TPP Response from Congressman Steve Israel

I was glad to see Mr. Israel agrees with my views.  It's not too late to contact your reps at contactingthecongress.com 

Dear Mr. Albrecht:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I appreciate your thoughts on this matter and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is a proposed free trade agreement between a number of countries located on the Pacific Rim, including the United States, Chile, New Zealand, and Japan. If enacted, this free trade agreement would considerably lower, or even eliminate, trade barriers, in order to deepen economic ties between the member nations. The original agreement, the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, was forged between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in 2006, and will be expanded as a part of the current TPP. Both the House of Representatives and Senate must approve free trade agreements before they can come into force.

We need free trade, but we also need fair trade, so American workers are protected. Any free trade bill should require that the countries we work with have adequate standards on environmental and labor protections. It is also important that any trade agreement or trade policy proposal protects American workers and provides a level playing field. Finally, we must ensure that the safety standards currently in place in the U.S., in industries as far reaching as food safety and transportation, are preserved to keep American workers and consumers safe.

I have stated previously that I will not support legislation that does not meet those guidelines, and last Congress I voted against several free trade agreements because I believed they did not provide enough benefits to the American economy nor safeguard American workers and consumers.

Additionally, I do not believe that the Obama Administration has fully or adequately consulted with Congress on the numerous issues under discussion in the TPP, despite repeated requests to do so. And even more troubling is the fact that the Administration may try to use "Fast Track" trade promotion authority to exclude Congress from the negotiations and unduly rush the approval process. 

That's why I joined with 151 of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama outlining our opposition to using Fast Track authority for the TPP.  The negotiations surrounding the TPP should include Congressional input and Congress should not be rushed into considering the agreement.  

Please be assured, if legislation regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership should come to a vote on the House floor, I will keep your views firmly in mind.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to do so again on any matter of concern. You can keep in touch by liking my Facebook page (Facebook.com/RepSteveIsrael), or following me on Twitter (@RepSteveIsrael). You can also visit my website (http://house.gov/israel) to learn more about the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-mail updates.

 Sincerely,
 Steve Israel
 Member of Congress

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