United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LEWIS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Chairman Neal, for all of his hard and great work. He never gave up; he never gave in. He kept the faith, and he kept his eyes on the prize.

I thank all of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, from the Ways and Means Committee for finding a way to get us to the point where we are today.

Twenty-six years ago, I opposed NAFTA with every bone in my body. I never thought the day would come when we would have the opportunity to right some of the wrongs in that agreement.

NAFTA failed our workers. It failed our Mexican brothers and sisters. It failed Mother Earth.

NAFTA destroyed the hopes and dreams of a generation. It wiped out communities. It started a race to the bottom.

With this vote, we have a chance to reset the clock, to chart a new path, and to create a new trade model.

We can always do more, but today, we build a new foundation for trade policy, a floor that reflects our values as a people and as a nation.

I thank the working group and all of our trade staff for working day in and day out. They were determined to do right.

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