Baker Briefing
Former Ambassador David Satterfield explores important foreign and domestic policy issues of the day through conversations with experts at the Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and beyond. New episodes are released Monday mornings.
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93: Putting Safety First in the Firearm Policy Debate
06/02/2025
93: Putting Safety First in the Firearm Policy Debate
Drs. Sandra McKay and Eric Fleegler, both experts in the Baker Institute , joined “Baker Briefing” to discuss the worsening gun injury epidemic ahead of our on June 6. They discussed areas of consensus among firearm-owners and non-owners alike, including child access prevention laws and age purchasing regulations, and prospects for commonsense gun legislation at the Texas and national levels. Featured guests: Sandra McKay, M.D., FAAP, Eric Fleegler, M.D., MPH, Mentioned in this episode: Christopher F. Kulesza et al., “The State of Student Mental Health in Houston Schools,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, May 13, 2025, . This conversation was recorded on May 20, 2025. A transcript of this episode is available here: You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and . Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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92: As the US Steps Back, Can China Fill the Void?
05/26/2025
92: As the US Steps Back, Can China Fill the Void?
In its first months, the second Trump administration has upended the alliances, institutions, and norms that have anchored U.S. foreign policy for decades — hiking tariffs on virtually all countries, downplaying U.S. military commitments, and all but dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. Meanwhile, as the U.S. steps back from a world order that’s largely of its own making, China is attempting to fill the void. , director of the Baker Institute , joined “Baker Briefing” to discuss what China’s global soft power campaign looks like and how successful it’s proven thus far. Featured guest: Steven Lewis, Ph.D., This conversation was recorded on May 13, 2025. A transcript of this episode is available here: . You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and . Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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91: What Lies Ahead for Syria?
05/19/2025
91: What Lies Ahead for Syria?
Syria’s 13-year civil war came to a stunning end on Dec. 8, 2024, when rebel fighters led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham succeeded in toppling the brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad. With the country now deeply fragmented and impoverished, what will the future of governance be under the transitional government of Ahmad al-Sharaa? , an assistant professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, joined “Baker Briefing” to discuss the regional reaction to Dec. 8, the structural challenges facing the rebuilding process, and prospects for the return of refugees and internally displaced Syrians. Featured guests: Ibrahim Al-Assil, DIA, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, Rana B. Khoury, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, This conversation was recorded on April 29, 2025. A transcript of this episode is available . You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and . Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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90: Hospital Price Transparency Rules Still Aren’t Working
05/07/2025
90: Hospital Price Transparency Rules Still Aren’t Working
Federal hospital price transparency rules went into effect in 2021. Four years later, hospitals across the country — including the four largest hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, as assessed in a new Baker Institute — still aren’t complying. On this episode of “Baker Briefing,” explains why opacity in pricing is a key driver of rising health care costs and what policymakers can do to tackle the problem. Mentioned in this episode: Derek Jenkins, Sasathorn Tapaneeyakul, and Vivian Ho, “,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, September 6, 2024. Lunna Lopes et al., “Americans’ Challenges With Health Care Costs,” KFF, March 1, 2024, . Shameek Rakshit et al., “The Burden of Medical Debt in the United States,” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, February 12, 2024, . Sebastian Spataro Solorzano, Blake Davidson, and Vivian Ho, “,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, April 29, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and . Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at . Additional sources for this episode: American Hospital Association, Trend Watch Chartbook 2018: Trends Affecting Hospitals and Health Systems (2018), . Zach Cooper et al., “The Price Ain’t Right? Hospital Prices and Health Spending on the Privately Insured,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 134, no. 1 (February 2019): 51–107, . Health Affairs, “The Role Of Administrative Waste In Excess US Health Spending,” October 6, 2022, . Salpy Kanimian and Vivian Ho, “Why Does the Cost of Employer-Sponsored Coverage Keep Rising?,” Health Affairs Scholar 2, no. 6 (June 2024), qxae078, . Lunna Lopes et al., “Health Care Debt in the U.S.: The Broad Consequences of Medical and Dental Bills,” KFF, June 16, 2022, . Anne Martin et al., “,” Health Affairs 44, no. 1 (2025): 12–22, . Anu Singh, “Hospital and Health System M&A in Review: Financial Pressures Emerge as Key Driver in 2023,” Kaufman Hall, January 18, 2024, . Laura Tollen, Elizabeth Keating, Alan Weil, “How Administrative Spending Contributes to Excess US Health Spending,” Health Affairs, February 20, 2020, .
