Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has joined Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and 15 other senators in urging the Biden administration to cease expedited and secretive trade negotiations. The bipartisan group expressed concern that the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is renegotiating key trade agreements without proper congressional consultation or public transparency.
The senators’ letter, addressed to President Biden, criticizes the USTR’s approach to altering provisions in three significant trade agreements: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, and the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The lawmakers argue that these changes could weaken the U.S.’s bargaining power and fail to secure benefits for American industries.
“Unfortunately, USTR is pursuing substantive changes to congressionally approved trade agreements on an abbreviated timeline, out of the view of the public, and without meaningful congressional consultation,” the letter states.
The senators urged the administration to leverage negotiations under USMCA to address key issues such as illegal fishing practices and Mexico’s energy laws, which they claim prioritize Mexican fossil fuels over U.S. clean energy initiatives. They emphasized that robust consultations with Congress and stakeholders are essential for ensuring that trade agreements deliver on their promises to Americans.
Senator Britt and her Alabama colleague, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), recently introduced a resolution asserting that any reinterpretation of Annex 14-C of USMCA by USTR Katherine Tai is not legally binding without congressional approval. The resolution underscores that no federal agency can invoke such interpretations in legal proceedings unless ratified by Congress.
A key component of Senator Britt’s opposition to the administration’s trade negotiations centers on the impact on Vulcan Materials Company, a Birmingham-based firm involved in a protracted dispute with the Mexican government over its operations in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Britt has criticized Mexico’s actions, including the militarized seizure of Vulcan’s port facility in 2023, which she labeled unlawful.
“President Biden’s lame-duck administration is renegotiating USMCA behind closed doors, sacrificing due process for American businesses,” Senator Britt stated. “These misguided talks undermine Alabama’s Vulcan Materials and other American companies, which rely on protections under existing trade agreements to support their investments abroad.”
In response to the seizure of Vulcan’s property, Britt has co-sponsored the bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act. This legislation seeks to impose retaliatory measures against foreign governments that unlawfully profit from expropriated American assets.
The senators’ letter and related actions have received bipartisan backing. Co-signers include Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Mark Warner (D-Va.), among others. The bipartisan group insists that transparency and congressional oversight are essential to maintaining public trust in U.S. trade policies.
Senator Britt’s efforts to defend Vulcan Materials and oppose closed-door trade negotiations have extended to public platforms. She recently authored a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal and collaborated on a column in The Washington Times with Senators Tuberville and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), advocating for congressional authority in trade matters.
This advocacy reflects broader concerns about the Biden administration’s approach to trade negotiations, which critics argue could weaken U.S. interests while benefiting foreign governments. Britt and her colleagues are pushing for greater accountability to ensure that trade policies align with the nation’s economic priorities and uphold the rights of American companies operating abroad.