CEO DATELINE - Associations blast Senate for failure to pass trade promotion authority
CEO DATELINE - Associations blast Senate for failure to pass trade promotion authority
- May 13, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
Reauthorization is a top priority for many business groups
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Disappointed. Discouraged. Dismayed. Those are just some of the words associations are using to describe Tuesday's vote by the Senate against giving the president expanded powers to negotiate trade deals.
Passage of trade promotion authority is one of the top priorities for the business community. It is also a top priority for President Barack Obama as he attempts to close a trade deal with Pacific Rim countries. But critics contend the deal would lead to fewer U.S. jobs, weakened environmental regulations and even higher prescription drug prices. http://bit.ly/1E5sAAa
Many of those critics are in Obama's own party, with Senate Democrats voting en masse against trade promotion authority. No voices of dissent can be found among associations, which have been among the policy's most vocal supporters.
"The politics surrounding this issue are thorny, but there is no question that open trade is a powerhouse for economic growth and job creation," U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow said. "The travel industry is the perfect case in point: International visitors to the U.S. directly generated $221 billion for the economy in 2014 alone, with each spending an average of $4,300 per trip while consuming virtually no public services."
Tom Linebarger, chair of the Business Roundtable's International Engagement Committee, said TPA was critical to getting the "best possible outcomes in trade negotiations."
"Expanding trade opportunities for America's businesses and farmers is key to supporting well-paying jobs and delivering much-needed economic growth," he said.
David French, senior vice president for government relations at the National Retail Federation, said "job creation and capital investment took a back seat to those who could not rise above political gamesmanship."
"While we are frustrated by the vote, we remain committed to free and open trade that ultimately benefits American consumers, families, retailers and workers," he added.
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