In the News

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal has been appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead the House Democrats’ Trade Working Group.

The task force will be charged with negotiating with the Trump administration to collaborate on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

Neal is chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

“One of the most important issues within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee is trade,” Neal said in a statement on Friday. “U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has been a willing partner in these discussions and I look forward to working with him further. I will continue to scrutinize the details of this deal to determine whether it will deliver on creating the American jobs that this Administration has promised, particularly in communities across my district and our country that have borne the heaviest losses."

Neal added, "We must ensure that economic conditions and incentives are created to establish good jobs and support middle class families.”

Under Neal’s direction, the Democratic members will work in the following subgroups:

• Drug Pricing — Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon; and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois
• Labor — Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-California; and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-California
• Environmental — Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon; and Rep. John Larson, D-Connecticut
• Enforcement — Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama; and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, President Donald Trump said he hoped Congress would quickly move to act on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, or USMCA.

“Hopefully, they can act quickly because we could have that done very, very fast if we can get support from, really, the Democrats in Congress, Nancy Pelosi, they have to put the bill forward,” Trump said.