U.S. Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) on Sept. 11 urged passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Throughout our district work period, I visited farms, ranches, manufacturing plants and small businesses where people all said the same thing: pass the USMCA now,” said Rep. Estes during the special order speech he led with several colleagues.
According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the USMCA would create 176,000 new jobs and increase U.S. gross domestic product by $68 billion.
“Overall, the update to NAFTA will create jobs, boost wages and open up new markets for American agriculture and manufacturing,” said Rep. Estes, a member of the USMCA Whip Team. “The cost of delaying is too great for our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families.”
For instance, the USMCA would establish new agriculture standards for regulations and biotechnology and would maintain duty-free access for American farmers in Mexico, according to a summary provided by Rep. Estes’ office.
The agreement also would provide new access for U.S. wheat, eggs, poultry and dairy, and includes new protections for intellectual property, patents and medicines, according to the summary.
Rep. Estes also on Sept. 11 met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and members of the USMCA Whip Team to receive an update on the negotiations.
On the House floor, Rep. Estes thanked Lighthizer and the Trump administration for working to secure the USMCA and urged Congress to do its part.
Special order speeches, which are commonly called “special orders,” usually take place at the end of the day after the House has completed all legislative business, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), and individual representatives may deliver speeches on topics of their choice for up to 60 minutes.