Ways and Means Republicans Advocate for TPA Renewal
Trade Promotion Authority, colloquially known as "fast track," expired in July, and the Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee are asking the Biden administration to talk to Congress about bringing TPA back. "Like you, we believe that with the right global trading rules in place, American workers and businesses not only can compete in the global economy -- they can win. And like you, we agree that the wrong thing to do in the face of these challenges 'is to put our heads in the sand and say no more trade deals,'" they wrote, quoting an essay by Joe Biden published in 2020.
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"TPA signals to the world, including our competitors, that America is at the table, leading on trade policy, and capable of getting trade deals done. Our view is that every President, from either party, should have TPA in order to ensure America is best positioned for ambitious new trade agreements," they said. The Aug. 2 letter also says they believe there is bipartisan support for completing free trade deals with Kenya and the United Kingdom. "We know there also is intense bipartisan interest in exploring other potential trade negotiations in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world," they wrote.
Although TPA is supposed to mean a deal negotiated by the administration moves through Congress without amendment on a timeline, the NAFTA rewrite was negotiated again with House Democrats, and underwent significant changes, before it started going through the official fast-track process.