Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement:
Today, I voted in the House of Representatives to grant Trade Promotion Authority, or TPA, to President Obama. This will allow our negotiators to craft the best possible deal they can get on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and will ensure that the American public has access to the deal for months before Congress votes on it. After reading drafts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, I believe it has the possibility to increase exports and create jobs here at home, and raise labor and environmental standards abroad while helping to lift millions of people out of poverty.
The TPA vote today did not come attached to a vote on extending the Trade Assistance Adjustment (TAA) program, which retrains and supports America workers who lose their jobs to globalization. I voted last week to extend a good Trade Adjustment Assistance package for six years, and that measure unfortunately failed. Moving forward, I share President Obama’s commitment to continuing this important program.