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89: America’s AI Strategy Is Falling Short
05/05/2025
89: America’s AI Strategy Is Falling Short
We’re in a new era of discovery in the history of artificial intelligence, but rapid advances in the technology are also bringing major risks. , a leading expert in computational engineering and Baker Institute fellow, joins the podcast to discuss the ethical and strategic choices on AI facing the U.S. amid its competition with China and the unintended consequences of outsourcing our thinking to machines. Mentioned in this episode: Moshe Vardi, “Big Tech, You Need Academia. Speak Up!,” Communications of the ACM 68, no. 5 (2025): 5, . This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on April 17, 2025. Learn about future live recordings of the “Baker Briefing” podcast by to our “Events Digest” newsletter at . You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and . Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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88: Trump’s Sprawling Deportation Campaign
04/28/2025
88: Trump’s Sprawling Deportation Campaign
With its aggressive mass deportation campaign, the Trump administration is attempting to reshape long-standing U.S. immigration policy — and increasingly defying constitutional guardrails in the process. On this episode, experts examine the legal and social implications of the administration’s unconventional targeting of legal permanent and temporary residents, asylum seekers, and even foreign students, and well as the administration’s overt challenges to judicial authority and due process rights. Host was joined by , director of the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico; , assistant professor of psychological sciences at Rice University and director of the Center for Community and Public Health at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research; and , a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas and lecturer at Rice. This conversation was recorded on April 21, 2025, in front of a live studio audience. Learn about future live recordings of the “Baker Briefing” podcast by to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter. You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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87: Introducing Our New Show: ‘The Two-Handed Economist’
04/23/2025
87: Introducing Our New Show: ‘The Two-Handed Economist’
Introducing “” — a new podcast with timely analysis of economic policy developments from , director of the . Why a two-handed economist? President Harry Truman famously asked for a one-handed economist, tired of hearing, “On the one hand, this,” and “On the other hand, that.” On “The Two-Handed Economist,” we embrace the complexity that a one-handed economist might shy away from. dives deep into the economic fallout from the Trump administration’s sweeping new tariffs, unpacking the market turmoil, impacts for consumers, and global response. A transcript is available . Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform. Mentioned: “Innovation and Trade Policy in a Globalized World” by Ufuk Akcigit (University of Chicago, NBER, CEPR), Sina T. Ates (Federal Reserve Board), and Giammario Impullitti (University of Nottingham), 2021. This episode was recorded on April 15, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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86: Two Years of Civil War and Humanitarian Disaster in Sudan
04/22/2025
86: Two Years of Civil War and Humanitarian Disaster in Sudan
April 15 marked the second anniversary of the ongoing civil war in Sudan, a conflict that has resulted in 150,000 people killed, over 10 million displaced, and an estimated 25 million at risk of starvation. Sudan has seen civil war before in its tumultuous postcolonial history — but this conflict is different. Susan Stigant, former director of the Africa Program at the U.S. Institute for Peace, and Salah Ben Hammou, a postdoctoral associate at the Baker Institute Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East, explore the political and ethnic tensions fueling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the impacts of aid budget cuts, and prospects for peace and rebuilding. This episode was guest-hosted by , fellow for the Middle East and director of the Women’s Rights, Human Rights and Refugees Program. It was recorded on April 15, 2025. Follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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85: An Uncertain Future for Humanitarian Aid
04/14/2025
85: An Uncertain Future for Humanitarian Aid
The Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and aid budget cuts in the U.K., France, and other Western countries present a stark turning point for the international humanitarian aid system. , the Baker Institute’s MD Anderson Visiting Fellow and the former assistant to the administrator of the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at USAID, joined Ambassador to explore the far-reaching implications of these shifts, as well as the past role of foreign aid in promoting U.S. interests — and the challenge of justifying such aid domestically. This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on April 8, 2025. Follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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84: The Truth About … the Misinformation Fueling the Measles Outbreak
04/08/2025
84: The Truth About … the Misinformation Fueling the Measles Outbreak
Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning it was stopped from spreading freely. But that’s no longer the case. By April 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had more than 480 cases nationwide and one death in 2025. Meanwhile, social media and podcasting platforms are rife with misinformation about the severity of the virus and the development, efficacy, and side effects of vaccines, helping drive vaccination rates in the U.S. ever lower. The result: a rapidly spreading measles outbreak and a threat to the hard-won public health gains made possible from decades of vaccination. So how exactly did we get here, and what do we do now? , a Baker Institute fellow, vaccine scientist, physician, and public health advocate, joined Director David M. Satterfield to discuss the causes and consequences of the West Texas outbreak at a March 26 Baker Institute event. Their conversation has been condensed for this episode of “Baker Briefing.” (You can watch the full conversation here: Follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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83: How Risky Is Gain-of-Function Research, Really?
