Ways and Means members pound the drum to promote TPA legislation

With Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation working its way through the U.S. House this month, members of the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), are promoting the benefits of a strong TPA policy.

Advocates for TPA are turning up on radio and television, as well as in op-eds, newsletters and magazines across the country – all working to make sure Americans understand TPA and that it will bring more jobs, bolster national security, and make the White House administration more accountable for its actions.

For instance, U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH), chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, wrote about the positive impacts of strong trade on his state’s economy in the Delaware Gazette.

“Trade agreements knock down barriers and fuel rapid export growth in our state,” he wrote. “Over the past 10 years, Ohio exports have increased by 37 percent, with the most growth in goods going to our free trade partners. With more than 95 percent of the world’s customers living outside the United States, gaining access to those customers is key.”

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) also wrote an op-ed for TIME.com, discussing the conservative case for TPA.

“As the saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day,”  Kelly wrote. “When it comes to TPA and the trade agreements to follow, the current administration is the broken clock. Conservatives in Congress should recognize the opportunity at hand and grant a crucial victory to the principles of American dominance, domestic prosperity and government accountability that we hold so dear.”

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) shared his thoughts on TPA in Nebraska newspapers, radio stations and television. 

“If a trade agreement is deemed by Congress to meet all the required objectives under TPA, it would be given an up-or-down vote,”  Smith wrote in the York News-Times. “If not, TPA has a built-in off switch to stop the agreement from moving forward. We need to pass TPA to ensure Congress can oversee every aspect of U.S. trade negotiations and enforce the objectives important to all Americans, from agriculture producers to manufacturers to consumers.”

In the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) wrote an article explaining how Minnesotans will benefit from the proposed trade deals.

“When it comes to trade—and its role in building a healthier economy—the numbers don’t lie,” Paulsen wrote. “Jobs that rely on trade pay 18 percent more than the national average. One in five U.S. jobs depends on trade. And it’s businesses of all sizes and their employees that benefit. For instance, small- and medium-sized businesses make up 90 percent of the Minnesota companies that export goods and services to other countries. This is why you’re seeing congressional Republicans and Democrats work with President Obama to advance trade opportunities that benefit American workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses.”