Rep. Lee: Bipartisan USMCA Proves Congress, White House ‘Can Come Together Across Party Lines to Get Things Done’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) voted with Democratic and Republican House colleagues to pass the bipartisan United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, a renegotiation of the decades-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Rep. Lee worked personally with the Trump administration, meeting with administration officials including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, to ensure the final USMCA trade deal included stronger labor and environmental protections, and provisions to lower prescriptions drug costs by holding pharmaceutical companies accountable. In addition, Rep. Lee also helped remove a harmful provision in the original USMCA text that would have locked in 10 years of market exclusivity for biologic drugs, which are some of the most expensive drugs on the market. The removal of this provision will help in the fight to lower prescription drug costs for all Americans.
The final USMCA trade deal includes the strongest mechanisms of any U.S. trade agreement in history, including enforcement mechanisms to prevent nations from "panel blocking," creating strong rules of evidence to help American workers and businesses in trade disputes.
"A strong USMCA trade deal is important for workers, families, and businesses in southern Nevada, and I'm glad that months of negotiations have paid off," said Rep. Lee. "I personally met and worked with the White House and this administration, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, to find common ground and negotiate a trade deal that is good for both American workers and American businesses. We were determined to ensure strong labor and environmental enforcement, as a trade deal is only as strong as our ability to enforce it. This deal, unlike NAFTA, accomplishes that.
"I'm also proud that through our negotiations, we eliminated a dangerous provision that would have made it more difficult to introduce generic drugs to the market," Rep. Lee continued. "We were also able to strike a provision in the original USMCA that locks in 10 years of market exclusivity for biologic drugs, which are some of the most expensive drugs on the market. This restriction would have made it harder to domestically bring down the price of prescription drugs, something I am committed to doing for all Americans. Above all else, this deal shows the American people that Congress and the White House can come together across party lines to get things done."
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