A group of 40 House Republicans have
called on President Donald Trump to kill LGBT protections found in
the trade deal between Canada, Mexico and the United States.
According to Politico,
the NAFTA update includes a provision that encourages countries to
adopt policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation
and gender identity in the workplace. The provision was included at
the request of Canada.
In a letter to Trump sent Friday, the
conservative lawmakers threatened to pull their support for the deal
if the language is not removed.
“A trade agreement is no place for
the adoption of social policy,” the lawmakers wrote.
“It is especially inappropriate and
insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies
which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to
accept,” they added, a reference to the lack of such protections at
the federal level.
Representatives Steve King of Iowa,
Vicky Hartzler of Missouri and Louie Gohmert of Texas are among the
40 Republicans who signed the letter. King, Hartzler and Gohmert
scored zero on the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) latest Congressional
Scorecard, a measure of a lawmaker's support for LGBT rights.
(Related: Steve
King: Gay marriage ruling means “you can marry my lawnmower.”)
Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn, who
also signed the letter, told Politico that the LGBT provision
could kill the entire agreement, which requires approval from
Congress.
“At this point I'm a 'no' vote and I
would encourage others to be a no vote unless something is done,”
Lamborn said. “And things could be done within the agreement.”