Every president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has had some mechanism like trade promotion authority (TPA) to help advance America’s trade agenda. Otherwise, it’s difficult to complete agreements and get the best deals from our trading partners. Still, some have asserted that our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, didn’t have or need TPA to expand trade. That, however, is just a myth. The… Read more

With oral arguments at the Supreme Court behind us, now the wait begins. In a few months, we’ll learn whether the Court has found—as any fair-minded reading of the law demands— that the Obama administration went beyond its authority by paying out Obamacare subsidies in states that used the federal health care exchange. But instead of simply standing by, Republicans in… Read more

American job creators need fair and strong rules that hold people in other countries accountable when they violate our intellectual property rights. And that’s one more reason why we need to pass trade promotion authority (TPA). A healthy economy requires strong protections for intellectual property, as a study by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows. The study finds: … Read more

Here's a stat: 98 percent of American exporters are small- and medium-sized companies—and they represent 40 percent of the value of U.S. exporters. It’s no secret that small businesses drive a healthy economy, but less understood is that they stand to gain enormously from breaking down barriers to trade with other nations.  Of course, 96 percent of the world’s customers live… Read more

Support for expanding American trade spans the ideological spectrum, and now a bipartisan group of former top presidential economic advisors is underscoring that fact. In a letter to congressional leaders, 14 men and women who served as chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers are calling on Congress to pass trade promotion authority, noting that it… Read more

The disturbing news from the Pacific is that China continues to beef up construction in disputed territory and spread its brand of “state capitalism.” At the same time, our allies question whether the United States is truly committed to being a world leader. In Europe, Russia continues its belligerence, and Europe is unable to respond effectively because of its dependence on Russian… Read more

As we pointed out yesterday, expanding trade will help American farmers and ranchers thrive. Today, a bipartisan group of former U.S. Agriculture Secretaries echoed this message in an open letter to Congress: As former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, we know firsthand the importance of trade to America's farm and ranch families. Access to export markets is vital for increasing sales… Read more

America's farmers and ranchers will reap enormous benefits from expanding U.S. trade. Rural communities across the country rely heavily on the global economy for their livelihoods, but many of our agricultural exports are hitting trade barriers. That’s why passing trade promotion authority (TPA) is so important. It will help us reach high-standard trade agreements, which will tear… Read more

Farmers and ranchers are rallying behind the bipartisan effort to pass trade promotion authority. Foreign demand for U.S. agriculture products is rapidly increasing, but our exports are hitting trade barriers. Passage of TPA would ensure high-standard trade agreements tear down these barriers and increase export opportunities for U.S. agriculture workers. … Read more

February 19, 2015 — Members of the congressional delegation meet with Japanese Prime Minister Abe. Members of a congressional delegation led by Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) arrived in Tokyo Wednesday evening to round out a trip to three countries in Asia.   Japan is one of the United States’s top trading partners, and our alliance is central to American… Read more