President Trump on Tuesday wrote to Democratic leaders ahead of a meeting at the White House calling on them to pass a renegotiated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) before moving on to infrastructure.
In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Trump expressed optimism the two sides could find common ground on a “big and bold infrastructure bill.” But he said Congress should first pass a revised version of NAFTA, one of the Trump administration’s top legislative priorities.
Democrats and Trump agreed during a meeting last month to pursue a $2 trillion infrastructure package. The two sides will meet at the White House on Wednesday morning to discuss funding for the legislation.
“Before we get to infrastructure, it is my strong view that Congress should first pass the important and popular [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)] trade deal,” Trump wrote.