Mr. Chad Scott 411 E Main Street West Point, MS 39773-3003 Dear Mr. Scott: Thank you for contacting me to share your opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and fast track authority. It is good to hear from you, and I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this matter. We live in a world in which our foreign competitors are aggressively implementing trade agreements with each other. According to the Business Roundtable, “95 percent of the world’s population and 80 percent of the world’s purchasing power is outside the United States.” Currently, U.S. exports face significant foreign tariffs. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would potentially eliminate tariff lines among the countries of the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The Philippines and Japan have expressed interest in participating in TPP negotiations, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to meet eligibility requirements. Rest assured that House Republicans have no interest in giving the current administration free rein of trade agreement negotiations. The administration must work in open consultation with Congress. In January, the House Committee on Ways and Means introduced H.R. 3830, the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014 (TPA-2014), which seeks to establish congressional trade negotiating objectives, enhanced consultation requirements for trade negotiations, and to provide for consideration of trade agreements. As currently drafted, TPA-2014 would not give sole trade agreement negotiating authority to the administration. In fact, it would require the administration to publicly share information on any trade negotiations, and it would allow Congress and the public direct oversight of the administration’s trade negotiations. Aside from the Committee on Ways and Means direct oversight role, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) would be required to provide every Member of Congress access to the negotiating text, and USTR would be required to meet and consult with any interested Members of Congress, at any time. The legislation ensures enhanced transparency and coordination as well as a process for public participation and collaboration through written guidelines on public engagement. Further, the legislation sets clear and ambitious negotiating objectives for the administration and puts U.S. trading partners on notice about Congressional expectations. These objectives include: establishing new goods and services objectives for the digital age, strengthening rules for agriculture, protecting intellectual property, updating labor and environment, addressing currency manipulation, addressing impact of state-owned enterprises, and maintaining balanced objectives for investment. Ultimately the legislation keeps Congress - not the administration - in control of implementing trade bills. While the United States must be thoughtful in moving forward with future free trade agreements, free trade agreements help Mississippi farmers, manufacturers and businesses to compete globally, and ultimately create higher skilled better paying jobs at home. Ensuring that Congress and the public play a role in trade negotiations, trade agreements have the potential to provide tough oversight to monitor other countries and hold them accountable, while opening new markets for American manufacturing, services, and agriculture. It is just as important to sell American as it is to buy American. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this important matter. I hope that you will continue to keep me informed of the issues important to you and your family, as your input helps me to better serve you as your Representative in Congress. If you would like to stay informed of the latest issues coming out of Washington, you can visit Nunnelee.house.gov/email to sign up for my e-newsletter. Sincerely, Alan Nunnelee Member of Congress
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:40:34 +0000
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