Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. I thank our distinguished ranking member, Mr. Levin of Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this limited fast-track trade debate.

Proponents of TPA are trying to lure votes for this Pacific deal by cynically adding $700 million to trade adjustment assistance to take care of millions more people who are going to lose their jobs as billions and billions more of our productive wealth is outsourced to other countries. What a fig leaf. It is too little for the damage about to be done.

The eyes of working families in communities across our country are focused on Congress today, hoping we will finally stand up and do what is right for America. This latest job outsourcing trade deal serves only the 1 percent, rewarding the few at the expense of the many. It is a great deal for Wall Street, and it is a great deal for transnational corporations. But for Main Street, a shrinking middle class, and millions more of our workers, it is another punch to the gut.

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Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, this week's scenario reminds me of the NAFTA fight. To pick up wavering Members back then, a deal was cut even to protect the corn broom industry, but in this deal, we don't protect people. In this deal, there is no protection against human trafficking. That has been stripped out. So we have protections for corn brooms but not for people.

In return for securing votes for narrow interests to gain a majority for passage, a few thousand people may benefit handsomely from these little provisions, but America won't. We will continue to rack up massive trade and job deficits as world markets remain closed to us, as they have for four decades. State-run enterprises will continue to eat more of our lunch. And for America's working class, millions more of whom will be left out in the cold, the TPP will be a truly pathetic package. I urge ``no,'' ``no,'' ``no'' votes this afternoon. Stand up for America's workers for a change.

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