Democrats See an Opening on Trade — If They Can Agree

Democrats see the Trump administration’s renegotiations of USMCA as a political opportunity.

Rosa DeLauro U.S. Congress AP-25203824574640

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, led a letter to Trump in November advocating for “significant renegotiations” of the USMCA. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

Democrats say they have an opportunity to stand up to President Donald Trump on trade. They just haven’t reached a consensus on what their trade agenda is.

The Trump administration opened the door to a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. In a hearing with senators this week, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he wanted interim agreements with both countries by the end of the year, and to tackle thornier issues in 2027.

Those talks, according to Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-California), are Democrats’ chance to “take back trade” from Republicans, who he says have conceded to the president’s aggressive tariff regime.