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NFU opposes fast-track trade bill

The National Farmers Union (NFU) says fast-track trade negotiating authority for the President of the United States, TPA, is a transfer of authority which limits appropriate oversight. Chandler Goule  is NFU’s vice president of government relations, “National Farmers Union has long felt that we should stick with what the Constitution says and the United States Congress – those who represent their constituents – should be able to weigh-in on what these trade agreements look like.”

Last week, Senator Max Baucus and Congressman Dave Camp introduced a fast-track trade authority bill to help move the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal along. Ghoule tells Brownfield the TPP has been difficult to work through and there have only been a few stakeholder meetings in Washington, D.C. “And, there’s really been a lack of transparency of exactly what is in here – not only about agriculture but we’ve heard some concerns about health insurance, intellectual property rights and other issues that are in these agreements.”

Goule says NFU holds that free trade agreements must be fair to all parties concerned and that over the past few decades that hasn’t been the case, “We have seen increased exports in agriculture in certain free trade agreements but when you look at the overall deficit that we’re running in trade, these free trade agreements have never lived up to all the promises that they’ve always laid out.”

Goule says Congress should be able to look into these issues so that organizations can weigh-in with their representatives in order for their trade policies to be reflected in trade agreements.

Interview with Chandler Goule (5:00 mp3)