Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314, Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act, and Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 644, Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this. We have a duty here to legislate based on truth and not on fiction. Let's establish the facts. First of all, if you want really strong trade agreements, then you have to be in a position to negotiate those because, I will tell you, my friends, if we are not at the table, we are on the menu.
As we talk about growing the economy and growing jobs and making sure that America is secure going into the future, and if you are worried about having an agreement that doesn't meet the demands that the American people are asking for, trade promotion authority is the only thing that gives us the ability to drive strong trade agreements to make sure that every single American is taken care of.
Now, this TPA does not give President Obama any new power, none whatsoever. For those of us who don't trust the President's judgment, then TPA is absolutely necessary. It is not an option. We look at things and we talk about the people's House and what the responsibility of the people's House is and how would the people's House move forward.
This puts us in the driver's seat. This allows this Congress, the people's House, to set the parameters of any future trade agreements. It does not negate them; it enforces them. So if you are worried about a strong trade agreement, then make sure that we give ourselves the power to actually set the parameters of the way a trade agreement should look.
It is time to get rid of all this bogeyman talk about what is going on. I have got to tell you, if you want the United States of America to dominate a global economy and not just participate in a global economy, then you have to have trade promotion authority. My lifetime has been spent negotiating. When you sit down at the table to actually negotiate something, the question that always came up to me: Was there anybody else other than yourself that would be responsible for making the decision? Without that decision, without that clarity, we can't draw on strong trade agreements. TPA is the only thing that gives us that. If you want to strengthen our country, if you want to grow our economy, if you want to create new jobs for America, then we need strong trade agreements.
Now, fast track, anything but fast track. Smart track, safe track, sure track, and something that gets America's economy back on track--absolutely. Vote for TPA. Vote for American jobs. Vote for the United States of America to drive the global economy and continue to write the rules and not China.
If you really are concerned about American jobs, and if you are really concerned about America's role in the world, then don't put us behind; put us in front. Let America, with the strongest economy, drive the trade agreements. TPA gives us that, gives us the ability to grow an American economy, grow American jobs, and make America more safe and secure. And it gives our partners around the world the certainty that America has not walked away from the table; America will continue to be your strongest partner and your strongest ally to build a stronger and more safe world.
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