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The ‘victory’ belongs to American workers

After many weeks in which the U.S. House of Representatives has seemed preoccupied with Democrat lawmakers’ vendetta against President Donald Trump, action on a new trade agreement may finally be on the horizon.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced this week that her caucus has reached agreement with the White House on the proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. By most accounts, it is a better deal for Americans than the North American Free Trade Agreement it will replace.

And, you guessed it, reaction in some quarters has been purely political. “There are those who I read about in one place or another that say, ‘Why would you give President Trump a victory?'” Pelosi commented. “Well, why wouldn’t we?” she responded. “This is the right thing to do for our trade situation, for our workers.”

Precisely. The 25-year-old NAFTA pact damaged some U.S. industries badly. Many American companies rushed to close factories in the country and move production to Mexico. Under the new pact — negotiated by the Trump administration — provisions intended to protect some U.S. workers will be implemented.

Give Pelosi and most other Democratic Party lawmakers credit for recognizing that sometimes, politics has to take a back seat to doing the right thing for Americans.

As those who criticize her for moving the new deal forward to a vote in Congress, working men and women should remember on Election Day next year that some candidates were eager to use them as pawns in a political chess game against Trump.

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