Rep. Kaptur Issues Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership Deal

Criticizes deal for failing to take serious steps on jobs or closed markets

Toledo, OH — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) responded today to news that Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiators announced the completion of a framework for the global trade deal:

"Our nation needs trade deals that create jobs in America and open closed markets abroad so we can sell our products there, not another deal negotiated by global elites that will outsource America’s jobs and fail to open closed markets.

This deal will fail America again because critical issues such as automotive market access, currency manipulation, environmental standards, and patent protections for inventors don't meet the test of open, fair trade. Further, critical sectors including autos have been passed over or negotiated into side agreements that are notorious for not being enforced. How can Congress approve any agreement that threatens an industry so vital to America's economic future?

The TPP has been shrouded in secrecy from the start, and even now we don't have access to the full text. When the text finally does get to Congress, the elected representatives of the American people will have no chance to amend it. It will be rigged on a rule to throttle debate through Congress on a fast track timetable with no amendment allowed. This is particularly troubling for a deal that opens the floodgates to a transfer of power from the American people to global elites and state-run economies. Look at the millions of lost U.S. job and trillions of dollars of lost economic impact hollowing out these deals. Deals like this have wreaked havoc across our economy over the past quarter century of their existence: NAFTA, the Korea-US FTA, now TPP. It's the same playbook.

History has repeatedly shown us that massive global free trade deals outsource good jobs, drive down wages, dismantle American industries, weaken U.S. competitiveness, open the door to foreign market manipulation, and put U.S. working families on the path to poverty. I will continue to do all I can to stop this kind of dangerous job-killing deal.”

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