White House Pushes Congress on TPA, Calls TPP the 'Most Progressive' Trade Pact to Date
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill need to rally together to pass Trade Promotion Authority and bring home the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the White House said in a statement and video on Feb. 18. The TPP will boost U.S. manufacturing and allow U.S. businesses to access rapidly growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region, said President Barack Obama in the statement (here).
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The TPP agreement will also ensure the U.S. defines standards for trade in the region, said Obama. “Right now, China wants to write the rules for commerce in Asia,” Obama said. “If it succeeds, our competitors would be free to ignore basic environmental and labor standards, giving them an unfair advantage over American workers.” The Obama administration has often said it’s open to China joining the TPP at some point in the future.
The White House’s video pointed to Obama’s State of the Union comments in support of trade, which championed the higher wages associated with export-related jobs (see 1501210016). The TPP would be the “most progressive trade agreement the world has ever seen” and would boost standards for labor and environmental protections in the Asia-Pacific region, said the White House video..