In 2016, candidate Donald J. Trump made a promise that was familiar to voters across America: He would do away with the job-killing NAFTA as President and replace it with a better deal for American workers, businesses, and customers.
The promise wasn’t unique, but the result was. Today, after years of Washington neglect on trade, the Senate approved President Trump’s United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) to replace NAFTA by an overwhelming 89-10 margin.
Republicans and Democrats alike had long criticized NAFTA for its weak labor and environmental provisions, among other flaws. Many promised to scrap it and push for new negotiations with Canada and Mexico. “NAFTA’s shortcomings were evident when signed and we must now amend the agreement to fix them,” then-candidate Barack Obama pledged in 2008, the year he was elected President.
Nothing happened, and the Obama Administration slowly walked back its promises to get tough on trade. A decade later, President Trump would keep his.
Press Secretary Grisham: USMCA will deliver billions for our farmers
The new agreement is a landmark victory for American working- and middle-class families. The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that within 5 years, USMCA could add up to $235 billion in new economic growth—and 589,000 jobs—to the U.S. economy. Just as important, the deal will put in place the strongest and most comprehensive labor protections of any trade agreement in American history.
While Democrats in Congress try to distract voters from the record-setting Trump Economy, the President keeps delivering on his signature campaign promises. Just yesterday, he joined the Vice Premier of China to sign a historic Phase 1 deal that addresses Beijing’s unfair trade practices, including intellectual property theft.
The unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since 1969. America has its best economy in at least 50 years. With a major China trade deal in the books and USMCA set to replace NAFTA, it’s about to get even better.
Kellyanne Conway: How both Speaker Pelosi and President Trump made history
