Scalise: USMCA Will Be Approved Because It's a 'Better Deal'

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement will ultimately be approved because it is a better deal for American workers and jobs, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said Thursday.

"The president is negotiating with the Democrats in the House to get a plan for how they're going to move forward with it," Scalise told Fox Business' "Mornings With Maria." "I think in the end they will come to some agreement because it makes sense for everybody to get this passed so we have a better NAFTA 2.0."

President Donald Trump has said if the USMCA was not approved, he would go back to pre-NAFTA, and Scalise said Thursday it was a positive sign when an agreement was reached with Mexico.

"Canada was a little more reluctant because they had a much better deal," Scalise said. "They closed a lot of markets off to American products that we opened up in the new agreement."

Scalise also called Wednesday's presidential executive order making it more difficult to block pipeline construction a "really big deal" for the energy industry.

"If you look in the Northeast especially, we are producing so much energy in America now that we are exporting – we could be one of the world's leading exporters," said Scalise, noting there are parts of potential sites in the Northeast that are cut off because they do not have access to pipelines.

"That'll be a great advancement for American energy, so we cannot only export to the world but heat our ourselves for a lower cost," Scalise said. "What's important is it lowers rates and helps ratepayers."

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