As the August Congressional Recess looms, it is obvious the United States ? Mexico ? Canada Agreement (USMCA) will not get passed prior to September. With the political climate seeming to become more mired between the White House and the House of Representatives, the USMCA?s passage is a huge question mark. However, the Iowa State Cattlemen?s Association is continuing to put the spurs to the Congressional horses to get the trade pact passed.
Audio: Full Interview with Iowa Cattlemen’s Katie Olthoff
Iowa Cattlemen?s Association Communications Director Katie Olthoff talks about what is riding on the line for Iowa beef producers in USMCA.
While the USMCA negotiations and other trade pacts are in limbo, other countries are circling our trading partners like vultures looking to take advantage. There is no better example of this than the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Olthoff says we need to get USMCA done and finish up with Japan, so U.S. beef can have a level playing field there as well.
The White House has said it plans to finally send the USMCA agreement to the House of Representatives at the beginning of September. This puts a serious time crunch on its passage by year?s end. House Democrats are looking for changes to labor, environmental and enforcement titles of the pact. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not given any indication what her timetable is for bringing the agreement to the House floor.
