Senate Republicans: Don't Threaten Us With NAFTA Withdrawal

More than 60 percent of the Senate's 51 Republicans sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer telling him a "take-it or leave-it strategy" of presenting a NAFTA rewrite at the same time as a withdrawal announcement would not be successful. "In the past, you have suggested that your goal is to achieve overwhelming bipartisan support for a modernized NAFTA. We believe this goal is only achievable through a strategy to constructively engage Members of Congress as required by TPA [Trade Promotion Authority] and without attempting to force a choice between negative outcomes," the letter says.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, No. 2 in the Republican leadership, led the May 21 letter with 31 other senators signing on. "We are concerned that the necessary congressional support under TPA could be endangered if provisions counter to congressional priorities and objectives set forth in TPA are included in an updated NAFTA agreement," they said. Republicans very much want to preserve Investor-State Dispute Settlement, and Lighthizer very much wants it to end, seeing it as an inducement to move factories to Mexico. The Senate Republicans' letter followed a similar message on May 8 from two Democrats in the House of Representatives, one a pro free-trade leader and one a prominent NAFTA skeptic (see 1805090034).