Ag Community, Senator Daines, Chamber of Commerce, Conservatives, Defense Experts Applaud Zinke Amendment and Vote for More Transparent TPA

Press Release

Today members of Montana's agriculture and business communities, national defense experts and conservatives applauded Rep. Ryan Zinke for making the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA) more transparent. Zinke maintained steadfast opposition to the version of TPA the Senate passed in May because he believes President Obama cannot be trusted to make deals on behalf of the American people if the negotiations are not totally transparent. Zinke's amendment, which is included in the customs bill, will create a bipartisan panel, selected by Congress, that will sit in the trade negotiations and report directly back to Congress. Montana agriculture and business trade groups, unions and constituents need this safeguard against secret deals. For the first time, Congress is now given the ability to fully monitor and shut TPA off if the President steps out of line and violates any of the 150 conditions imposed by Congress.

The following statement is from Rep. Ryan Zinke:

"American Trade and liberty is not free, it is earned every day. Ronald Reagan said it best, "trust but verify.' When there is no trust, then there must be greater transparency. I do not trust the President or his administration as they have demonstrated lawlessness and executive power abuse. I also understand the importance of fair trade and its economic impact to Montana and our national economy. That is exactly why I worked so hard with all parties to strengthen the transparency and accountability provisions in the House version of TPA.

"My provision gives Congress full oversight of all negotiations and removes the risk of secret behind closed door deals. Coupled with a failsafe trigger that gives Congress the power to stop the negotiation authority should the administration violate the 150 trade mandates, my amendment provides verification and puts the American people at the negotiation table.

"Global trade is critical to Montana's economy and to our national defense, which is why, as an elected official who is accountable to Montanans. I could not support the Senate version of TPA without making major changes to make it more transparent. After months of consulting with Montana's agriculture, manufacturing and labor community, it became clear we needed to work together to find a solution that ensures American trade grows, our economy prospers, and we have good paying jobs in the future.

"In Montana alone, more than 137,000 jobs are supported by global trade; we export more wheat than almost every other state, and coal on the Crow Nation is valued at $1.5 billion dollars in the Pacific Rim markets. I am proud to join Senator Daines, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Grain Growers, Stockgrowers and others, in ensuring fair trade for Montana businesses, farmers and ranchers."

Senator Steve Daines added: "Establishing fair and transparent trade policies are critical to ensuring Montana farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and small businesses remain competitive in the global marketplace. I appreciate Representative Zinke's work to further strengthen this important bill and look forward to working alongside him to expand Montanans' access to global markets."

"The Montana Grain Growers Association thanks Congressman Zinke for his vote in support of TPA," said Charlie Bumgarner, President of the Montana Grain Growers Association. "Recognizing the importance of foreign trade to Montana grain producers, Ryan stayed in close contact with us and was successful in including important language that will provide greater transparency during trade negotiations. MGGA and the grain producers of Montana appreciate Congressman Zinke's support of our industry."

"Ryan Zinke worked tirelessly to ensure that robust transparency provisions were added to TPA," said conservative Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee (TX-5).

"We applaud Rep. Zinke's vote for Montana after making TPA more transparent and giving industry leaders a seat at the table," said Webb Brown, President/CEO of Montana Chamber of Commerce. "Global trade is critical to Montana's economy and it supports thousands of jobs and small businesses in our state. With a vast majority of America's consumers beyond our borders, the easiest way for us to grow our businesses and the local economies is to compete globally."

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