04/01/2025
83: How Risky Is Gain-of-Function Research, Really?
Debates around gain-of-function research, which genetically alters an organism to give it new functions, became highly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public figures began to speculate that the virus responsible was created through gain-of-function experiments in Wuhan, China. But many scientists maintain that this kind of research helps us to understand and respond to emerging viral threats, like the H5N1 virus, or bird flu. So just how important is gain-of-function research, and what oversight mechanisms are in place to reduce the hazards that yet other scientists say make these experiments too risky? The Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program’s and and Rice University biosciences professor joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss the risks, benefits, and guardrails surrounding gain-of-function research — and why federal budget cuts and layoffs will make the endeavor less secure. This episode was recorded on March 20, 2025. Follow @BakerInstitute on , , , and , and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at .
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82: Houston’s Schools Face an Enrollment Paradox. What Now?
03/24/2025
82: Houston’s Schools Face an Enrollment Paradox. What Now?
Like other urban districts around the country, Houston Independent School District (HISD) has seen enrollment drop significantly over the past decade. But while the district’s schools are under capacity overall, with an average campus utilization rate of 77%, some of its campuses are meanwhile facing a paradoxical challenge: overcrowding. , co-author of a recent Center for Tax and Budget Policy on disparities in HISD campus utilization, and , director of the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Policy, joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to explore what’s causing the imbalance, how the state’s proposed school voucher legislation could factor in, and paths forward for HISD. This conversation was recorded on March 18, 2025. Read the report from King and co-authors Joyce Beebe and John Diamond: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/disparities-houston-school-campus-utilization
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81: Rethinking Climate Migration: Agency and Adaptability
03/17/2025
81: Rethinking Climate Migration: Agency and Adaptability
The climate crisis is driving more and more people around the world to leave their homes and communities, often permanently. This isn’t an issue for the distant future: 26.4 million displacements related to natural disasters and slow-onset events like drought and sea-level rise were recorded around the world in 2023 alone. , a project lead at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a visiting scholar at the Baker Institute this spring, joined the “” podcast to discuss the phenomenon of climate migration around the world and in the United States. Together, Blocher and explore the relationship between climate change and migration, the disproportionate impacts for disadvantaged people and marginalized groups, and why it’s important to understand migration as a possible adaptation to the climate crisis. This conversation was recorded on Feb. 18, 2025.
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80: What Would School Vouchers Mean for Texas K-12 Education?
03/10/2025
80: What Would School Vouchers Mean for Texas K-12 Education?
School voucher programs — also known as education savings accounts or school choice — allow families to use public funds to pay for private school tuition. They have swept across the U.S. over the past decade, and now the Texas Legislature looks poised to enact a school voucher program of its own. In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” sits down with , a scholar in child health policy at the Baker Institute, to break down what a Texas school voucher program might look like and what it could mean for schools and families across the state. For more, read Kulesza’s recent brief: “.”
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79: The Politics of Art and Diplomacy
03/03/2025
79: The Politics of Art and Diplomacy
Can art be a tool for diplomacy? How can cultural exchange shape foreign policy? In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” joins to discuss the intersections of art, diplomacy, and international relations. Drawing from his time as a U.S. diplomat in Europe and Latin America and as president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Luers explores how cultural engagement has advanced important dialogue — from the Cold War to contemporary geopolitical challenges. This conversation was recorded in front of a studio audience on Feb. 13, 2025, at an event co-sponsored by Rice University’s .
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78: Did Two Decades of Urban Renewal Benefit Small Businesses in Houston’s Third Ward?
02/24/2025
78: Did Two Decades of Urban Renewal Benefit Small Businesses in Houston’s Third Ward?
Houston’s Third Ward is one of the city’s most historic Black neighborhoods. It’s also the site of longstanding and consequential debates about gentrification and redevelopment. Urban revitalization is meant to spur economic growth and benefit inner-city communities like the Third Ward — but do the changes actually benefit existing small business owners? Economist joined to discuss her research into the impact of urban revitalization efforts on small businesses in Houston’s Third Ward. For more, read Small’s recent working paper: “.” This conversation was recorded on Jan. 30, 2025.
