O-SenseWe just commemorated Independence Day, the 239th birthday of our country. And here’s a national accomplishment truly worth celebrating – passage of Trade Promotion Authority by Congress. After all, free trade is as American as fireworks and apple pie.
Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo deserve thanks and praise for voting for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). It was a good vote for U.S. economic prosperity and good jobs.
As Crapo has said, the bill lays the groundwork for removing trade barriers and better positions the United States to negotiate and secure fair trade agreements that will result in greater market access for millions of American and Idaho farmers, ranchers and manufacturers.
The senator did not vote for TPA until he was convinced critical provisions were added to hold the Obama administration accountable. These improvements include language protecting the sovereignty of the United States, limiting negotiating authority to trade-related objectives, prohibiting negotiation of non-trade related issues, expanding Congressional involvement and oversight, requiring heightened transparency, and allowing Congress to withdraw trade promotion authority if the administration fails to comply with those rigorous requirements.
According to the Business Roundtable, future economic growth and jobs for Idaho and America increasingly depend on expanding U.S. trade and investment opportunities in the global marketplace.
Like it or not, we live in a global economy and our competitors are not just in the next city or the next state, but they are all around the world. More than 95 percent of the world’s population and 80 percent of the world’s purchasing power is outside the United States.
The Business Roundtable notes that international trade, including exports and imports, supports 195,537 Idaho jobs, more than one in five jobs in the state. These trade-related jobs grew 3.1 times faster than total employment from 2004 to 2013, and are found on Idaho farms, in factories, large and small companies, and at the headquarters of Idaho’s globally-engaged firms.
Idaho exported some $6.5 billion in goods and $1.6 billion in services in 2013, including semiconductors and components, oilseeds and grains, nonferrous minerals and travel services. Idaho has 1,757 exporting companies, with customers in 188 countries and territories.
Passage of TPA also demonstrates that Congress, under Republican leadership, can pass important legislation and work with a Democratic president on matters essential to the country.
Growing middle classes in countries around the world provide an enormous market for American goods and services if fair trade agreements are in place. Our competitors will provide those goods and services if America doesn’t, putting U.S. companies at a disadvantage. TPA provides the framework for successful and fair trade agreements.
What’s more, America’s role in the world is at stake. America must remain a world leader in trade, as well as in military might. The times that America has withdrawn from world leadership have been followed by horrible world wars and economic depressions. No one is positioned to lead like America, and we have a solemn obligation to do so. When we trade with countries we’re much less likely to fight wars against them.
Trade is how we export American values in the developing world. And, most importantly, trade is how we counter the growing influence of countries like China in the world economy.”
In voting for TPA, Crapo acknowledged it was a difficult vote. He faced pressure to vote no. Strong lobbies opposed it, including people on the far left and far right, along with numerous environmental groups and labor unions. That’s why Crapo deserves credit and thanks for voting courageously to support Idaho’s economy and jobs.
