California senators Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris split over trade pact
Sen. Kamala Harris opposed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
“By not addressing climate change, the USMCA fails to meet the crises of this moment,” Harris said.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein supported it.
“It may not be the perfect bill, but as they say, the perfect can’t be the enemy of the good,” Feinstein told McClatchy.
The split between California’s two Democratic senators mirrored the rift in the party as the Senate voted 89 to 10 Thursday to approve the historic agreement, which aims to make trade smoother between the three countries. Nine Democrats and one Republican voted no.
The Democratic division is a schism that’s played out in Congress for years and is now a part of the debate between potential Democratic presidential nominees.
The big complaint among critics is that the climate crisis is not adequately addressed.
“Californians know the climate crisis is already here,” said Harris. “Communities across our state have experienced exacerbated fires, storms, floods, and drought, and the devastation will only get worse if we fail to take bold and immediate action to address it.”
USMCA, she argued, “will set the standards for decades, and I believe Californians and all Americans deserve better and more immediate action.”
She’s got support from several colleagues. The agreement “fails to close loopholes for corporate polluters or set binding, enforceable standards to protect clean air and water,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York.
The misgivings — and the divisions — were evident in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate.
“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.,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind.-Vermont, at the Des Moines debate
But Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, reflected the attitude of other colleagues, calling USMCA a “modest improvement” over current trade policy.
“It will give some relief to our farmers. It will give some relief to our workers. I believe we accept that relief, we try to help the people who need help, and we get up the next day and fight for a better trade deal,” she said.
In Washington, Democratic supporters lamented the omission of strong climate action.
“It is the greatest flaw of this agreement, and a startling missed opportunity,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which overwhelmingly agreed Wednesday to back the agreement.
Asked after the meeting if the division among Democrats over the USMCA on climate change would cause problems for the party, Feinstein firmly answered, “No.”
She made points similar to those of other Democratic backers, who for months have been reluctant to back a new trade deal unless there were strong protections for American workers and the environment.
The Trump administration has been skeptical of climate change, and last year announced its intention to withdraw the United States from the 2016 Paris Agreement. Dozens of countries around the world have agreed to cut greenhouse emissions.
But backers of USMCA see many benefits in the trade agreement as long needed. Feinstein cited provisions that will help the state, including $300 million to address pollution from the Tijuana River and to prevent illegal and unregulated fishing.
She also cited the pact’s greater access to Canadian agricultural markets, including dairy, and labor provisions that go far beyond past trade agreements. The USMCA will require Mexico to bolster its labor laws, notably reforms in collective bargaining and establishment of independent labor courts and union dispute resolution bodies.
The measure also includes $215 million to help the North American Development Bank with its mission of improving environmental infrastructure on both sides of the southern border.
Lawmakers have been under pressure from environmental groups to oppose USMCA. Last month, before the House voted to approve the deal, 10 leading groups sent a letter to House members strongly urging a no vote.
“At this pivotal moment, we cannot afford to lock ourselves into a multi-decade deal that ignores climate change and helps corporate polluters,” the letter said.
Harris sees USMCA as a missed opportunity.
The senator praised Democratic leaders for improving the agreement originally negotiated by the Trump administration. But after studying the plan and consulting with environmental and conservation leaders, she said “I have concluded that the USMCA’s environmental provisions are insufficient”
Feinstein, though, noted the bill’s reach is broad. “California is really a nation-state and we’re a big trading state. A big agricultural state, a big tech state, and now manufacturing is picking up. So I think this is an important bill.”
And she found that of constituents who have contacted her office, “I think most are for it.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:08 PM with the headline "California senators Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris split over trade pact."
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