U.S. Reps. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) and John Katko (R-NY) commended President Donald Trump’s executive action on Monday to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) international trade agreement.
By taking that action, the Trump administration signaled it would pursue U.S. trade policy that focuses on bilateral free trade opportunities with allies around the world to promote U.S. industry, protect American workers and raise wages.
Poliquin has voted against the TPP on multiple occasions, and said in August that he would not support the trade deal because it would be bad for Maine workers.
“As I have said time and time again, this massive and secretive trade deal is bad for Maine workers,” Poliquin said on Monday. “Today, I applaud the president’s swift action in officially withdrawing the U.S. from the TPP, something that many Mainers agree with. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. This is about jobs. This is about Maine jobs. I will continue to push for fair trade for Maine.”
Katko said that when properly negotiated, trade deals can be beneficial to the United States and the world economy.
“However, I took a stand against the Trans-Pacific Partnership because it failed to prioritize the American workforce, address unfair trade practices, and prevent currency manipulation,” he said. “Significantly, the TPP ignored the mistakes of past trade deals which have harmed Central New York’s manufacturing workforce and economy considerably. I applaud President Trump for today’s action and look forward to building upon this momentum in Congress to reform our tax code, reign in regulation, and help grow our economy,” Katko added.