Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues.
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a proposed free trade agreement between the three largest countries of North America. If adopted, the USMCA would replace the current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been in place since 1994. The intent of NAFTA was to lower barriers to trade, facilitate cross-border movement of goods and services, and promote conditions of fair competition.
On November 30, 2018, after months of negotiations, President Trump, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, and President Nieto of Mexico signed the USMCA. While the draft deal was signed by leaders from all three countries, it now needs to be ratified by each country’s legislature before taking effect. When it comes to trade agreements, I take a principled approach: what does a trade deal do for Michigan businesses and Michigan workers? This is the scorecard that any trade deal should be graded against. There are benefits that come from trading with our international partners, but those benefits should not come at the expense of working Americans.
To be sure, in many ways USMCA is an improvement on NAFTA, and I was pleased to see some of the provisions that have been included in the deal. For example, improved “rules of origin” will facilitate increased domestic auto manufacturing, protecting American autoworkers. Easing of restrictions on Canadian markets will increase export opportunities – particularly for the Michigan agricultural sector. Finally, I also support the strengthened labor, wage, and environmental protections that seek to improve working conditions, raise wages, protect our environment, and level the playing field for all three countries.
However, in my view, some of these positive provisions do no go nearly far enough. For example, many of the labor and environmental protections that are so essential to leveling the playing field and benefiting American workers are insufficient and lack adequate enforcement mechanisms or changes to domestic laws, particularly in Mexico, to be effective.
I am also concerned that some provisions in the USMCA may harm American consumers. Of particular concern are the significant giveaways to pharmaceutical companies that will drive up the cost of prescription drugs for consumers while doing nothing to protect American workers. Specifically, increased intellectual property protections for American pharmaceutical companies will impede the development of generic drugs that provide consumers with a more affordable option. Constituents in our district constantly approach me to discuss the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and the financial squeeze that it is causing them. I do not support a scenario in which the USMCA exacerbates this already significant problem.
The renegotiation of NAFTA has given us an opportunity to do right by American workers. To do so, I will continue to work with United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, my fellow Members of Congress, and constituents to improve upon the USMCA as it currently stands. As your elected representative, please be assured that I will always fight for Michigan workers and will keep your views in mind when the finalized USMCA comes to the House floor for a vote.
Minimum Wage / Raise the Wage Act
The Raise the Wage Act, H.R. 582, was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 16, 2019. The bill would gradually increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, a standard that has been in place since 2009, to $15 an hour by the year 2024. The bill also includes measures for continual wage increases past 2024 that are based on inflation and cost-of-living adjustments. Finally, there are multiple provisions relating to increased compensation for tipped workers, young workers, and workers with disabilities – all of whom are currently able to be paid sub-minimum wages – to qualify them for the same federal minimum wage as all other workers.
I believe that the minimum wage must be a living wage and that no one working full-time should be living in poverty. I understand the importance of this living wage for all workers, including tipped workers, young workers, and workers with disabilities. To that end, I am a co-sponsor of the Raise the Wage Act, along with over 200 of my colleagues.
That being said, I remain aware of the concerns associated with the bill, including that the bill’s mandated wage increases could result in layoffs, particularly at small businesses that don’t have the ability to employ the same levels of staff at higher wages. I am committed to working with my colleagues to make sure that this bill strikes a good balance between providing workers a livable wage and ensuring that small businesses can retain employees. I am actively advocating for creative solutions that would allow us to benefit from raising the federal minimum wage, while ensuring that our small businesses can thrive.