Texas Border Business
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced that Congress has reached a deal on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This trade agreement is projected to raise GDP by nearly $70 billion and create upwards of 200,000 American jobs.
“This is a defining moment for our nation: we have an opportunity to pass one of the largest trilateral trade agreements,” said Congressman Cuellar. “The North American Free Trade Agreement gave rise to the greatest display of economic growth in the history of Texas, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Now, it is time to continue and build on this economic prosperity by passing the USMCA.
“This agreement will increase market access for U.S. farmers, strengthen intellectual property rights, provide strong labor and environment obligations, and create thousands of American jobs. Furthermore, I secured the deal’s signature environmental safeguard in the USMCA implementing language, outlined in my bill H.R. 132, that doubles the capital reauthorization for the North American Development Bank’s (NADB). This investment in NADB will enhance the bank’s ability to fund environmental infrastructure projects on the U.S.-Mexico border. The USMCA is good for my district, for the state of Texas, and for our country as a whole. I will be voting yes for this historic agreement.”
“I encourage all of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the realities of our 21st-century trade economy and vote yes on the USMCA. I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, and their staff for their hard work on finalizing this trade agreement. I also want to thank Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Marcelo Luis Ebrard, Deputy Foreign Minister Jesus Seade, Ambassador Martha Bárcena, Senator Ricardo Monreal, and House Majority Leader Mario Delgado as well as Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland for working with us to create an agreement that will be beneficial for all three countries.”
This trade agreement includes Mexico’s historic labor and enforcement proposal, the most expansive in Mexico’s history. The Mexican labor reform package gives workers in Mexico the right to organize; establishes the creation of tribunals; and provides that employers must engage in collective bargaining, if requested by employees. The Mexican government has pledged nearly $1 billion to implement a law to improve labor conditions.
The USMCA also includes an authorization to double the North American Development Bank’s (NADB) recapitalization, allowing the Bank to support more projects along the border. The total investment in the capital will be $3 billion with equal commitments from the United States and Mexico.
 announced that Congress has reached a deal on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This trade agreement is projected to raise GDP by nearly $70 billion and create upwards of 200,000 American jobs.){kind=link}