Mitt Romney: "TPA is good for America"
Yesterday, former Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement to his nearly 11 million Facebook followers in support for trade promotion authority, or TPA, echoing the fact that stronger trade agreements will bring bigger markets and better-paying jobs to American workers.
"It probably wouldn't be a bad rule of thumb to oppose anything President Obama supports. But Trade Promotion Authority is an exception. Admittedly, his ham-handed rally at Nike gives pause—he should instead have visited New Balance, which still makes some of its shoes in the United States. But putting Obama's missteps aside, TPA is good for America. "Global trade happens. The old Soviet Union tried to wall itself off from trade and got poorer and weaker as a result. In the modern world, if you can't compete, you can't survive and thrive. Fortunately, America can compete—and succeed—if the rules are right, and if they are enforced. Our trade with China has been decidedly disadvantageous because China cheated, big time. And if we don't negotiate a fair and enforceable trade regime with other nations in Asia, China's cheating will get even worse. "I can't be sure that President Obama can negotiate a trade deal that's good for America, but I am sure that the Republican Congress will turn down one that's not. And properly crafted, a trade deal will mean more and better paying jobs for Americans—the 38 million trade related jobs in America today pay a good deal more than the average. We can't ignore the fact that 95% of the world's consumers live outside the United States: if we can't successfully sell our products and services to them, we will become an economic backwater like the Soviet Union—and ultimately face the same fate. "Let's direct the president to do his best and then vote it up or down." ### |