Why Environmental Groups Oppose Trump's Trade Deal
This is a huge, busy week in Washington D.C., where House Democrats are looking to cram a bunch of votes in before lawmakers depart for the holiday season. And besides a likely presidential impeachment vote, the renegotiated North American free trade agreement is expected to come to the floor. Last week it secured the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, which House Democrats were waiting for. Getting this trade deal passed is the president’s top legislative priority of 2019.
But the agreement has virtually no support from leading environmental groups, which have been urging House Democrats to vote against the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The deal doesn’t even mention climate change, and climate advocates say the present text will make it too easy for corporations to outsource their pollution to other countries.
I wrote for In These Times about what green groups are specifically raising objection to, and why House Democrats seem poised to move forward regardless. If this is an issue that’s important to you, this is the week to get involved.
Can read the story here.