An Interview With Congressman Cuellar on the USMCA & Replacing NAFTA

Caravel writer Eduardo Torres meets with Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX).(Image: Eduardo Torres SFS ‘23)

“We have to do this trade agreement”, declared the “USMCA whisperer” Congressman Henry Cuellar as he was asked about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), according to Politico . 

I sat down with Representative Cuellar on October 29 to hear more about his perspective on UMSCA, which he refers to as NAFTA 2.0. Cuellar was quick to admit that the USMCA is “about 95 percent the same” as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 

Cuellar noted that the USMCA is simply a modernized version of NAFTA adapted to the 21st century. “I support this because every day there is more than $1.7 billion in trade between the U.S. and Mexico. That is over $1 million every single day, creating over 5 million jobs in the U.S.,” Cuellar continued. “I’m hoping we can get this done before the year is over.”

Earlier this year, President Trump threatened tariffs against Mexico if the country did not reduce the migrant flow going into the United States from the southern border as well as from Mexico’s border with Guatemala, according to Reuters. 

Cuellar responded to Trump in regard to the tariff threats. “If there is a trade agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada we are to respect that trade agreement. With all due respect, the president doesn’t do that.”

The congressman fears that if “the new NAFTA” is successful, the President will threaten Mexico again. “That is not the way you treat a country,” Cuellar continued. “The President does this all the time.” Cuellar stressed that a tense relationship with Mexico produces uncertainty, which then threatens jobs on both sides of the border. “There are issues with migration, but the best way to deal with this is not with threats but really with cooperation with Mexico and Central America, addressing the root problems there.”

But as to why the USMCA has yet to be ratified is the question many Americans still have, especially those with jobs dependent on international trade. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has been negotiating the details with Democrats since the summer, according to Reuters. The CSIS has further reported several claims made against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for delaying USMCA as a political move while the impeachment inquiry looms. However, according to the Epoch Times, she confirmed in September that “they have nothing to do with each other.” On November 14, Politico reported Pelosi as saying a deal for the USMCA was imminent. Cuellar said Congress is currently sorting out some details concerning the agreement in the House. “We want to make sure that we have certain language there to make sure we protect the workers, the environment, that there is enforcement of any labor reform in the legislation.” 

The USMCA must pass the House, then the Senate to become law. Congressman Cuellar is confident that the ratification of the USMCA should come by the end of this year or by 2020.