Today, the House of Representatives narrowly voted to give the president the authority to fast-track trade agreements through Congress.  If the Senate approves the stand-alone Fast-Track bill, Congress will be limited to just an up-or-down vote on any administration-negotiated trade deals with no amendments allowed and only limited debate.  Choosing to protect American workers, American manufacturers, and our environment, Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) voted no again on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), commonly referred to as the Fast-Track bill.

“Today is a sad day for the American people, especially the quickly-eroding middle class,” said Rep. Lipinski.  “The House – made up of men and women that have been elected by the American people to represent them – has voluntarily decided to give away their constitutional authority on trade, increasing the likelihood of yet another trade agreement like NAFTA and the Korea Free Trade Agreement that destroys American jobs, lowers wages, and puts the consumer and environmental protections we rely on in doubt.  

“The biggest problem with this bill is that it does not adequately deal with currency manipulation, which is the mechanism that many countries use to make American goods more expensive, thus killing even more American jobs.  Right now, the President is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with 11 major countries that comprise 40% of the United States’ goods trade.  In fact, we have been told that once TPA is law the TPP negotiations will be done in two weeks.  What this really means is that TPP is complete, but it is being kept hidden from the American people.  I have read the parts of the TPP they will let me see, and I know it’s a bad deal.  If the Senate passes the stand-alone Fast-Track bill, I plan to use the only option I have left, my up-or-down vote, to stand with American workers and American manufacturing and oppose TPP.”