Harder Pushes for Vote on USMCA Trade Deal by End of Year

WASHINGTON – Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) is joining a coalition of Democrats from agriculture-reliant districts in asking Democratic leadership to continue negotiations on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and for a final bipartisan vote on the deal by the end of the year. The coalition of lawmakers believes the final deal should be bipartisan and include more oversight and accountability, but also certainty in trade markets for our farmers, retailers, and the trucking industry. Rep. Harder's district is reliant on foreign markets in both Canada and Mexico for its agricultural exports and stands to benefit from an improved agreement. Rep. Harder wants a bipartisan final deal which supports our farmers while protecting and enforcing standards for the labor community and the environment.

"Agriculture is the beating heart of the Central Valley economy – and our farmers need access to foreign markets to keep doing their job. It's time to iron out the remaining differences and get this passed," said Rep. Harder, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "A dairy farmer in Stanislaus County told me recently that he doesn't have Democratic or Republican cows – he just has cows that need help. I'm keeping him and his cows in mind here – this isn't about party, it's about protecting our ag industry. Time to get this done."

The deal would provide specific benefits to the struggling Central Valley dairy industry, which has seen nearly 90 farms close over the past ten years.

The text of the letter is below and an original copy is available here.

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

Thank you for your leadership and hard work alongside the Democratic working group seeking to resolve the outstanding issues that must be addressed to secure congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

While addressing these concerns is not easy, the ongoing talks with the Administration have been frank and productive. We are optimistic that the remaining gaps can be bridged if all parties engage with good faith and pragmatism. We are proud that our caucus has shown a commitment to this approach.

We write in support of continued negotiations through the upcoming recess, to ensure a vote on a bipartisan agreement by the end of this year. It is imperative that we reach a negotiated agreement early in the fall. Canada and Mexico are by far our most important trading partners, and we need to restore certainty in these critical relationships that support millions of American jobs.