Ways and Means Committee Chairman Says Mexico Needs to Act on Labor Reform

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., at the end of a short trip to Mexico aimed at assessing that country's “ability to follow through on promised reforms” issued a statement that contained a not-too-veiled warning to the Mexican government that is eager for U.S. Congress to ratify the new NAFTA. “Our meeting with President López Obrador shed further light on the Mexican government’s desire and intentions to carry out its labor justice reform, but the United States needs to see those assurances put into action,” the statement said.

At issue is the funding for implementing the massive reforms, including overseeing new elections to replace protection unions, rewriting more than a half-million labor contracts and establishing a new labor court system.

Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., a Trade Subcommittee member but not a member of the Democrat working group, called the trip a success. His statement said: “I will continue to closely monitor the Mexico’s budget process to ensure they are seriously investing in implementation of their new labor laws. We must know that Mexico is serious about beginning a new chapter before we rush to judgment on a new agreement. We’ll have a suitable agreement only when the hard terms match that aspiration.”