The passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation is vital to gaining access to new markets for American goods and services, and to continue supporting 38 million jobs, U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) recently told the Ripon Advance.
The House is expected to vote today on TPA legislation, a vehicle Congress uses to regulate foreign commerce and to be engaged during trade negotiations the president undertakes with foreign nations.
“The passage of Trade Promotion Authority is an important step in ensuring America’s future success as a nation, both domestically and globally,” Emmer said in written remarks.
He noted 96 percent of consumers live outside the United States, and tapping into emerging markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region create economic opportunities.
Bipartisan support for trade exists, Emmer said, noting a number of Democrats favor the current TPA legislation, including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX).
“Members of both sides of the aisle support the idea of trade, but the benefit has to be there for them to support any agreement, and that is why holding the administration accountable is absolutely necessary,” Emmer, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Agriculture committees, said.
TPA will enhance transparency by requiring that any trade deal be made public for at least 60 days before any vote by Congress is taken, he said.
TPA authorizes the president to enter into a trade agreement only after Congress has given its approval. The 2015 TPA bill has a provision that allows Congress to rescind TPA at any time if the administration fails to meet certain negotiating objectives, “effectively stopping any bad agreement in its tracks,” Emmer said.
Emmer also noted the importance of trade to the economy of his home state of Minnesota, the fourth largest exporter of agriculture in the nation.
“In my home state of Minnesota, more than 260,000 Minnesotans rely on foreign trade and investment to provide for their families,” d Emmer, who represents the state’s 6th District, said.
Minnesota exported more than $30 billion of goods in 2013, driven mainly by agriculture and manufacturing. The state’s exporters, the majority of which are small and medium-sized businesses and farmers, have helped lift the state’s economy. Minnesota is the fourth largest exporter of agriculture in the nation.
The countries included in the TPP consist of 40 percent of the global economy, and that opens Minnesota exporters up to new markets, reduces tariff barriers and increases access to foreign markets, Emmer said.