Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Wall Street adjusts to election uncertainty, lack of blue wave | McConnell says he wants COVID deal by end of year | Jobs growth slowed to 365,000 in October: ADP Overnight Health Care: COVID versus the economy | Second-highest number of new coronavirus cases reported on Election Day Winners and losers from 2020's election MORE (R-Ky.) said on Tuesday that the Senate will not take up President Trump
Donald John TrumpAides tried to get Trump to stop attacking McCain in hopes of clinching Arizona: report Officials warn delayed vote count could lead to flood of disinformation New Trump campaign lawsuit targets late-arriving Georgia mail ballots MORE’s trade deal with Canada and Mexico before the end of the year.
McConnell, outlining the to-do list for the chamber before senators leave for Christmas, said the trade deal was not on the list. He also said the Senate was unlikely to vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) until after an expected impeachment trial for Trump.
“We will not be doing USMCA in the Senate. They will have to come up in all likelihood after a trial is finished in the Senate,” he said.
The Senate was supposed to adjourn for the year by Dec. 13. They’ll now likely be in town through Dec. 20 because of the government funding deadline.
His announcement comes hours after Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiHouse GOP celebrates unexpected gains On The Money: Wall Street adjusts to election uncertainty, lack of blue wave | McConnell says he wants COVID deal by end of year | Jobs growth slowed to 365,000 in October: ADP The Hill's Campaign Report: Election mess drags on l Trump campaign suing to stop vote counts in Mich., Penn. l Republicans outperforming expectations in House, Senate MORE (D-Calif.) announced she had reached an agreement with the White House on the trade deal.
Pelosi's announcement came after she and other Democrats set out two articles of impeachment against Trump, which the full House could vote on next week.
Sen. John Thune
John Randolph ThuneBiden holds Minnesota The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - 24 hours to go Senate battle threatens to spill into overtime MORE (R-S.D.), asked about not taking up the trade deal until next year, noted that “our members are going to want to review it.”
“It’s hard to see how there’s time to get it all done,” Thune added.
Trying to move the trade deal this year would likely draw pushback from Republican senators, who have signaled skepticism about the trade deal.
McConnell, asked about the substance of the deal, said, “From my perspective, it’s not as good as I had hoped.”
McConnell’s timeframe immediately ran into pushback from House Democrats, who have been negotiating with the White House for months.
“House & Senate passed Korea, Panama, and Colombia Trade Agreements on the same day (Oct 12, 2011). Senator McConnell has no excuse not to bring up the USMCA,” said a spokesman for Pelosi.
McConnell has repeatedly hammered House Democrats for not taking up USMCA, a top priority for Republicans and the White House.
--This report was updated at 3:40 p.m.
