Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Tuesday regarding the Administration’s intention to include an expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance in legislation to implement the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement:

“Today’s action puts at risk what should be a bipartisan job-creation exercise.  By indicating their plans to include the controversial expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance that is opposed by a number of Republicans in the bill to implement the U.S.-Korea FTA, the Administration risks losing Republican support for something we have long been calling for. I would strongly urge the Administration to re-think this action, and urge them to send up all three pending trade agreements without delay and without extraneous poison pills included.  TAA should be considered separately along with an extension of Trade Promotion Authority as it traditionally has been since 1974. If the Administration isn't ready to embrace TPA, even limited to their negotiations related to the Trans Pacific Partnership, TAA should be considered separate from any trade agreement under regular order in the Senate and Senators should be given the chance to amend this controversial spending program. ”