In The News
Babin Issues Statement on Trade Negotiating Legislation
Washington,
June 12, 2015
Washington, DC –Today, the U.S. Congress had under consideration H.R. 1314, trade negotiating legislation that is nearly identical to legislation that was approved by the U.S. Senate May 22nd. Rep. Brian Babin released the following statement: “The 36th Congressional District is a hub of pipelines, oil, gas, chemicals, timber, paper, rail, shipping and trucking and is the second largest exporter in the State of Texas. We have the largest concentration of petrochemical facilities in the nation and they are in need of new export markets. Already, these factories are shipping 20%, 30% or more of their product overseas and thousands of Texas jobs depend on it. “A good trade agreement, designed and controlled by Congress, could open up one billion new overseas customers for American-made products – shipping products made by hardworking Americans in places like Pasadena, Deer Park and Orange and shipped out of our Texas ports. “That’s why I joined Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn in voting for H.R. 1314. Most conservatives in the House voted for H.R. 1314; including Reps. Jeb Hensarling, Steve King and Tim Huelskamp. In fact, nearly every Republican in the Texas Congressional delegation voted for it, and it has been endorsed by conservatives like Charles Krauthammer. “There is considerable confusion about what was included in H.R. 1314 and what was not. In fact, if everything I have read about the bill were true, I would have voted against it. “The suggestion that the text of H.R. 1314 is secret is outright false. H.R. 1314 has been available to the public since mid-May, prior to the Senate vote. Earlier versions of the text, which have largely remained intact, have been available since mid-April. “H.R. 1314 is not a trade agreement, nor does H.R. 1314 enter the United States into an international agreement or treaty with any other country. What H.R. 1314 does is to permit the Administration to engage in trade negotiations with other countries but only under certain conditions. There are 150 strict guidelines that the Administration must follow as it engages in trade negotiations. Should the Administration fail to follow those guidelines, H.R. 1314 puts in place language so we can stop the entire trade agreement. “H.R. 1314 significantly increases transparency in trade negotiations, something that has been lacking in past negotiations. Transparency brings accountability. And for the first time in trade policy, Members of Congress will have a seat at the trade negotiation table – this is a new opportunity to hold the Administration accountable because they can no longer negotiate in secret – Congress must be involved. “I voted for H.R. 1314 because it places parameters around the trade agreements the Administration can negotiate, gives Congress a seat at the table and brings transparency. I worked with Rep. Steve King to secure provisions that specifically ban immigration and global warming regulations from being included in trade agreements. “Prior to H.R. 1314 President Obama could negotiate trade deals all on his own, keep all the negotiating texts and documents hidden from the public, and work with his allies in Congress to advance his own trade priorities – just as he has done on the outrageous and unacceptable Iranian nuclear ‘deal.’ If anything, the outrageous Iran deal demonstrates how much Congress needs a seat at the negotiating table and H.R. 1314 does that. “Importantly, H.R. 1314 prevents Congress from voting on any future trade agreement that has not been posted on a website for the public to review for at least 60 days. This means that every single American can review components of any trade legislation that is pending before Congress. “Since 2000 there have been a hundred trade agreements to which the United States has not been a party. While our international competitors have been actively engaged in seeking new export markets, these agreements have left the U.S. and our American-made goods on the sidelines. Americans are the most efficient producers in the world, and we need to find markets for our exports. If we remain on the sidelines foreign markets will continue to establish agreements that put U.S.-made goods at a disadvantage. China, for example, routinely participates in unfair trade practices and has been actively seeking export markets for its goods across Asia, which exclude the U.S. from those markets. We can sit on the sidelines and allow China to capture those markets, or we can negotiate a free and fair trade agreement to expand markets for U.S.-made goods. “Finally, as an additional safeguard, is that if Obama cheats on the deal, lies about what’s in it, or if it hurts American workers, the American people can help us expose it and Congress will cancel this authority, vote down the free trade agreement, or both.” Supporting Individuals and Groups: Texas Forestry Association Economic Alliance Houston Port Region The National Review Letter of Support from 26 conservative groups |
