Lighthizer must protect the planet as U.S. Trade Representative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee approved the nomination of Robert Lighthizer to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative and sent his nomination to the Senate floor.
Friends of the Earth Senior Trade Analyst Bill Waren issued the following response:
“Robert Lighthizer is a corporate lawyer and Republican political operative who should not be immediately confirmed as the U.S. Trade Representative by the full Senate. Lighthizer has not made firm commitments to protect the public and the planet in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the negotiation of other trade deals.
Lighthizer has not committed to eliminating NAFTA’s investor-state dispute resolution system that empowers corporations like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and TransCanada to bypass legitimate courts and seek billions from taxpayers for obeying sensible environmental and climate safeguards. He has also not committed to including enforceable environmental and climate standards in the core text of NAFTA.
The USTR’s positions are critical to ensure the U.S., Canada, and Mexico guarantee that domestic environmental laws and international environmental agreements like the Paris Climate Accord are faithfully enforced.
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Expert contact: Bill Waren, (202) 222-0747, [email protected]
Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]