Quigley Statement on Passage of USMCA

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement after voting in favor of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA):

"Our nation has led the global economy: innovating, manufacturing and selling American made goods around the world. Strong trade agreements are critical to our economic success, national security, and maintaining our leadership role on the international stage. It is also important we demand these agreements provide protections for American workers. It has been 25 years since passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and it needed to be modernized to fit the economy of the future. Building off the progress made by the Obama administration, the newly revised USMCA makes critical updates to NAFTA and represents a paradigm shift in U.S. trade agreements.

"Thanks to the tireless efforts of Democratic leadership, USMCA is a significantly stronger trade deal than it would have been without Speaker Pelosi's intervention. By standing our ground, Democrats secured changes to the actual text of the agreement. The version we passed today is a far better deal than was first presented. It closes enforcement loopholes and streamlines the dispute settlement system to ensure our trading partners fulfill their commitments; strengthenes labor rules and protects worker rights; includes a commitment from all three countries to adopt, implement, and maintain high environmental standards; and removes provisions that contribute to high prescription drug prices.

"While this agreement is not perfect, we secured many critical wins for our country. Continuing to participate in international trade in a thoughtful way is vital to our nation's continued success. Due to Democrats hard work, this is a deal we can be proud of.

"I will continue to fight for high standards around the world to combat the climate crisis, protect workers, and continue our nation's economic growth."