Merkley: ‘NAFTA 2.0’ is ‘far short’ of a good deal for U.S.

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement ahead of the planned “NAFTA 2.0” signing at the G-20 summit on Friday:

“For decades, NAFTA has been a disaster for American jobs and American wages. If we want to have a middle class in America, we have to make things in America. We need a fresh start and a new direction.

“Unfortunately, what we’re getting is not so much a new direction as a NAFTA 2.0. The text that will be signed tomorrow contains some improvements, but still falls far short of a deal that will stop NAFTA’s ongoing job outsourcing, environmental damage, and downward pressure on wages.

“We need a transformation that will put American workers back on fair footing–not a tweak and a rebranding. Without swift and meaningful enforcement provisions for labor and environmental standards, this is a raw deal for American workers.

“We must set our sights much higher than simply continuing the global race to the bottom at a slightly slower pace. We should be pursuing a truly fair and level playing field in trade, one with clear and enforceable labor and environmental standards, that will finally reverse outsourcing and create good jobs here in America.

“I’m going to keep fighting for improvements to this deal, and for the trade policies American workers need,” Merkley concluded.