Ensure NAFTA deal helps us all
In preparation for NAFTA negotiations, which were to start Aug. 16, the Trump administration released an official list of objectives for the new agreement that has some senators saying it looks like a “watered down version of TPP [Trans-Pacific Partnership] proposals.” The president even recruited the same corporate trade advisers who developed the failed provisions of the TPP to consult on NAFTA. Instead of committing to crafting a new deal that prioritizes working people and families, Trump has given little indication he will actually fight to improve labor and environmental standards that will boost our needs. The president talks tough on overhauling trade policy, but it’s nothing more than leftover campaign rhetoric. We don’t want more of his empty promises that lead to the same devastating trade pacts. NAFTA killed jobs in our communities and depressed wages for millions. The agreement also made it easier for corporations to offshore jobs and attack environmental, health, and other safeguards in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
We must press our elected leaders to ensure any update to NAFTA will benefit working people and provide the freedom for all of us to create better futures for our families.
Jerry Wade
Harrison, Tenn.