{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://stanton.house.gov/2024/9/stanton-leads-bipartisan-letter-to-secretary-of-state-u-s-trade-representative-on-proposed-constitutional-reforms-in-mexico", "Stanton Leads Bipartisan Letter to Secretary of State, U.S. Trade Representative on Proposed Constitutional Reforms in Mexico", "2024-09-05", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "AZ", "Greg Stanton", "S001211", "stanton.house.gov", "stanton", "https://stanton.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Overhaul of Mexican judicial system risks undermining renegotiation of critical USMCA trade pact\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This week, Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai raising deep concerns with how proposed constitutional reforms in Mexico would risk violating the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which is set for renegotiation in 2026.\n\n\u201cThe reforms circumvent current USMCA agreements, undermine investor confidence in Mexico\u2019s legal framework, weaken North American economic integration, and create a system where we cannot rely on Mexico to adjudicate and enforce its trade obligations,\u201d the members write. \u201cAs we approach the review process, we encourage you to review our partners\u2019 ability to realistically enforce the provisions of a trade agreement and urge you to emphasize the need for continued, reliable, and robust rule of law in all partner nations.\u201d\n\nSigners include Mar\u00eda Elvia Salazar (R-FL), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Colin Allred (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).\n\nRead the full letterHERE and below.\n\n---\n\nDear Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Tai:\n\nWe write with concern about how the upcoming proposed constitutional reforms in Mexico will impact the critical trade relationship between the United States and Mexico.\n\nMexico is now our number one trading partner\u2014and we are theirs. This is the result of a robust trading relationship formalized by the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which made the world\u2019s second largest trading bloc and opened the door to increased diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico on rule of law, military training, environmental causes, and central bank cooperation.1 The trade updates made in 2020 via the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), meanwhile, made Mexico hopeful for more foreign investment and led to U.S. companies directly investing $130.3 billion into Mexico in 2022.\n\nThis trade relationship has potential to grow. Shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of \u201cnearshoring\u201d supply chains - relocating business operations to the Western Hemisphere to shore up national security, help goods more quickly reach their destination, and complement historic manufacturing investments here at home. Domestic investments in burgeoning semiconductor and tech industries will impact our entire region, and leaders in both countries need to take advantage of this crucial moment.\n\nBut the constitutional reforms proposed by Mexican President L\u00f3pez Obrador, many of which have been or will be voted on this month, threaten our vital trade relationship. The reforms circumvent current USMCA agreements, undermine investor confidence in Mexico\u2019s legal framework, weaken North American economic integration, and create a system where we cannot rely on Mexico to adjudicate and enforce its trade obligations.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://stanton.house.gov/2024/9/stanton-leads-bipartisan-letter-to-secretary-of-state-u-s-trade-representative-on-proposed-constitutional-reforms-in-mexico"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6609129961580038, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}