Scoop: Republicans Launch New Group to Lobby Congress on NAFTA Replacement
Do you support the USMCA?
by Axios | Updated on 2.11.19
Well-connected Republican operatives have launched the group Trade Works for America, which aims to spend more than $10 million pushing members of Congress to support the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), according to two officials who set up the group.
Why it matters: Republicans and industry groups are starting to panic about USMCA, Trump's NAFTA replacement bill. And for good reason.
The details: "We're going to look closely at freshman Democrats in traditional Republican and Trump districts and also Republican members who voted against TPA [Trade Promotion Authority] who may need some encouragement," said Phil Cox, the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association, who co-founded the group with former senior White House official Marc Short.
- "We've laid out a budget of $15-$20 million. We've raised about a third of that to date, and we've really been at it since the beginning of the year," Cox added. (A top outside adviser to the VP, Marty Obst, and longtime GOP operative Jeff Miller are also involved.)
- The group’s funding comes from the pharmaceutical industry, oil and gas, the automotive and agricultural sectors, and traditional GOP donors, according to Cox.
Written by Axios
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It is time to shut down the army of lobbyists working the Halls of Congress. If the lobbyists are not for the people or their best interests they need to be locked out. To support this effort, the American people demand transparency into the lobbyists supporters. Follow the money!
NAFTA was a money pit. Trump could find the cure for cancer & you libtards would say “but uh like where are his tax returns though?” Stop shielding yourselves from the fact that Trump is the best president we have had in a while & he has accomplished more things in two years than I can even count. He makes Obama look like an incompetent city councilman.
This needs to be declared illegal today! I want this organization audited and all donors disclosed, as well as whom they paid to support them. And I want to know that the payments to the lobbyists are NOT tax deductible on either end - that is, that money is in NO WAY tax deductible to the lobbyists or from the lobbyists - just in case I was not clear enough. Big money must stop! That is the first thing the Dems need to do! Prove whom you’re working for, Dems! Doing this, would certainly help! I want EVERY lobbyist audited and EVERY contributor made known. Furthermore, I want to know whether any religious groups, for example, the Knights of Columbus, are tax exempt. They were out here, recently, protesting abortions. If they are allowed to be out there speaking politically, they should NOT be allowed to be tax exempt! Yes, you have the right to speak out, but we DO NOT have to give you tax exempt status to do so! If you want me to hear your public voice, pay taxes, just like the rest of us. Don’t get FREE money to do so. (FYI, I identify with Catholics.) That goes for all priests or pastors speaking from their pulpits, too. I know you are now out there trying to influence your flock’s voting for candidates that support your teachings but, as I understand it, that means you should now pay taxes. Let’s enforce this on ALL those who do this and it needs to start now!
The new deal seems to help America more then NAFTA. The liberals are just trying to find something on Trump to stop the success he is having in office. He has accomplished more in two years then Obama did in eight. Eventually, they will probably find something because if you keep looking in the haystack for the needle you will find it.
I would like to see any lobbying groups that are tied to special interest groups made to be illegal. Then, our Representatives would listen to their constituents.
Trump is a treasonous moron. Impeach him deport his bigoted base.
All lobbyists do is bribe the elected officials it should be banned altogether
Right on Glowurm! NO MORE TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS TRYING TO FIGHT ABORTION RIGHTS. NO MORE LOBBIESTS HAVING ACCESS TO "OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS" NO MORE BULL SHIT PERIOD
For 2 years I watched GOP standby doing nothing a Donald Trump breaking USC, CFR & more almost daily. I trust the GOP about as far as I can pick up the Statue of Liberty using only my bare hands.
It's NAFTA 2.0. It's the usual Drumpf B. S.
Get rid of Lobbyists!!!
It is time to shut down the army of lobbyists working the Halls of Congress. If the lobbyists are not for the people or their best interests they need to be locked out. To support this effort, the American people demand transparency into the lobbyists supporters. The Reps need to represent the people. Follow the money!
Take your corporate $15-20 million and spend it on the working poor. Enough of the Repugnacants and big business trying to own the country.
It’s a mystery to me, the whole “libtard” “repug” thing. I do not get “Democrats are “Nazi Socialists” and Republicans are”Christo-Nazis.” We are all Americans. We all care about border security. We all are wary (with good reason) of Russians, North Koreans, Iraq. None of us like terrorists. I love fiscal responsibility as much as the next person. I want everyone to have healthcare and places to live. We all love our children and don’t wish for them to be riddled with bullets while they’re studying in school. We all want better government. I have conservative friends and liberal friends, ultra-Christian friends and atheist friends, gay friends and straight friends, and of course black, white, yellow and red friends. I love the media - worked in it for 20 years. I understand more than most about it. Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant.
Hey assholes stop taking money from Corperate America and start doing your job which is taking care of all Americans. Corperate America did not elect you. Americans will not elect you again because Americans can see through your bullshit of taken care of Corperate America and leaving the hard working middle class out. 🖕
Have the three governments reached an agreement on all details in the pact? We should not pass legislation that no one has seen.
More dark money flooding Congress to try to force support for a lousy bill nobody wants except Big Polluters & Big Pharma. In the meantime, American farmers are going bankrupt at the highest rate since before the Great Depression. This isn't about party, this is how the billionaires wage war on the middle class and the poor.
We all know this would be a complete waste and abuse of power to blow all of the money needed for the people and infrastructure of America.
LEAVE NAFTA ALONE. IT'S FINE. TRUMP IS A BOOGER EATING MORON.
See me in 2020