Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) backed the deal, calling it a reasonable compromise that would boost Vermont’s export economy and dairy industry. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposed it, arguing that it failed to address climate change and would not stanch the flow of American jobs to Mexico. The third member of Vermont’s congressional delegation, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), voted for the deal when it passed the House last month.
The trade deal, which now goes to the president for his signature, was years in the making. First negotiated by the Trump administration, it was significantly revised last year in order to win support from the Democratic House. The pact won the support of many labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, but it was panned by environmental groups.
Sanders, who is running for president, explained his position Tuesday during a debate in Des Moines.
“The answer is, we could do much better than a Trump-led trade deal,” he said. “This deal — and I think the proponents of it acknowledge — will result in the continuation of the loss of hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs as a result of outsourcing.” He noted that, in 1993, he had also opposed the original NAFTA.
Sanders also argued that it did nothing to stop climate change — and didn’t even mention the phrase in its 2,000 pages. “Given the fact that climate change is right now the greatest threat facing this planet, I will not vote for a trade agreement that does not incorporate very, very strong principles to significantly lower fossil fuel emissions in the world,” he said.
Sanders was the only presidential candidate in the Senate to oppose the deal. Sens. Michael Bennett (Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) all voted for it.
In a statement delivered on the Senate floor, Leahy said that Vermont exported $1.3 billion in goods to Canada in 2018, or 43 percent of the state’s exports. “Vermont is a border state, and the commercial and cultural exchanges with Canada are woven into the fabric of the state,” he said. “Trade with our neighbors to the north is essential to Vermont, just as trade throughout North America is important to our national economy.”
Leahy said the deal was particularly important to the state’s dairy farmers because it would “increase U.S. access to markets in Canada and Mexico for our high-quality dairy products.”
At the same time, Leahy called the agreement “far from perfect” and criticized its paucity of environmental enforcement regulations. “It is the greatest flaw of this agreement and a startling missed opportunity,” he said.
Welch, who said little about the deal when he voted for it last month, said in a statement Thursday that it was “a vast improvement over the inadequate initial proposal by this administration.”
He credited House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with negotiating key concessions. “While not perfect, on balance the final agreement merits support,” Welch said.
Disclosure: Paul Heintz worked as Peter Welch’s communications director from November 2008 to March 2011.
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God they are old!
NAFTA was a disaster for the economy and the climate. All those jobs that went to Mexico were in manufacturing, like automobiles and parts. Further, there is little environmental regulation south of the border, not good for climate.
Under the new deal, jobs will be created with minimum wage requirements of $18 per hour. It is expected that nearly 600,000 new manufacturing jobs will be realized, especially in hard hit urban manufacturing zones, think Detroit.
Farmers will enjoy greater demand and VT is in a great position to reap benefits! Guess Bernie didn’t see this part of the deal. There are climate provisions in the deal, approved by Pelosi and Schumer, but it’s not enough for Bern. Since he’s one of 10 Senators who voted against it, I suspect there’s some political grandstanding here. (Appease the Bern-Bros, turn back on VTers.)
When it’s all said and done, the trade pact could boost U.S. gross domestic product by up to 1.2 percentage points, according to the International Trade Commission. A huge step forward in further solidifying the US economy. I guess Bern is against that too…
Jimmy:
If you are lucky, you might get to BE old.
“The answer is, we could do much better than a Trump-led trade deal,”
More evidence of Bernie being a hypocrite and talking out of both sides of his mouth. That may have worked in Burlington, and he’s certainly hoodwinked liberal Vermonters, but it won’t work across the country.
He likes to claim to be for farmers and workers and here is another vote against them and their interests. Bernie remains absolutely useless to Vermont and Vermonters, in the Senate. He is a complete waste of that seat.
We knew he was willing to put his adopted party before his adopted country, and now we see his Trump Derangement Syndrome has him hating Trump, more than he loves and supports his own constituents.
GMB – it is a frustrating time, but I don’t agree that he puts party above country. You don’t, do you?
As far as his own constituents, for the F-35 particularly, he’s putting something before his constituents when he supports that monster jet. So is Leahy.
GMB and Charlie: Bernie puts Bernie before all else.
This bill is a a lot better than NAFTA and it is a compromise. Compromise is not in Bernie’s vocabulary.
Amtrak back and forth between BTV and DC would greatly reduce The Bernshevik’s yearly carbon footprint as opposed to flying on all those jets does for his addressing ‘climate change’.
What do ya say Bernie?
Jim, “Bernshavik” is sort of a misplaced insult.
It’s the Other guy who is connected to Russia.
Under the current governor, Vermont has put its head in the sand about the climate crisis. The dairy industry is a thorn in the side of climate. If this trade deal opens new markets for Vermont’s dairy industry, Vermont can kiss the climate goodbye. Our waterways will further deteriorate, our land will be further polluted, and low-paying dairy jobs will proliferate.
I’m with Bernie on this and so much more.
I agree with Bernie. Vermont dairy is in trouble for a number of reasons one of which is people are starting to realize we need to protect our water as a resource. I’m all for small farms, dairy included, but only if they are stewards of the land and water. That yahoo farmer up north who doubled his farm without a permit, that crap has to stop. We take one step forward and three back when we let them get away with it. I suspect that farmer will be fined and allowed to fill his mega barn with cows and fill that gigantic waste pond, and got help those downstream when the rains come.
GMB “before his adopted country” ? Is that a dog whistle I heard .
Richard, I too enjoy metaphors, but “dog whistle” means humans can’t hear it, so that one’s mixed.
“It’s the Other guy who is connected to Russia.”
And yet, after three years and $40M plus in investigations, there is nothing that ties “the Other guy” to Russia, however we have now seen clear evidence tying a corrupt Joe Biden to Ukraine. Funny how this all coming around to roost on the DNC’s doorstep.
Green Mountain Boy,
There are two schools of thought on that. It’s pretty obvious we don’t share one.
” there is nothing that ties “the Other guy” to Russia” There’s PLENTY that ties him to Russia.
Begin with the fact that during the campaign, he asked Russia to hack Hillary’s emails: “Russia, if you’re listening ….” That afternoon, the emails began to leak to the media. Continue with Flynn’s illegal meetings with the Russians, the meeting in Trump Tower between what Trump’s team thought was a high-level official and Trump’s campaign manager, son, etc. There’s are reason the Mueller report is hundreds of pages long. There are dozens, probably hundreds, maybe thousands of news articles covering numerous contacts and other facts suggesting “collusion.”
The links are there and the evidence for them is beyond controversy and on the public record. The only plausible controversy — to anyone who cares about facts — is whether the known facts are sufficient to prove that Trump and the Russians were acting in concert with one another, which is required for a charge of conspiracy. Among other things, that goes to intent on both sides of the transaction, and that’s much harder to prove.
One of the best indicators, from a psychological point of view, is the number of lies and other efforts taken by Trump and various members of his family and team to prevent the facts becoming public or to distort the public record.
Nice to know if I’m ever stumped for a reply all I have to do is scream “Russia” just like on MSNBC and people will eat it up.
Its so funny and telling that both the Bernie Bros and the Trump Thugs share the same contempt for free, liberal media like MSNBC, Seven Days, etc. Its because Bernie and Trump are intolerant, thin-skinned, narcissistic, un-democratic totalitarians who cant stand any criticism and hate a free press that asks pesky questions.
Hey Assumptions,
If you took a side, which would it be?
Or is there a side you’re on?
Am I independent like you?
Do You think everyone is too old?
Is everyone nuts but us? How could that be?