As Follow Up to Meeting with Lighthizer, Carper Emphasizes Importance of Enforcing Trade Deal’s Environmental Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the Finance Committee and top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to reiterate the importance of making sure the recently-renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) environmental rules can be fully enforced. Senator Carper emphasized that adequate resources for monitoring, cooperation, and enforcement are essential for meeting the agreement’s environmental goals, writing in a follow-up letter:

“As the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Agreement’s Environment Chapter is critically important to me,” Senator Carper wrote. “I appreciate the pledge you made to me at the June 2019 Finance Committee hearing on the President’s trade agenda that you will work with Congress to: (1) identify gaps in the resources that are currently available for monitoring and enforcement of the environmental obligations, and (2) determine ways in which environmental stakeholders can be partners with the government to conduct on-the-ground monitoring and ensure enforcement.”

Senator Carper continued, “As you work with Democrats in the House to continue improving the Environment Chapter, I hope that you will keep in mind these commitments and our conversation today regarding the need for sufficient resources, enhanced monitoring, and improved cooperation to ensure that the goals of these obligations will be met.”

A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

October 29, 2019

Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer

U.S. Trade Representative

Office of the United States Trade Representative

600 17th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20006

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer,

Thank you for meeting with me earlier today to discuss the importance of ensuring that the goals of the recently-renegotiated North America Free Trade Agreement’s Environment Chapter can be fully realized. 

As the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Agreement’s Environment Chapter is critically important to me. I appreciate the pledge you made to me at the June 2019 Finance Committee hearing on the President’s trade agenda that you will work with Congress to: (1) identify gaps in the resources that are currently available for monitoring and enforcement of the environmental obligations, and (2) determine ways in which environmental stakeholders can be partners with the government to conduct on-the-ground monitoring and ensure enforcement.

As you work with Democrats in the House to continue improving the Environment Chapter, I hope that you will keep in mind these commitments and our conversation today regarding the need for sufficient resources, enhanced monitoring, and improved cooperation to ensure that the goals of these obligations will be met. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

______________________

Thomas R. Carper

United States Senator