Trade Promotion Authority Bill Introduced in Senate and House
Yesterday Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced bipartisan, bicameral Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. The TPA legislation establishes concrete rules for international trade negotiations to help the United States deliver strong, high-standard trade agreements that will boost American exports and create new economic opportunities and better jobs for American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs, according to a Senate Finance Committee press release.
The National Chicken Council hailed the bill’s introduction.
“Senators Hatch, Wyden and Representative Ryan, and the administration, are to be commended for their leadership on this important issue,” said National Chicken Council President Mike Brown. “Prompt passage of this legislation would strengthen the position of U.S. international trade negotiators as they continue to move forward with new agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.”
At one time, Russia and China were the United States’ two largest poultry export markets, but these two markets have been severely disrupted with trade curtailed from previous levels. “It is now more important than ever to expand poultry sales to other world markets,” Brown continued.
“Passage of TPA would help ensure foreign access for U.S. chicken, generate more farm income, jobs in rural districts, and improve the U.S. trade balance,” Brown concluded.
The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA-2015) outlines 21st century congressional negotiating objectives that any administration – Republican or Democratic – must follow when entering into and conducting trade talks with foreign countries while also increasing transparency by requiring that Congress have access to important information surrounding pending trade deals and that the public receive detailed updates and see the full details of trade agreements well before they are signed.
When the trade agreement meets the United States’ objectives and Congress is sufficiently consulted, the legislation allows for trade deals to be submitted to Congress for an up-or-down vote, an incentive for negotiating nations to put their best offer forward for any deal. At the same time, the bill creates a new mechanism to withdraw TPA procedures and hold the administration accountable should it fail to meet the requirements of TPA.
A summary of the bill can be found here, section-by-section summary of bill here and a copy of the bill text can be found here.
