Thompson Vote No on TPA Legislation

Statement

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today voted against H.R. 1890, the so-called "fast track" legislation that would allow for Congress to consider future trade deals without the ability to offer amendments. The legislation, considered today by the House Ways and Means Committee, would allow negotiated trade treaties to be submitted to Congress for an up or down vote. Members of Congress would not be able to offer amendments to improve trade deals.

"If trade deals are done right, they can be a huge win for our economy. I witnessed this firsthand on a recent congressional trip to South East Asia. It's an enormous market, and if we can gain access to this market, while protecting American jobs, then we could see a big boost in our exports. If we boost our exports, businesses grow, wages rise, and new jobs are created.

"Improvements can be made to this bill to strengthen important benchmarks such as the creation and protection of good American jobs, improved market access for U.S. goods, strong labor and environmental standards, and meaningful congressional oversight. A good trade bill has the potential to address these concerns, but unfortunately both sides couldn't come together to make the necessary improvements.

"We should do all we can to grow exports because it means more jobs, but it cannot be done at the expense of American workers, health and safety, and the environment. There is room for improvement in this bill and it is my hope that we can work across the aisle to make those improvements as the bill moves forward."

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