Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be backing off the end-of-year timeline for the passage of the USMCA.
“I’m not even sure if we came to an agreement today that it would be enough time to finish,” she said Thursday.
She also pointed out there were still numerous steps after her and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer agreed to a deal.
The message today was a far cry from last week’s press conference when Pelosi said a deal was imminent as they worked to get the agreement to where “it needs to be.”
Republicans have accused Democrats of wavering on the bill. Democrats, on the other hand, have focused on shoring up their concerns about the bill’s enforcement, labor and environmental standards and prescription drug pricing as Democrats see this as a potential template for future trade deals.
Thursday is the last day before the House takes its Thanksgiving break.