Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The right wing Washington Examiner reports:
A group of 45 House Republican lawmakers wrote President Trump Friday stating that they were “deeply concerned” by the inclusion of “sexual orientation and and gender identity language” in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement on trade.
The representatives said the inclusion was “inappropriate and insulting to our national sovereignty” and urged Trump to remove the language. The letter suggests the president may loose some key Republican support when the deal, which would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, comes before before Congress for approval next year.
The letter is in reaction to language in Chapter 23 of the USMCA deal, which requires the the three nations to “implement policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including… sexual orientation [and] gender identity” among other requirements.
UPDATE: Politico reports.
The countries are expected to sign the agreement on Nov. 30 at a G-20 summit in Argentina, the day before the current Mexican administration leaves office. The easiest way for the administration to address the conservatives’ concerns is to persuade Canada and Mexico to change the language before the agreement is signed.
If those countries balk and the administration is concerned about having enough Republican votes to win approval, it could attempt to negate the language through the implementing bill. But that would be highly unusual and give many Democrats another reason to vote against the legislation. Tweaks can be made through so-called side letters. But this particular demand is certain to leave Canada especially cold.
Lamborn said his understanding is that the administration could seek to alter the language without opening the deal back up. But “if it’s bad enough — and in my opinion it’s bad enough — they should consider taking it out,” he said. “At this point I’m a ‘no’ vote and I would encourage others to be a no vote unless something is done. And things could be done within the agreement.”
The letter’s author is Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn [photo above], who has a 100% rating from the Family Research Council and a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Earlier this year the FRC gave Lamborn their “True Blue Award” for his “unwavering commitment and consistent support of faith, family, and freedom.”
As you can see below, the letter’s signees are a who’s who of the most viciously anti-LGBT members of the House.
