By Ken Stickney

ken.stickney@panews.com

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday that a trilateral deal this week to update the North American Free Trade Agreement is a long way from complete, but he is optimistic about its chances.

Speaking from Washington on a conference call with Texas reporters, the state’s senior senator said Congress must review, debate and approve the revised treaty, which he said improves the deal struck by the U.S., Canada and Mexico more than two decades ago. No matter how the pact evolves, he said, “It’s better than no trade agreement.”

Much of the conference call was devoted to the Brett Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court and the confirmation process, although the senator touched on several subjects.

In an issued statement earlier this week, Cornyn said about 5 million U.S. jobs depend upon the agreement with Mexico, 382,000 in Texas; some 8 million U.S. jobs are tied to the agreement with Canada.

In specific, he said the newly fashioned U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement fixes or updates some deficiencies in the existing treaty, which became effective in 1994, reduces trade barriers and opens some markets for U.S. agriculture.

Texas has the second-largest economy among the states; Mexico is pushing toward becoming one of the Top 10 economies in the world. In 2017, Texas exported $97 billion in goods and services to Mexico; Mexico exported $89 million in goods and services to this state. Mexico is Texas’ largest trade partner.

Cornyn said 51 Senate votes are needed to affirm an updated agreement. Despite sometimes acrimonious disagreements between the Trump administration and the president personally and our neighbors to the north and south, the rancor would result in “no lasting damage,” the senator said. He suggested that leaders of all three countries were negotiating in their own country’s interest.

In other matters, Cornyn:

• Suggested incumbent Ted Cruz has “evolved” into a “fully constructive member” of the Republicans’ Senate team. He said Cruz might have come to Washington with the idea he would run for president and “wouldn’t stick around long,” but that after his 2016 presidential run he “recalibrated” his goals and plans.
• Described U.S. Robert O’Rourke, D-El Paso, Cruz’s opponent in November, as “competitive” because he is a likable and attractive candidate. But Cornyn said when Texans become fully aware of O’Rourke’s positions on issues such as immigration and illegal drugs, they would reject his candidacy. He said if O’Rourke and other Democrats running for the U.S. Senate win their elections, they will be voting to make U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, the majority leader.
• Said he regretted that Congress has not passed a farm bill this session.