FILE PHOTO: The flags of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are seen on a lectern before a joint news conference on the closing of the seventh round of NAFTA talks in Mexico City, Mexico March 5, 2018. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House is expected to submit a statement of administrative action to the U.S. Congress soon on President Donald Trump’s new trade deal with Canada and Mexico in an effort to speed up a congressional vote, an administration official said on Thursday.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been seeking more time for lawmakers to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), said the decision to send the draft at this time was “not a positive step.”
Pelosi said in a statement her fellow Democrats had “been on a path to yes” on USMCA, but stronger enforcement provisions were needed for the pact.
The official said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was taking the lead in submitting the draft to Congress.
Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Phil Berlowitz