The Equipment Dealers Association (EDA) and its regional affiliate members praise the House of Representatives for passing the USMCA. The legislation ratifying the agreement passed on December 19, 2019, by a sweeping margin with 385 in favor and only 41 opposed.
EDA has been vigorously representing the equipment industry on Capitol Hill. Last month, EDA’s Vice President of Government Relations, Natalie Higgins, and Iowa Nebraska’s Director of Government Affairs canvassed the Hill, attending nearly 20 legislative meetings on a host of vitally important issues including USMCA. “Bi-partisan support has existed for USMCA for months. We fully expected it to pass in the House,” stated Higgins. “The issue was getting the Speaker (Pelosi) to call a vote. Moderate Democrats expressed heightened concern that sending them home in December with impeachment and no trade deal could seal their fate. While the Democrats don’t want to give President Trump a “win,” it has been very obvious that many democratic members were concerned about the severe political casualties that will arise from failure to act,” added Rogers.
Gary Manke, CEO of the Midwest-Southeastern Equipment Dealers Association also noted that “The bottom line is that dealers needed this deal. We have been working with EDA since the USMCA was announced and we will continue to meet with legislators on both sides of the aisle in the Senate to reinforce our position that partisan politics is not an excuse for fostering continued uncertainty in trade.” Joani Woelfel, CEO of the Far West Equipment Dealers Association echoed these sentiments, ”Our dealers are partners with their customers – farmers. It is unfortunate that partisan politics have stalled this process and hurt the constituents these legislators are elected to represent. With trade facilitation payments likely to end in 2020, it is vitally important that USMCA crosses the finish line.”
“EDA will continue to support USMCA and looks forward to swift and bi-partisan passage in the Senate in 2020,” added Higgins. For dealers that want to see if their Congressional representative voted in favor of USMCA, the roll call of votes can be found here.
