For years, the Teamsters have been strong supporters of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) legislative efforts that have offered support to thousands of workers who have lost their jobs due to bad trade deals. But not this time. [Reposted from the Huffington Post | James Hoffa | June 10, 2015] As lawmakers get ready to consider…
While a full range of stakeholders would be affected by the outcome of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement under secret negotiation by the United States and a dozen trading partners, corporate representatives have had a special seat at the negotiating table, as shown by hundreds of pages of confidential emails from the US Trade Representative’s…
The House of Representatives should deny President Obama authority to conclude a free trade agreement with Asian nations, because it would lower wages for ordinary Americans and increase income inequality. [Reposted from The Hill | Peter Morici | June 9, 2015] The Trans-Pacific Partnership would include South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Chile and eight other nations.…
Updated: Four House Democrats who have publicly announced or signaled their support for a pending Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill will travel with President Obama on Air Force One to attend the G7 summit taking place June 7-8 in Germany, according to a White House official. [Inside US Trade | June 5, 2015] They are…
The Obama administration’s desire for “fast track” trade authority is not limited to passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In fact, that may be the least important of three deals currently under negotiation by the U.S. Trade Representative. The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would bind the two biggest economies in the world, the United States and…
In an interview with Politico this week, Ambassador Michael Froman stressed high import tariffs on American goods imposed by the 11 countries with which he is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). His implication is that the TPP will dramatically lower such tariffs, boosting US exports, significantly increasing the size of our economy, and helping most…
The debate on trade in Congress is not about whether Democrats support trade, or whether we take the side of businesses or labor; it’s about getting trade right. Indeed, because of our efforts, the most recent trade agreements to pass Congress were updated to include enforceable worker rights, environmental standards, and provisions to safeguard access…
Michael Stumo is the CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. While pushing legislation through Congress to grant Permanent Normal Trade Relations status with China in 2000, President Clinton proclaimed, “This a hundred-to-nothing deal for America when it comes to the economic consequences.” [Reposted from The Hill | Michael Stumo | June 5, 2015] A…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 8, 2015 280+ Groups Urge Congress to Reject Effort to Repeal COOL Washington, D.C.—Today, a coalition of 283 farm, rural, consumer, manufacturer, labor, faith and environmental groups from across the United States delivered a letter to the House of Representatives urging Congress to reject the effort to repeal the country of…
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Thursday (June 4) strongly hinted that the Republican leadership plans to hold separate votes on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), as sources have long expected, though he deferred to the House Rules Committee on the specifics of how that would be…
