The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement could finally take effect next month, assuming the remaining steps in the process occur and an impeachment trial doesn’t get in the way. Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley will lead committee action on USMCA implementing legislation, provided the House first sends over the measure it passed last week. Grassley plans to move early, potentially to beat a trial…

Grassley’s scheduled panel action on the bill for January 7th, as soon as the Senate returns. He’s hoping to take care of USMCA before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sends over articles of impeachment, which would result in the Senate pre-empting its business to conduct the trial of President Trump. Grassley says it won’t be the normal committee mark-up of the proposed text, where members can suggest changes, since House Democrats ran out the clock on the full process…

That means the final text will be the version Democrats struck with the White House, which some Republican Senators believe gives too many concessions to U.S. labor and removes key drug patent protections. Meanwhile, President Trump appears eager to put final signatures on the deal that Mexico has already ratified, and Canada is expected to approve soon…