Hartzler, House Vote to Give Congress Much-Needed Authority

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) and the House today passed Trade Promotion Authority, giving Congress more authority in trade negotiations and preserving the ability to express the will of the American people through an up or down vote on any proposed trade deals.

“Today’s vote allows Congress to insert itself into the trade negotiating process,” Hartzler said.  “We now have the ability to set parameters for the negotiations of trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), see the negotiating text, and ultimately kill the deal if we don’t find it to be satisfactory.  Just as important, this bill requires that any proposed deal be made public for at least 60 days – giving the American people a chance to see for themselves what any deal will contain and voice their opinions accordingly – before Congress votes on the deal.”

“The fact of the matter is we are behind in respects to trade negotiations,” Hartzler added.  “We can now begin to make sure other countries are playing by our rules, giving Americans a level playing field with all of our trading partners.  Being able to remove some of the overly inflated tariffs from our goods means more ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ products can be sold around the world.  This translates into more jobs here at home, where trade-connected jobs are paid on average 18 percent more than non-trade jobs.  Trade promotion authority will help deliver the strongest possible trade agreements that will boost American exports while also making trade negotiators more accountable to Congressional priorities, trade negotiations more transparent, and Congressional oversight more effective.”

Congresswoman Hartzler represents Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  She serves on the House Agriculture, Armed Services, and Budget Committees.

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