Letter From My Congressman About TPA and TPP

I wrote to my US Representative directing him to vote AGAINST trade promotion authority, TPP, TTIP, and TISA - and this is his response:

August 5, 2015

Dear Saint Howard,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I always appreciate hearing from those I represent in Congress.

I believe that free trade is vital to our domestic economy and to our role in an ever-increasing global economy. In Texas, 3 million jobs and over 20% of the state's GDP are tied to trade. As important as free trade is to Texas and our economy, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the legislative vehicle to provide a set of guidelines that the President must follow in negotiating free trade agreements, is just as vital. Article II of the Constitution grants the President authority to negotiate treaties and international agreements, but Article I assigns express authority over the regulation of foreign trade to Congress, meaning only Congress has the power to write and change laws governing U.S trade practices.

In order to shape the President's negotiating authority, Congress passed H.R. 2146, the Trade Priorities and Accountability Act - commonly known as Trade Promotion Authority. I support this bill and it was agreed to in the Senate, and signed into law by the President on June 29. TPA directs the President in negotiating future trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, guarantees that Congress has a meaningful role in all trade negotiations, and it requires the President to publish the text of a completed trade agreement 60 days before signing it. TPA also sets up mechanisms for Congress to turn off the expedited procedures if the administration fails to meet all of its TPA obligations. With TPA codified as law, the administration can now work to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership within the strict parameters set by Congress.

It is important to note, TPA and TPP are NOT the same thing. The TPP is an international free-trade agreement that is currently being negotiated between the United States and 12 other Asian-pacific nations, including Australia, Chile, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam to name a few. There has also been an unfortunate amount of misinformation spread about what TPA is and what it is not. I would like to address some of this misinformation to illustrate how important this legislation is.

Some have argued that passing TPA means Congress is ceding its power to the President. This is false. Once the TPP is finalized, it must still be presented to Congress for ratification via an up or down vote. Further, TPA actually constrains the President during the TPP negotiations.  If you read the TPA text, you will see that passing TPA accomplishes two important goals when it comes to accountability during the TPP negotiations. 1.) Passing TPA sets 150 Congressional priorities and negotiating objectives for the President. In negotiating TPP, if the Administration does not adhere to these obligations, TPA can be revoked and the TPP cannot move forward. 2.) Passing TPA protects U.S. sovereignty by affirming that, while the President can negotiate trade agreements, only Congress can change U.S. law.

Trade is essential to American jobs and economic opportunities for families in Texas and in the 17th Congressional District. It is equally important that Congress provide strict oversight and ensure transparency and accountability during trade negotiations. Through TPA, Congress is able to oversee and restrict the President's power to negotiate trade deals. As a strong supporter of free trade and open markets, I am pleased that the passage of TPA now means that Congress will set the priorities for trade agreements and require the Obama Administration to make completed trade agreements public for 60 days before approval. Transparency and strong and enforceable rules that allow our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, workers, and exporters to compete on a level playing field with other nations is crucial to our nation's economy. Please know, as Congress and the administration continue to work on free trade agreements, I will keep your thoughts in mind should a trade agreement or trade policy legislation come before me on the House floor. To read an op-ed I co-authored or to learn more about free trade and how it affects Texas I encourage you to visit www.flores.house.gov/tpa.

Thank you for entrusting me to represent you in the United States Congress. If you would like more information on this or any other issue, please visit my website at http://flores.house.gov. You can also follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RepBillFlores and Facebook: http://facebook.com/RepBillFlores. Please do not hesitate to contact me again should you have further suggestions or concerns on any federal legislation or programs.

With great respect,

Bill Flores
Member of Congress

WHF/CT

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Dear Bill: TPP, TTIP, and TISA are in large part treaties, not mere trade agreements. Your characterization of them is false. They should NOT be passed using the "trade promotion authority" end run around the US Constitution.

It is not just the President to whom you are ceding authority; it is the market state to which you are caving in. You are a corporate stooge and not a true representative of either me or the people of Texas.

No, I will not be writing to you again, since you have ignored my express wishes in favor of the directives of your corporate puppet masters.