Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today issued the following statement after voting in support of a new North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“This important deal has been three years in the making. I’m glad that Congress has been able to reach bipartisan agreement on this critical legislation to protect Nevada’s workers and give our businesses much-needed stability. Nevada exported $1.7 billion to Canada and Mexico in 2017, with top exports of computer and electronic products, minerals and chemicals, electrical equipment, and food, including from Nevada’s dairy industry. I’ve spoken to over 100 businesses in all 17 Nevada counties about how vital trade is for them, which is why I’m so glad we were able to get this agreement passed for Nevadans. I’ve fought hard to make sure that the agreement contains strong worker protections and enforcement provisions. And while I share concerns about its environmental impact, I’ll continue to work in the Senate to improve environmental protections and invest in renewable energy to create jobs and combat the climate crisis.”
BACKGROUND:
Senator Cortez Masto voted to advance the new NAFTA agreement out of the Senate Finance Committee and to the full Senate for approval.
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