Congresswoman Slaughter Joins Workers at Local Manufacturing Business PGM Corp. to Unveil New Trade Legislation

ROCHESTER, NY — Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (NY-25) joined workers at PGM Corp. to call for a new direction in our country’s trade policy. Slaughter, a leading opponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, unveiled the Trade Deficit Reduction Act, legislation that would change how we approach international trade to make it benefit our workers and manufacturers.

“The last thing our community needs as we work to reignite our manufacturing base with advanced technologies like optics and photonics is to undo this progress by enacting another NAFTA-style trade deal. We need a whole new direction in our trade policy, which is why I am standing with workers from PGM Corp. today to unveil the Trade Deficit Reduction Act. This legislation will change how we approach international trade and make it benefit our workers and manufacturers,” said Slaughter.

“Congresswoman Slaughter has been a leader in Congress opposing bad trade deals that hurt Rochester manufacturers and ship our jobs overseas. She understands that every dollar of the trade deficit represents lost potential for American workers. The Trade Deficit Reduction Act will help make our trade policy work for our manufacturers and our workers. This bill is a good start in reaching the goal of balanced trade,” said Kevin Kelley, executive director of the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association.

Trade deficits represent missed opportunities for American workers. The United States, once the manufacturer for the world, has run annual trade deficits since the 1970s. Those deficits grew precipitously in the 1990s following the enactment of NAFTA and China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the annual trade deficit for goods and services in 1993 was $70 billion. In 2015, it was $500 billion.

Slaughter’s Trade Deficit Reduction Act would put a government-wide focus on addressing the most significant trade deficits that exist between the United States and other countries. The bill would require the administration to identify the countries with which the U.S. has the worst trade deficits. The bill also directs the administration to develop plans of action to address the trade deficits with those countries, with strict deadlines and oversight from Congress.

Slaughter has worked tirelessly to help Rochester manufacturers while defending them from unfair competition overseas. In March, she led a bipartisan effort with members New York congressional delegation urging President Obama to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The TPP is a 12-country megadeal modeled after the job-killing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has been negotiated in secret. The trade agreement would give foreign companies increased access to the lucrative American market, forcing U.S. workers to compete with countries such as Vietnam, where the minimum wage is less than 65 cents an hour and workers’ rights are almost nonexistent.

###