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77: Trump’s ‘America First’ Foreign Policy
02/17/2025
77: Trump’s ‘America First’ Foreign Policy
Donald Trump entered office promising to be the “America First” president. But what does that mean for U.S. foreign policy? And what challenges and opportunities will Trump and Marco Rubio, his secretary of state, face regarding the Middle East, Ukraine, and the nation’s global alliances? In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” sits down with , senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a veteran foreign policy advisor. Together, they break down the administration’s approach to key geopolitical issues, from Gaza to NATO commitments. This conversation was recorded on Jan. 22, 2025.
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76: How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact American Industry and Consumers?
02/10/2025
76: How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact American Industry and Consumers?
Since entering office for the second time, President Donald Trump has made clear his intention to impose tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China. What do his tariff plans mean for American industries and consumers — and for our relationships with our largest trading partners? Baker Institute experts , , and joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss. This conversation was recorded in front of a studio audience on Feb. 6, 2025.
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75: Texas’ Legislative Session Gets Underway Amid GOP Infighting
01/27/2025
75: Texas’ Legislative Session Gets Underway Amid GOP Infighting
The 89th Texas legislative session began on Jan. 14 with Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) elected House speaker following a month-long battle among state Republicans. Why was the election so contentious, and how might Burrows’ speakership shape the rest of the session? Political science fellow joined a Baker Institute colleague and four-term former Texas House member, to discuss the stakes and policy agenda ahead for lawmakers, including school vouchers, property taxes, and the border.
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74: Where Biden Leaves American Foreign Policy
01/06/2025
74: Where Biden Leaves American Foreign Policy
Joe Biden entered office with plans to prioritize American workers in foreign policy and strengthen U.S. alliances against the threats posed by China and Russia. His administration would ultimately face significant crises abroad, from Ukraine to Gaza, that tested his vision for American diplomacy and brought new challenges and opportunities to the fore. On Dec. 17, 2024, , the deputy secretary of state, and , principal deputy national security advisor, joined for a conversation on the president’s legacy as he prepares to exit office and as Donald Trump gears up for a second term. Video of the event is available on our .
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73: Abortion and OB-GYN Access in Texas
12/30/2024
73: Abortion and OB-GYN Access in Texas
Since Texas prohibited most abortions in 2022 following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, have illustrated the dire impacts of reproductive health care restrictions on Texan patients, including people with nonviable and life-threatening pregnancies. On Oct. 10, 2024, the Baker Institute three health care professionals and the executive editor of Texas Monthly, Mimi Swartz, to discuss the impact of Texas law on the state’s OB-GYN workforce and the future of Texas reproductive health. This episode of “Baker Briefing” presents an unabridged version of their conversation. Discussants Managing Director, Manatt Health Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare, UWH of Texas Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Associate Professor, Government Affairs Committee, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Executive Editor, Texas Monthly
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72: US-Mexico Relations Under Trump 2.0
12/23/2024
72: US-Mexico Relations Under Trump 2.0
How will critical issues for the U.S.-Mexico relationship, including immigration, trade, and drug trafficking, evolve during Donald Trump’s second term? Four days before Trump nominated Christoper Landau, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, to be deputy secretary of state, Landau joined Center for the U.S. and Mexico Tony Payan to discuss what may lie ahead. For more about the future of U.S.-Mexico relations, read our “” report for 2025. Discussants Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Director, Center for the U.S. and Mexico, Baker Institute
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71: The Russia-Ukraine War Under Trump
12/16/2024
71: The Russia-Ukraine War Under Trump
The U.S. has supported Ukraine with over $61 billion worth of military assistance since Russia’s invasion in 2022, including a surge of aid from the Joe Biden administration in his final weeks in office. With Donald Trump set to return for a second term, how might his administration change the approach to Ukraine — and to Russia more broadly? Glenn Corn, a former senior executive and intelligence officer in the CIA and current adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics, joined Baker Briefing to discuss steps Trump could take and why the war’s outcome matters for American interests. Discussants Former Senior Executive, CIA Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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70: Houston’s Controversial Economic Development Zones
12/05/2024
70: Houston’s Controversial Economic Development Zones
Originally designed to spur investment in the city’s most underserved areas, Houston’s tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZs) have been a major part of its growth strategy since the 1990s. But they may actually be disproportionately benefiting affluent communities — and shifting the burden of municipal expenses to lower-income neighborhoods. fellows and , who recently co-authored a on the topic, joined Baker Briefing to discuss the issue and policy options moving forward. Discussants Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Senior Fellow in Public Finance and Director, Center for Public Finance, Baker Institute Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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69: How Far Will Vaccine Skepticism Go?
