United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, this is a very serious claim being made by Senator Toomey, and I don't take this lightly because the privilege afforded by the trade promotion authority is a very important matter.

The appropriations language that Senator Toomey takes issue with is, indeed, trade promotion authority-compliant. The appropriations ensure that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement's commitments are fulfilled and enforceable by providing adequate resources to do so. The commitments cover bipartisan priorities, including the monitoring, enforcement, and recapitalization of the North American Development Bank.

If funds were only authorized, as Senator Toomey has suggested, there would be no guarantee that we would be able to fulfill the commitments made in the USMCA, and the credibility of our good-faith negotiations with Mexico and Canada is the presumption that we will carry out this agreement and carry it out year after year after year. Besides, historically, all trade bills result in changes to Federal spending and revenue.

This bill has the benefit of reducing the deficit even with the funds discussed by Senator Toomey. Striking the emergency designations could lead to a sequestration of discretionary funding as regular appropriations for fiscal year 2020 have already been enacted. The emergency designation is, in this precise context--and in a very precise context--considered strictly necessary or appropriate under section 103 of the trade promotion authority 2015.

Here is the oddity of the Senator's argument: If Senator Toomey is suggesting funds be authorized, I think he inherently agrees that enforcement funding is either strictly necessary or appropriate to implement the USMCA. This is a very important clarification to make; that the trade promotion authority language is ``strictly necessary or appropriate.''

It is for Congress, then, to decide what is strictly necessary or appropriate. The Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over the entire bill, and the Committees on the Budget and Appropriations, with jurisdiction over the language at issue, voted overwhelmingly to support the bill. It is important to note that the final appropriation was significantly reduced in consideration of concerns about spending, including my own concerns.

Finally, I emphasize this was a negotiated outcome, which was necessary in order to achieve the broad bipartisan support that this bill is going to get--particularly to get it through the House of Representatives.

I am satisfied with the final outcome, so I will make a motion to waive the point of order, if it is made, and I urge my colleagues to support waiving the point of order and to vote yes for the USMCA so we can deliver a victory to the American people.
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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the waiver provisions of applicable budget resolutions, I move to waive all applicable sections of that act and applicable budget resolutions for purposes of H.R.

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