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Trade assistance measure may be reconsidered

The House, in effect, rejected Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for President Obama on Friday, defeating Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a measure to help to those hurt by trade deals.

House members subsequently passed TPA, however without the TAA provision, the bill would not be approved when it goes back to the Senate.

Before adjournment Friday, House Speaker John Boehner moved to reconsider TAA, which may happen next week.

The U.S. House recessed earlier Friday so that President Obama could meet on Capitol Hill with House Democrats and push for passage of his trade agenda.  Despite the president’s efforts, most Democratic House lawmakers voted against the measures.

Speaking early on in Friday’s floor debate, Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan said that establishing TPA is Congress saying that “we want America to lead.”

“We believe in our country, we believe in workers, we believe in our economy,” said Ryan, on the House floor.  “We want to open up markets so that we can use American ingenuity and American work to create American jobs so we can sell our goods and our services and our products overseas so we can create more good paying jobs right here are home.”

Democratic Lawmaker Sander Levin of Michigan spoke against the feature of Trade Promotion Authority that leaves Congress with an up or down vote on trade negotiations.

“We should be using our leverage to impact the negotiations,” Levin told House colleagues Friday, referring to the influence that can be brought to bear by members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  “This bill does not do that.”

Congresswoman Kristi Noem, a South Dakota Republican, spoke in favor of the bill citing good things that have come to her home state as a result of existing trade agreements.

“South Dakota tells the true story of what the benefits of trade can bring,” she said.  “When we have a trade agreement with another country, we sell eleven-and-a-half times more goods to that country than if there was no agreement in place.”

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democratic lawmaker, on the other hand, opposed TPA on the grounds that it precludes close examination of trade agreements.

“Fast track denies public scrutiny, it denies debate in this House, and it relinquishes our congressional authority and does not allow us to amend a piece of legislation that will have such an effect on peoples’ lives in this country,” said DeLauro.

Support for the trade measures also crossed party lines.  Congressman Ron Kind, a Democratic lawmaker from Wisconsin, argued for passage of TPA.

“This is an opportunity to move forward, getting the rules of trade and the standards elevated up to where we are, so we have a level playing field for our workers, our farmers, and our businesses to compete,” Kind said. “The alternative is a race to the bottom with no rules at all—or possibly with China’s rules.”

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said one of her objections to the trade legislation was language prohibiting the U.S. Trade Representative from negotiating climate change with other countries.

“The connection between the environment and commerce is inseparable,” said Pelosi.

Pelosi said her vote against Trade Adjustment Assistance was a vote to “slow down Fast Track—to get a better deal for the American people.”

Commodity organizations are disappointed by the defeat of TAA, but encouraged that TPA was passed.  National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling said his organization is disappointed by the House of Representatives’ inability to move forward with the full package of trade legislation.

“This is a blow to American farmers, livestock producers, businesses, and workers,” said Bowling in a prepared release.  “We hope that both houses of Congress and the White House can quickly resolve their differences and find a path forward. This legislation would bring us one step closer to open markets and greater access to millions of consumers living beyond our borders. It’s time for Congress to put aside petty politics, and stand up for American agriculture.”

The American Soybean Association issued a statement saying it welcomed House passage of fast track and calling for a compromise on TAA to move TPA forward.

Three trade measures were voted on by House members Friday.  The first, TAA, was defeated 126 to 302.  TPA was passed by House lawmakers 219 to 211 and finally, the Trade Enforcement and Customs bill passed 240 to 190.

Brownfield reporters Ken Anderson and Bob Meyer contributed to this article.