WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that the upper chamber will not take a vote on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) before it adjourns for the year.

During a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell outlined "several crucial, must-pass bills" before senators leave for Christmas holidays, including the National Defense Authorization Act and government funding bills, but the USMCA trade deal was not on the list.

"We will not be doing USMCA in the Senate between now and the end of next week," McConnell said, suggesting the trade deal could be voted on after the Senate concludes its impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"They will have to come up in all likelihood after a trial is finished in the Senate," he said.

McConnell's remarks came hours after House Democrats on Tuesday announced that they have reached an agreement with the Trump administration over changes to the USMCA, which would replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Asked about the substance of the new trilateral trade deal, McConnell said, "from my perspective, it's not as good as I had hoped."

U.S. House Democrats also on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against Trump, accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Trump will be impeached if the House approves any of the articles of impeachment the House Judiciary Committee has recommended by a simple majority vote.

According to the nation's constitution, the House shall have the sole power of impeachment while the Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments.

Trump is the fourth U.S. president in American history to face impeachment. If impeached, he will be the third U.S. president to face a trial in the Senate. Enditem

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