Ag member TPA, TAA votes largely follow party lines
June 15, 2015 |02:17 PM
For members of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, the votes on the bills to grant President Barack Obama trade promotion authority and to renew trade adjustment assistance largely followed party lines.
On the trade promotion authority bill, which passed by a vote of 219-211, most Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted yes, although Reps. Chris Gibson of New York and Ted Yoho of Florida did not.
Most Democrats voted no, although Reps. Jim Costa of California, Suzan DelBene of Washington state and Brad Ashford of Nebraska voted yes.
All the Republicans on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted for TPA except the chairman, Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama. All the Democrats on the subcommittee voted no, except Rep. Sam Farr of California.
On the trade adjustment assistance bill, which failed to pass the House by a vote of 126-302, most Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted against it, but five voted for it: Reps. Mike Rogers of Alabama, Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, Dan Benishek of Michigan, Tom Emmer of Minnesota and John Moolenaar of Michigan.
All the Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee voted against it except Costa, Farr, DelBene and Ashford.
Three Republicans on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted for TAA: Aderholt, David Valadao of California and David Young of Iowa.
All the Democrats on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted against TAA except Farr.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, who voted for TPA and against TAA, urged his colleagues to vote for TPA in a floor speech.
“With negotiations in the World Trade Organization languishing for the past 14 years, regional free trade agreements represent our best opportunity for expanding trade opportunities for U.S. agriculture.,” Conaway said.
“But as history has shown, in one form or another, trade promotion authority has been vital in completing and implementing past agreements.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who had remained neutral on TPA and TAA but voted against both, said in a statement, “I cannot support TPA until the full scope of the pending trade agreement is made clear. I still do not have adequate answers about the agreement’s potential gains or losses, especially those to agriculture and rural communities.”
“The administration says nothing in these trade agreements is going to force the United States to change it laws,” Peterson added.
“But the House this week did just that, voting to repeal country of origin labeling because of trade retaliation scare tactics. Given the outcomes of past trade agreements I believe it is important that the full details are known and a thorough review is complete before moving forward.”
But after TAA was defeated, few members issued statements.
Aderholt, a Republican who had the most unusual pattern of voting against TPA and for TAA, said in a statement, “I am for jobs, American jobs — right here in America.”
“Exports generally equal jobs unless, of course, we are exporting our jobs,” Aderholt said. “The manufacturing base in America — be it steel or socks or widgets — has suffered over the previous agreements and I am not convinced what President Obama will come up with will be much different.”
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, who joined Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., a former House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee chairwoman, in leading the opposition, issued a statement after the votes.
“I'm very concerned with the kinds of trade deals these secret negotiations are going to produce, and I don’t think we should give the administration a fast track route to push them through Congress without any opportunity to modify or amend them,” Pingree said.
“Judging by what previous trade deals have done to manufacturing jobs in Maine and across the country, there are going to be parts of these new trade deals that are going to be bad for American workers.”
On the trade promotion authority bill, which passed by a vote of 219-211, most Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted yes, although Reps. Chris Gibson of New York and Ted Yoho of Florida did not.
Most Democrats voted no, although Reps. Jim Costa of California, Suzan DelBene of Washington state and Brad Ashford of Nebraska voted yes.
All the Republicans on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted for TPA except the chairman, Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama. All the Democrats on the subcommittee voted no, except Rep. Sam Farr of California.
On the trade adjustment assistance bill, which failed to pass the House by a vote of 126-302, most Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted against it, but five voted for it: Reps. Mike Rogers of Alabama, Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, Dan Benishek of Michigan, Tom Emmer of Minnesota and John Moolenaar of Michigan.
All the Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee voted against it except Costa, Farr, DelBene and Ashford.
Three Republicans on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted for TAA: Aderholt, David Valadao of California and David Young of Iowa.
All the Democrats on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee voted against TAA except Farr.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, who voted for TPA and against TAA, urged his colleagues to vote for TPA in a floor speech.
“With negotiations in the World Trade Organization languishing for the past 14 years, regional free trade agreements represent our best opportunity for expanding trade opportunities for U.S. agriculture.,” Conaway said.
“But as history has shown, in one form or another, trade promotion authority has been vital in completing and implementing past agreements.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who had remained neutral on TPA and TAA but voted against both, said in a statement, “I cannot support TPA until the full scope of the pending trade agreement is made clear. I still do not have adequate answers about the agreement’s potential gains or losses, especially those to agriculture and rural communities.”
“The administration says nothing in these trade agreements is going to force the United States to change it laws,” Peterson added.
“But the House this week did just that, voting to repeal country of origin labeling because of trade retaliation scare tactics. Given the outcomes of past trade agreements I believe it is important that the full details are known and a thorough review is complete before moving forward.”
But after TAA was defeated, few members issued statements.
Aderholt, a Republican who had the most unusual pattern of voting against TPA and for TAA, said in a statement, “I am for jobs, American jobs — right here in America.”
“Exports generally equal jobs unless, of course, we are exporting our jobs,” Aderholt said. “The manufacturing base in America — be it steel or socks or widgets — has suffered over the previous agreements and I am not convinced what President Obama will come up with will be much different.”
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, who joined Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., a former House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee chairwoman, in leading the opposition, issued a statement after the votes.
“I'm very concerned with the kinds of trade deals these secret negotiations are going to produce, and I don’t think we should give the administration a fast track route to push them through Congress without any opportunity to modify or amend them,” Pingree said.
“Judging by what previous trade deals have done to manufacturing jobs in Maine and across the country, there are going to be parts of these new trade deals that are going to be bad for American workers.”
