade Deal that Hurts American Workers
December 19, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement on the NAFTA 2.0 trade deal:
“I voted against the original NAFTA because it was a bad deal for American workers. There has been a steep decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs over the past 25 years as a result of NAFTA’s lax enforcement rules that encouraged corporations to outsource jobs to Mexico. Unfortunately, NAFTA 2.0 does little to improve upon this corporate giveaway that fails to prioritize workers.
“While my House Democratic colleagues worked hard to fix the fatally flawed trade deal the Trump Administration sent to the House in 2018, the final version does not adequately strengthen Mexican labor standards or help repatriate American jobs lost as a result of the original deal. The agreement does not create a binding enforcement system that curbs environmental violations or remove a liability shield for tech companies similar to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. I cannot support another bad deal for American workers, and I will continue to stand with many of my labor, environmental, and consumer protection partners in opposing NAFTA 2.0.”Issues:
Economy and Jobs, Labor” https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-opposes-new-trade-deal-hurts-american-workers
HR 5430 may have an effectively open borders provision, too. While this campaign is sponsored by the John Birch Society, what it says about open borders is likely true: https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/JBS/Campaigns/69983/Respond
HR 5430 is also opposed by the Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/oppose-trumps-nafta
“Sanders Opposes Trump’s USMCA: Full Statement
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
WASHINGTON, January 15—Today, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-V.t.) spoke in opposition to the United States, Mexico, Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) in the U.S. Senate. The following are the Senator’s prepared floor remarks: ”Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the NAFTA 2.0 trade agreement negotiated by Trump. ”This agreement is opposed by labor unions like the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers.
It is opposed by the Sunrise Movement, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, the League of Conservation Voters and every major environmental group in America. ”And it is opposed by the National Family Farm Coalition, which believes it will lock in rules that have devastated family farms and expanded corporate control over agriculture in North America.
“I am proud to stand with these labor unions, environmental groups and family farmers against Trump’s NAFTA 2.0. ”I not only voted against NAFTA in 1993, but marched against it. In 2000, I voted against Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. I opposed the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement and DR-CAFTA. And I helped lead the effort in Congress and with the grassroots across this country against the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we need to fundamentally rewrite our disastrous trade agreements and create and protect good-paying American jobs, to improve the environment and combat climate change, and to stop the destructive race to the bottom.
”Unfortunately, this revised trade agreement with Mexico and Canada does none of those things. It must be re-written. ”While NAFTA has led to the loss of nearly one million American jobs, this agreement does virtually nothing to stop the outsourcing of jobs to Mexico. Under this agreement, large, multi-national corporations will still be able to shut down factories in America where workers are paid $28 an hour and move to Mexico where they are paid less than $2 an hour.
“When Trump was a candidate for president he promised that he would stop the outsourcing of American jobs to Mexico, China and other low-wage countries. It hasn’t happened.
“The truth is, since Trump took office, over 170,000 American jobs have been shipped overseas. In 2018, we had a record-breaking $891 billion trade deficit in goods, a $419 billion trade deficit with China and an $81 billion trade deficit with Mexico. In 2018, for the first time in history, manufacturing workers began getting paid less than workers overall. Today, manufacturing workers get $28.15 an hour while the average worker makes 15 cents more.
”Last month alone, we lost 12,000 factory jobs and despite Trump’s rhetoric we are in a manufacturing recession.
”Mr. President, there is a reason why virtually every major environmental group is opposed to Trump’s NAFTA 2.0. This agreement does nothing to stop fossil fuel companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron from dumping their waste and pollution into Mexico and destroying the environment.
In fact, it makes it easier for fossil fuel companies to bring tar sands oil into the United States through dangerous pipelines like the Keystone XL. It does not even mention the words ‘climate change’—the most existential threat facing our planet.
”The deal preserves the disastrous Investor-State Dispute Settlement system for oil and gas companies, allowing them to continue to put corporate profits ahead of our air, water, climate and health.
”Mr. President, at this pivotal moment in American history, it is not good enough to tinker around the edges. The scientific community has been very clear – if we do not act boldly and aggressively to transform our economy to sustainable sources of power, there will be irreparable harm done to our planet.
“In my view, we need to re-write this trade agreement to stop the outsourcing of American jobs, to combat climate change, to protect the environment, and stop the destructive race to the bottom.
”We have got to stop large, profitable corporations that are outsourcing American jobs overseas from receiving lucrative federal contracts. ”And we have got to repeal Trump’s tax giveaway to the wealthy that have provided huge tax breaks to companies that shut down manufacturing plants in the U.S. and move abroad.
“Trade is a good thing, but it has got to be fair. ”Let us defeat NAFTA 2.0 and go back to the drawing board to protect American workers, to protect the environment and to lift the living standards of all workers.” https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-opposes-trumps-usmca-full-statement
https://www.democrats.senate.gov/2020/01/15/schedule-for-thursday-january-16-2020
Mining Awareness + 