Last Wednesday I attended a town hall meeting with our senator, Kelly Ayotte in Hooksett. When my name came up (the last called upon...no Kelly, I wasnt going to leave) I asked for her opinion on the TPP agreement looming over all our heads. TPP, or Trans Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement that will pretty much ensure American workers rights will be decreased along with wages in order for businesses to openly trade with Pacific rim countries. While giving her best deer in the headlights look she said she wasnt familiar with TPP and asked is that a trade agreement?. I tried explaining it but she insisted shed never heard of it. Yesterday I received an email from Senator Ayotte: January 28, 2014 Dear Mr. Conner: Thank you for contacting me regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). I appreciate hearing from you. As you know, the TPP is a proposed regional free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated by the United States, Vietnam, Singapore, Peru, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile, Brunei, Australia, and most recently, Mexico. Canada and Japan have also expressed interest in becoming parties to the agreement discussions. The scope of the agreement could have a significant impact on global trade as TPP members represent more than half of the worlds GDP. The framework of the agreement under discussion includes provisions to eliminate 11,000 tariffs and considerably open trade among the member nations. During these challenging economic times, American businesses should not have to face trade barriers, such as high tariffs, which put them at a competitive disadvantage. The United States now has FTAs with twenty countries. The elimination of trade barriers and tariffs is estimated to increase U.S. GDP by nearly $12 billion annually and U.S. goods exports by nearly $11 billion annually. With the highest growth rate in the Northeast and the fourth highest growth rate in the country, New Hampshire in particular stands to benefit from FTAs. New Hampshire exported $4.4 billion worth of merchandise in 2010, a major component of our states approximately $60 billion total GDP. We have 15,000 New Hampshire jobs supported by exports, which represents a quarter of our manufacturing sector, and in 2008, a total of 2,264 companies exported goods from our state. The improved access to foreign markets brought about by the FTAs allows our industries to continue to grow and contribute to the economic environment that has made New Hampshire an attractive place for entrepreneurs to build their businesses. I support trade agreements that will benefit the American economy and the people of New Hampshire by giving our businesses fair and equal access to sell American exports to other countries, thereby creating jobs in the United States. Creating jobs in New Hampshire and growing our economy are of the utmost importance to me. Please be assured that I will keep your comments in mind should the TPP come before the Senate for ratification. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. As your Senator, it is important that I hear from the people I represent regarding the current issues affecting New Hampshire and our nation. Please do not hesitate to be in touch again if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Kelly A. Ayotte U. S. Senator Im wondering if Kelly has had an epiphany?
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:13:24 +0000
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