Senate delays vote on U.S. trade pact

After about 20 minutes of debate on a resolution urging the United States to withdraw from a cooperative trade and security agreement with Canada and Mexico, a Senate committee opted to delay voting.

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, acting as chair of the Government Operations Committee, said moving HJR7 to the top of the agenda on Wednesday at 8 a.m. would give more time for public comment.

The measure's sponsor, Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said that the Security and Prosperity Agreement of North America "has very big consequences if what is happening with this ... goes unchecked."

The agreement, entered into by the presidents of the United States, Mexico and Canada, could eventually lead to a loss of sovereignty, Sandstrom said.

However, some committee members questioned whether the fear of a potential union similar to the European Union merited the withdrawal from an agreement aimed at free-trade cooperation.

"It's one thing to say our sovereignty has been eroded," said Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake. "It's another to say what are concrete examples of where sovereignty has been eroded."

Nearly everyone in a crowded audience had raised their hand wanting to speak on the issue, and the committee's debate was twice interrupted — once by applause for Buttar's expressed support for the measure, and once with a vocal "yes," after McCoy asked, "Are we saying we don't trust our leaders?"