12/04/2024
69: How Far Will Vaccine Skepticism Go?
With the development of the COVID-19 vaccine in late 2020, anti-vaccine rhetoric in the U.S. expanded dramatically. Vaccines have been routinely recommended in the U.S. since the early 20th century, and they have significantly reduced the prevalence of diseases like polio, measles, and tetanus. But with the pandemic, what was once a mostly politically neutral topic — immunization — became a politically controversial one in much of the country. , a fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute, and , chief strategic officer of The Immunization Partnership and a Baker Institute nonresident scholar, joined Baker Briefing to explore the discourse surrounding vaccines, their politicization, and what’s ahead for vaccine policy under the incoming Donald Trump administration. Discussants Nonresident Scholar, Baker Institute; Chief Strategic Officer, The Immunization Partnership Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Baker Institute Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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68: The Politicization of Humanitarian Aid Explained
11/19/2024
68: The Politicization of Humanitarian Aid Explained
Armed conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Syria have made millions reliant on humanitarian assistance. However, the provision of critical food, water, health care, and other resource assistance has been complicated by the politicization of aid, highlighted by the recent decision by the Israeli parliament to ban UNRWA, the primary aid organization for Palestinians. director and postdoctoral associate joined Baker Briefing to discuss the parallels between the dire situations in Gaza, Sudan, and Syria and the complexities of delivering humanitarian aid to war-torn regions. Discussants Fellow for the Middle East and Director, Women’s Rights, Human Rights, and Refugees Program, Baker Institute Postdoctoral Associate, Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East, Baker Institute Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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67: Accelerating Clean, Affordable Electricity
11/11/2024
67: Accelerating Clean, Affordable Electricity
Clean electricity technologies are here and they’re affordable. So why does most of our power in the U.S. still come from fossil fuels? , a civil and environmental engineering professor at Rice University and a Baker Institute Rice faculty scholar, joined Baker Briefing to explain how bureaucratic bottlenecks have led to a backlog of wind, solar, and battery storage power projects that could, if built, revolutionize the grid and greatly reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. Discussants Baker Institute Rice Faculty Scholar; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute
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66: Christian Nationalism’s Rising Influence
10/28/2024
66: Christian Nationalism’s Rising Influence
What role should religion — and Christianity in particular — play in public life? This question is at the center of legislative battles brewing in statehouses across the country. It stems largely from the growing influence of Christian nationalism, an ideology based around the idea that the United States is a Christian nation and that its government should follow conservative Christian religious principles. experts and joined Baker Institute Director to explore the evolution of the Christian nationalist movement, its support among the U.S. electorate, and its implications for public policy in Texas and across the country. Discussants Nonresident Scholar, Baker Institute Harry and Hazel Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, Baker Institute Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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65: Translating Texas’ Health Care Spending Into Better Outcomes
10/14/2024
65: Translating Texas’ Health Care Spending Into Better Outcomes
Despite spending more on health care by percentage of GDP than its peer high-income countries, the U.S. hasn’t seen the abundance of services or improved outcomes for patients that one might expect. Instead, as medical costs increase, U.S. health outcomes continue to lag behind those of other developed nations. Texas, which spends nearly $50 billion on health care annually, performs poorly relative to other states on key metrics like maternal mortality and deaths from preventable or treatable causes. But with its recent investments in health-impacting, non-medical services, it has a unique opportunity to get more value from its spending, according to , senior health policy fellow, and , director of the . Marks and Mathias joined the Baker Briefing podcast to discuss how we can invest smarter for better health outcomes at both the state and federal levels. For more from Marks and Mathias, read the report “,” published in September 2024. Discussants Senior Health Policy Fellow, Baker Institute Director, Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health, Baker Institute Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
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63: Looking Ahead to the USMCA Review
10/01/2024
63: Looking Ahead to the USMCA Review
On July 1, 2026, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will decide whether or not to continue the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force in 2020. How can policymakers prepare for the negotiations and continue to work toward a strategic, mutually beneficial North American partnership? This episode of Baker Briefing was originally published by the podcast. Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and , the Baker Institute’s Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics, joined host to explore major challenges on the horizon for U.S. trade policy, including the upcoming review of the USMCA and the rising influence of China. Want to learn more? Watch “,” a Baker Institute event held on Sept. 19. This conversation was recorded on Sept. 19, 2024, before the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Oct. 1, 2024. Discussants Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics, Baker Institute; Samuel M. Fegtly Professor Emeritus, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Cloud + AI, Microsoft; Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and Director, Center for the U.S. and Mexico, Baker Institute
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