The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement has been stalled in Congress for months and it?s not looking good for progress on ratification ahead of the August congressional recess. The likelihood of getting the agreement through Congress is dropping as the Democratic presidential primary heats up, and Democrats are also holding their ground on Capitol Hill. The administration was hopeful that Congress would move on the trade deal before August, but any vote now likely will have to wait until at least September.
The delay is worrisome for Republican leaders who were hoping to give President Trump a victory in a divided government and before the presidential election really heats up. Nine Democrats that serve on a ?trade working group? held a meeting last week with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. After the meeting, both sides said the talks are headed in a positive direction but did admit nothing had been resolved yet. The Democratic lawmakers also said they haven?t discussed any timeline for getting the deal through Congress.
